Call me Sue!

I have had several people comment on whether naming her sue was to make her mean enough to be able to handle a cruel world. I actually didn't, and from the looks of things didn't need to. It appears that she has enough moxie built in to take care of the problem. My intention was to be able to call "Peggy- Sue" and have both birds respond.

I have noticed in the last few days that she has been flirting with the thought that she could threaten me, and have caught the beginnings of several aggressive moves. This is totally out of character for a young of the year Harris to act that way. When they are three or four, yeah. I have been thinking of how to handle it, and finally last night I decided on a course of action to nip this problem in the bud, while I still can. Harris Hawks are very social and the young stay with the parents and even help raise the young from succeeding broods, so they develop a pecking order that keeps things running on an even keel. I have seen a female whose kid was getting too pushy, tower over the young one and scream at them. This is generally enough to keep order and perspective in the young ones.

This morning I picked her up and put her on the scales to weigh her, and found that her weight was just about right. When I picked her up off the scales she did it again, screaming and flaring her wings at me. I gave her my best blood curdling scream with barred teeth, and she fell off the fist. When she regained the fist, I acted as though nothing had happened, and took her outside to the weathering area. When I tied her down she did it again, and I treated her to another aggressive scream and she again fell off the perch in surprise.

This evening after I had cut up her meal for the lesson, I went out to get her, and she jumped to the fist with no sign of aggression. I weighed her and we, and the dogs went for our walk. When we came back I set her on the fence and called her to the fist. She did well, with no signs of fear or aggression. I am not sure what her thoughts are, or why, but she is too big and well armed to mess around with. Hopefully I have taken the right course with her and she will stop this foolishness.

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