Overnight in the Aviary

Well, Sammy spent his first full night in his aviary last night and seemed to come through it no worse for wear!  Although, I can't say the same for me...I was a nervous, anxious wreck most of the night and didn't get much sleep.

The weather was perfect for his first overnighter:  no wind or rain, only the odd cloud to darken the skies and a lovely mild low temperature of 17C (63F).  I have to admit, I did quietly go outside just after midnight to check on him and found him sleeping quietly, all fluffed up sheltered in the cedar branches. I was relieved that Sammy had found the perfect spot to spend his night, and I had a small smile on my face as I snuck back inside.  Finding proper shelter from the elements and predators is very important for a song bird, and Sammy, being the smart little guy that he is, knew this.

This photo was taken just before full dark, before I left him for the night.

A perfect sleeping roost!

When my husband, Frank, went outside at 6am, Sammy was busy flying, preening and doing some hunting seeming totally unaffected by his night spent outside or having missed his nightly "cuddle-time" ritual.  Can't say the same for me...I was rather fond of cuddle-time myself and had worried about him all night, which had proved to be unnecessary, as Sammy did just fine.

Watching the sky...

I watched him for about an hour after I got up at 7am, and his behaviour was no different than any other day.  After watching him, I brought him some fresh insects which he caught and ate on his own. As soon as he had his fill, he flew to my shoulder and hopped under my ponytail and tucked himself right in.  I let him stay for a few seconds, then placed him on a perch, but he flew right back and snuggled in again.  I tried putting him back on a perch 3 times without luck, so I finally let him stay under my ponytail, where he sat quietly for about 15 minutes.  I guess bedtime cuddles have now moved to mornings.

I think he's giving me the "stink-eye"

The rest of his day was business as usual and he was definitely on track for being released in the next few days.  After worrying about him overnight, I've realized his release is going to be even harder on me than I thought.

Sammy is now 42-43 days old.