2013 Sharp shinned hawk. "Sweet P".

[colelkhunter]

I wasn't going to post pics or start a thread but I am getting harrassed, so here you go ya vultures.:D

Pulled june 15, estimated 8 days of age. Female sharpie "Sweet P". P is short for Pterodactyl. She will be a full socialization imprint with full food association otherwise known as "Hand fed". No fear shown out of the nest tree with slight hesitation after one day at home. No noise or chittering so far and has been eating like a horse. Socializing with the dogs and daily car trips have already begun. Starting to show feather ferrules protruding from the down now. She is also starting to stand and flap. Should not be too long before she stands for longer periods. Diet is consisting of sparrow entirely at this point with food being left on her lure. Her visual accuity is starting to pick up as she sits and watches everything now, following it with her head. Eyes are brightening just a little to a darkish blue. Placed in a smaller, lower sided nest bowl today with astro turf to clean her original nest bowl. I think she likes this one better.

[colelkhunter]

More pics

[colelkhunter]

Pics from the pull day.

[colelkhunter]

more

[PeteJ]

Nice feet on that little gem of yours Brian. I can hear the Starlings now....

[BestBeagler]

Brian, it's sharpie mania on nafex! It was nice meeting you in person. Hope to meet you again sometime!

[wesleyc6]

More pics

Dang she looks mean in that one pic. I know she isn't, but already an intense little pose. She should be taking game tomorrow or the next day(dog)

[colelkhunter]

I slipped her on three sparrows today! They were pretty slow, being in a bowl and all...:D

[hcmcelroy]

Brian,

Thanks for the description of behavior and the photos!

She looks most inviting.

Harry.

[colelkhunter]

Today she is a little more hesitant and moves away at my initial contact in the morning. She warms up quickly and settles in to eat her first meal of the day. I cannot help but think this is a result of the age at which she was pulled as previous sharpies that I have imprinted have never shown this. She is being socialized more intensely today to try to rectify this a little. Almost constant contact with me and other people. I have several guys working in my front yard and got them to play with her on their lunch hour.

[wesleyc6]

Today she is a little more hesitant and moves away at my initial contact in the morning. She warms up quickly and settles in to eat her first meal of the day. I cannot help but think this is a result of the age at which she was pulled as previous sharpies that I have imprinted have never shown this. She is being socialized more intensely today to try to rectify this a little. Almost constant contact with me and other people. I have several guys working in my front yard and got them to play with her on their lunch hour.


I am still seeing a touch of hesitancy, but it seems to be diminishing. I think we all got them right on the "line" huh.

[colelkhunter]

The ragged "Line" me thinks. I am interested to see how it develops. It has to have some impact. I just hope it is manageable.
frus)

[wesleyc6]

The ragged "Line" me thinks. I am interested to see how it develops. It has to have some impact. I just hope it is manageable.
frus)

It will probably just add a little extra "killer" to them.............always the optimist. LOL

[bluejack]

I pulled a female once right around 10 days I think.
She was a little scared at first but she settled in just fine.
She did complain a bit and always had some fear about various things. She was afraid of cars. She was cool being inside one but not cool about seeing them from the outside.

[hcmcelroy]

Brian,

I was given one pulled at 11 days and it did not overcome the fear reaction. In the field it was not easy. Ken Tuttle helped with this one and told me he would never try one at 11 days again. I guess it depends upon the individual.

Harry.

[colelkhunter]

Harry I made a valiant effort to choose the youngest of the chicks. I believed her to be younger than 11 days. If the only issue that becomes of it is on first contact of the day, I will be ok with that.I would almost be tempted to say that this bird is not imprinted on me. Taking into account the age and activity I am seeing. Time will tell I guess. This is a double edged sword I am playing with and I am fully aware of it. I plan to proceed with that in mind. Any further thoughts on it would be greatly appreciated. This is the first "late" bird that I have tried.

[jeffandheidi]

Ragged line for sure, this is my first Shin so everything is new. Comparing the pics you and Wes have shared it looks like mine is at least a day older, but he's still laid back. The first morning at home he gaped once, first contact of the day, like your bird. It was early morning and a little dark still so I attributed it to that. (?)

Does your bird back away and chitter or just lean away from your hand? It will be interesting to see if it lasts into training with weight reduction and hunting.

[colelkhunter]

she doesn't start eating immediately on first contact in the morning. She stares at me and kind of pulls her head back. No chittering or noise at all. Matter of fact she hasn't made a sound of any kind. I can see it in her eyes however. Once she takes that first bite she is great and will even preen my fingers when I rub the down on her back. That little resistance is sometimes more than enough if you are paying attention. Everything happens fast with a sharpie. Tiny little things become huge issues overnight it seems. The rapid progression of their growth makes the falconer ever vigilant in paying attention to the details with them.

[BestBeagler]

I think I chose the youngest one in the bunch. He was a bit hesitant to the touch but not out of fear. I just kept petting him and playing with his feet and yesterday I had him in the nest bowl on my chest and he scooted over to be next to my face. Finger feeding has helped it seems. He's become a cuddle bug. I think the chicks in the first nest where the youngest, but it was weird some birds that where older seemed to show no fear and some birds that where younger did?

[colelkhunter]

Did I say leaps and bounds? Yeah, I meant that....

Wake up at 0630 to the sound of "Thud, thud.....thud". Nothing in my house makes that noise. Dog wasn't barking, so they knew it was going on. Went out to my hawk table and find the sharpie standing, flapping and jumping. She is out of the nest bowl and trying to figure out how to get up on the bow perch next to the nest bowl.

Feeding time. I placed her lure into the nest bowl and she hopped back in, sat down and waited to be fed. Turn of a page today I think. No hesitation at all this morning.

[jeffandheidi]

That's great news Brian!

[hcmcelroy]

Brian,

She sounds good to me. My only suggestion is to watch her carefully as she begins to hard pen and creep the weight down if she becomes withdrawn slightly but only enough to keep her attentive. Best of luck but so far so good.

Harry.

[Breeze]

Hi Brian! Loving this thread! Thanks for sharing - look forward to following Sweet P (love the name!) and you all season. Enjoy!

[colelkhunter]

Pics from today. 17 days approximately. Feathers are showing well now. About an inch through the down on the primaries and a little more on the train. Today was a good training day. My mini doxies has basically took Sweet P to raise.She licked her all over and layed with her today next me. Kinda got irritated when I put Sweet P back on the hawk table. Standing a little more today but not too well. Flapping a lot but not getting anywhere.

[colelkhunter]

Food on the lure this morning and what a greedy little pig! She is quite taken with the lure already. I modified it last night with some leather wings so I didn't look so much like scrotum, reasons are obvious. While I worked on it, she stared at me across the room and seemed to be unsettled. Lure was put back with her when I finished and she settled in with it for her last meal of the day. Wedding to the lure? Check.

[BestBeagler]

I modified it last night with some leather wings so I didn't look so much like scrotum, reasons are obvious.

What beaches do you fly on LOL? I always fly my birds with my clothes on but to each their own! :) Speaking of scrotums lol I like Mario's kangaroo scrotum lures. I'm going make one.

[colelkhunter]

I like Mario's kangaroo scrotum lures. I'm going make one.


That's what I am using now (refer to the first series of picture). I added leather wings to it for good measure. Mine weighs 70g and is the perfect size.

[BestBeagler]

That's what I am using now (refer to the first series of picture). I added leather wings to it for good measure. Mine weighs 70g and is the perfect size.

Aha! I was wondering what that was. Cool.

[Bryant Tarr]

Ahhhhh....I thought you had some secret recipe for imprinting with potatoes. peacee

[colelkhunter]

Ahhhhh....I thought you had some secret recipe for imprinting with potatoes. peacee


Shhhhhhh!!!! Bryant, I swear. I can't tell you anything.:D

[wesleyc6]

Shhhhhhh!!!! Bryant, I swear. I can't tell you anything.:D

What wil be interesting will be to see the difference in the white potatoes recipe and the red potato recipe....oh I said too much again

[colelkhunter]

What wil be interesting will be to see the difference in the white potatoes recipe and the red potato recipe....oh I said too much again

For the record and before this goes too far: The bowl she is sitting in IS IN FACT microwave safe.

[Bryant Tarr]

or is it a Sweet Potato? Hmmmm??? Sweet P?

[colelkhunter]

or is it a Sweet Potato? Hmmmm??? Sweet P?

crazyy

[colelkhunter]

Update:

Sweet P is more mobile today. Standing regularly today and got kind of upset with her lure. She is running for a few steps and then falls over. Feathers are fanning more by the day. I still sense a little resistance from her but at intermitant times. At first it was just in the mornings. Now there seems to be no ryme or reason to it. Only happened once today and once yesterday. In this instance, when I approached in the middle of the day, she scooted away from me and ducked her head. A few seconds later I offered food to her and she sat down and accepted the food without problem. Very confusing, she seems to be sending mixed signals. She is willing to submit to me as a parent for food but shows apprehention when no food is present and not all the time. I would also like to mention at this point that she is eating vast amounts of food. Today was the most yet with 5 dressed sparrows and a small amount of quail breast. My estimate is about 60g. This is distributed throughout the day. I check her about every 3 hours to see if she will accept food with food always present on her lure. On the bright side she has made nothing resembling noise. No chitter no nothing. She will willingly scoot closer to me on the couch when I sit with her. Recognizes her nest bowl and seeks it out when she is sleepy even after hopping around and playing on the table or couch. So we have good and not so good...:D

[colelkhunter]

Just a quick thought on tethering.

I have heard some folks mention tethering their birds at such a young age. Be careful with this. It is my opinion that creating frustration in a young imprint is possible a basis for aggression. You can contain the bird with a taller box, giant hood or other do like I do and let the bird wander. It needs to explore and flap and do what it does. If you choose to tether, why not take the bird into another room to tether them. That way they have no one to place the blame on. Just my opinion. I have been wrong before...:D

[FredFogg]

I have been wrong before...:D

June 25th, 2013, 22:23 hours! I just want to make a note of this! toungeout :D

[colelkhunter]

June 25th, 2013, 22:23 hours! I just want to make a note of this! toungeout :D


You are missing out. It happens every day around here.

[jeffandheidi]

Hey Brian

Sounds like things are going great for you guys! I have tethered mine for a couple hours a day after feeding and for during time he has only walked to the end I his jesses a couple times. The rest of the time he bathes, sleeps and preens.

My only other accipiter experience has been with cooper hawks and this is the time frame just before hack when the lure becomes so important. Not doing a hack with this bird is making me feel like I am missing steps. The lure is in his nest box, but its more of a dinner plate.

[colelkhunter]

That's really all you can do at this point. The lure is a dinner plate for my girl as well. She knows that it represents food and is now walking over to it looking for food. She will follow it if you remove it. That is a good start to great lure response. Sweet P is starting to pluck at the carcass if the sparrows today. So she was left with a whole carcass after feeding. So far so good.

[jeffandheidi]

Wow, I posted that earlier response from my phone without previewing it first. Sorry, I'll blame multitasking and autocorrect.

[HERMANN]

Cole, mark here I took Jeff's group out so I did not get a chance to talk much with u but I am enjoying ur thread. Like ur pics.

[colelkhunter]

Thanks Herman, It's Brian. Joe Katt will have lots more soon. I am processing them now.

[colelkhunter]

Sweet P is eating an enourmous amount these days. Weighed her for the first time two days ago at 181g empty. Today she is 201g empty. No way she will fly anywhere near this but it gives me hope that she might be on the larger side. Standing and flapping even more these days. Plucking from sparrows on her own now in addition to being fed. She is left with a dressed sparrow to pick at after her meals. She uses it for between meal snacks right now. Starting to show some interest in playing with toys. She has had access to a small orange ball and today she tried t kill a balled up paper towel that I was using to clean up a mute. She was also able to view herself in a mirror today and was not at all surprised. She went over and layed next to the mirror. :D

All in all I am happy with the way things are going. This week I will start dragging a dressed lure for her to chase, in the living room. Waiting for her feathers to come in. Didn't take any new pictures of sweet P but here is a pic of one of my doxies pups asleep.:D

[colelkhunter]

Welcome to this weeks episode of Sweet p's play house! Here we have everything needed to imprint a female sharp shinned hawk. Requisite nest bowl, freshly cleaned. Tiny little tennis ball that she chases and kills now (terribly funny). Modified ball sack lure. Meals are split and fed on lure and finger tips. Random no ryme or reason to it. Green dish towel "Landing pad". I am making a new smaller, perch for her that I should be done with tomorrow. Ever seen a "Mini Meng"? Me neither, that's why I am making one.:D Surely it will be all the rage with idiots that have too much time on their hands.


Feathers are popping out everywhere. Flapping and jumpig have increased. All goes well.

[BestBeagler]

Brian, I see the Teflon jesses. I made a pair as well. I LOVE them! And like you said they are slicker than owls poop on a pump handle. I'm sold so far.

[colelkhunter]

Lots of activity today. Playing with her toys more than ever and getting really animated. 24 days of age and footing everything in sight. Getting really good at plucking and pulling her own food now. Stands,flaps and jumps up to her perch now pretty well.

I still notice a slight resistance in her. She tolerates me preening and handling her a bit but grows weary of it after a little bit. Of course this deacreases when she is hungry. Got up late this morning and fed her a little later than usual on purpose to see if it had any impact. What I saw was her attitude change and show real interest in getting to me. I would think this could be expected of any hungry passage bird that has been well manned. After her first meal of the day she was playful and animated for a while but not too interested in playing with me. I am thinking at this point in the game, rather than back off with her (which would most likely be a reasonable,logical option) I am going to proceed to super-contact mode. More to see what happens.To see if it will bring her back a little. I don't really have an idea on this, I'm acting on instinct. She isn't demonstrating the typical imprint behaviors, if I am to be honest. The shorter attention span with me and stand offishness is leading me into a strage area with her. If this continues and my intense manning and contact doesn't work, I will change the regiment completely and leave her alone until after hard penning. Cutting off contact and letting her develop to a point that I can cut he weight as you would a passage bird and start training her that way.The cues that I am getting from her are subtle, mond you but they are there. This is the critical time when a serious mistake can be made. I am trying to make a cear decision to move forward in this manner, knowing that it might be te wrong decision. Then planning a back up if things go south. This bird is proving to be a wierd one for sure. As I promised with all my threads here, I will give ya'll all of it. The good and the bad. So when I screw up at least you know why and how. Maybe it will work? No idea but my options with her are gettin slim and I am running out of time.:D

[wesleyc6]

Lots of activity today. Playing with her toys more than ever and getting really animated. 24 days of age and footing everything in sight. Getting really good at plucking and pulling her own food now. Stands,flaps and jumps up to her perch now pretty well.

I still notice a slight resistance in her. She tolerates me preening and handling her a bit but grows weary of it after a little bit. Of course this deacreases when she is hungry. Got up late this morning and fed her a little later than usual on purpose to see if it had any impact. What I saw was her attitude change and show real interest in getting to me. I would think this could be expected of any hungry passage bird that has been well manned. After her first meal of the day she was playful and animated for a while but not too interested in playing with me. I am thinking at this point in the game, rather than back off with her (which would most likely be a reasonable,logical option) I am going to proceed to super-contact mode. More to see what happens.To see if it will bring her back a little. I don't really have an idea on this, I'm acting on instinct. She isn't demonstrating the typical imprint behaviors, if I am to be honest. The shorter attention span with me and stand offishness is leading me into a strage area with her. If this continues and my intense manning and contact doesn't work, I will change the regiment completely and leave her alone until after hard penning. Cutting off contact and letting her develop to a point that I can cut he weight as you would a passage bird and start training her that way.The cues that I am getting from her are subtle, mond you but they are there. This is the critical time when a serious mistake can be made. I am trying to make a cear decision to move forward in this manner, knowing that it might be te wrong decision. Then planning a back up if things go south. This bird is proving to be a wierd one for sure. As I promised with all my threads here, I will give ya'll all of it. The good and the bad. So when I screw up at least you know why and how. Maybe it will work? No idea but my options with her are gettin slim and I am running out of time.:D

I hate that you aren't seeing what you hoped you would see. It will be interesting to see what happens when you amp up the association. My bird seems to be starting to regulate his own weight somewhat. He really doesn't care much about food at all in the mornings, a little more at lunch and then chows pretty hard in the evening. However, for him food doesn't seem to change his desire to interact any. He can turn down food to fly up on your head or lay in your lap. Interesting to see the similarities and differences amongst all our shins.

[bluejack]

Hi Brian,
I read your last post and after wondering what age you pulled her I looked at your first post. You thought that she was approx 7 days old.
There are two pics in the post. The 2nd pic shows the one bird. Was that pic taken on the same day that she was pulled, or some days later?
The reason I ask is because it looks like her primaries are starting to pop out and that would put her right around 10 days old, I think.

[colelkhunter]

I am hoping that I am over thinking this and she comes back after more intense contact. I am taking it as it comes to me with a back up plan to move in a different direction. Might work, might not.

[colelkhunter]

Hi Brian,
I read your last post and after wondering what age you pulled her I looked at your first post. You thought that she was approx 7 days old.
There are two pics in the post. The 2nd pic shows the one bird. Was that pic taken on the same day that she was pulled, or some days later?
The reason I ask is because it looks like her primaries are starting to pop out and that would put her right around 10 days old, I think.


The first post of the thread was 5 days after she was pulled. The picture with them all together was on pull day. The one were she is in the tupperware nest bowl was taken 5 days after she was pulled. So an estimated 12 days of age. Give or take of course and just a guestimate.

[jeffandheidi]

My bird seems to be starting to regulate his own weight somewhat. He really doesn't care much about food at all in the mornings, a little more at lunch and then chows pretty hard in the evening. However, for him food doesn't seem to change his desire to interact any. He can turn down food to fly up on your head or lay in your lap. Interesting to see the similarities and differences amongst all our shins.
I am seeing the same thing with mine in regards to feeding. He hardly ate this morning or afternoon. He doesn't have any interest in footing or any toys for some reason.
It's great to have this many shin threads for comparison while they grow. I expect we will all have similar threads once we are in the fields.

[bluejack]

The first post of the thread was 5 days after she was pulled. The picture with them all together was on pull day. The one were she is in the tupperware nest bowl was taken 5 days after she was pulled. So an estimated 12 days of age. Give or take of course and just a guestimate.

Got it.
The more I see the less I know.

[wesleyc6]

I am seeing the same thing with mine in regards to feeding. He hardly ate this morning or afternoon. He doesn't have any interest in footing or any toys for some reason.
It's great to have this many shin threads for comparison while they grow. I expect we will all have similar threads once we are in the fields.


Brian and I talk often, and I do know both of our birds will whoop up on a paper ball.

[colelkhunter]

Brian and I talk often, and I do know both of our birds will whoop up on a paper ball.

And a bath pan,a tennis ball, their own shadow and any erant down that she preens off.crazyy

[BestBeagler]

I am seeing the same thing with mine in regards to feeding. He hardly ate this morning or afternoon. He doesn't have any interest in footing or any toys for some reason.
It's great to have this many shin threads for comparison while they grow. I expect we will all have similar threads once we are in the fields.

Jeff, my bird is the same way with feeding now. He also hasn't entered the footing/playing with things yet but shows a keen interest in birds flying around.

[colelkhunter]

This morning finds Sweet P jumping all over the place. Not really interested in eating this morning then all of a sudden about 1100 became a velociraptor on an opened quail. Jumpin and footing it, very funny.

[colelkhunter]

Sweet P fledged first thing this morning. She made it over to my coffee table in the living room with little effort. After that she has explored hearly all the corners of the house and finally settled down on a block perch that I had set on the floor in front of the coat rack. Let the games begin.

[colelkhunter]

Pictoral proof. Also she clearly needs more lure training. I threw the lure on my end table and she jumped on it right away. These imprints are really tough I tell you.

[Breeze]

Hey Brian! Glad to hear your velociraptor has fledged. LOL! Totally enjoying your thread - amazing to watch Sweet P change so quickly!

[colelkhunter]

Hey Brian! Glad to hear your velociraptor has fledged. LOL! Totally enjoying your thread - amazing to watch Sweet P change so quickly!


She migrated from Velociraptor to Pterodactyl today. In the span of one day she fledged the nest. Took over my entire living room as her territory and established a no fly zone for all airborne bugs. She is now sitting with the dachshunds on the couch preening. Second lure call to the coffee table was successful as well as a short carry on the fist. toungeout

[colelkhunter]

pep talk.

[colelkhunter]

Requisite bird on the computer shot.

[colelkhunter]

Dachshunds and sharpies go together like peanut butter and jelly. This pic was while both were getting fed tidbits. One after the other, taking turns.

[BestBeagler]

Brian, how's the mini Meng coming along? Really liking the idea and thinking of having one made as well.

[Paul Mascuch]

Brian -

How is Sweet-P progressing? Have you guys hit the field yet?

Paul

[FredFogg]

Brian isn't going to answer anyone because he is ashamed to admit that Sweet P ate all those puppies he had and is a face grabbing crazy hawk! LOL toungeout :D

[colelkhunter]

I'll post some stuff when I have something interesting to post. Don't want to post the typical "My bird lost 2 grams today!" update.:D You fellers can wait a while....toungeout

Fred, she would kill everyone of those pups if she could. When she isn't snuggling with them that is.

[jeffandheidi]

How are you guys doing?