Bules’ advice and waited for Palmer to accept my presence, by the end of the 30-minute session he was flying to the perch and back onto the stick. During the afternoon training session, I managed to walk Palmer down the corridor with him perched on a stick and me feeding him sunflower seeds every few paces. We walked as far as the entrance to the aviary where I hoped to fly him and came back. But by the end of that first walk of only a few yards, from the way he moved towards my hand, it was clear that Palmer felt more comfortable on my open palm


than a stick. After that session, I used my palm. Palmer had accepted me. His elegant black and red colours reminded me of the elegance of my beloved Greys.


Betsey the Green-winged, the first macaw I’ve ever handled for training sessions, taught me a lot. She was an experienced bird and provided I could get the cues clear and did not make clumsy errors she would cooperate until she had taken enough seeds or nuts when she’d respond slower and slower or wander off to the other side of the flight. For the level of training


30 BIRD SCENE


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