RELEASE DAY!!!

When we woke up this morning about 7am, Sammy was flying around in his aviary kind of frantic and agitated looking.  He was flying back and forth bouncing softly off the screen sides and roof of his aviary, over and over again.  I thought maybe he was out of food and was really hungry, so I took him some fresh plump mealworms, and he ate a couple, plus 2 grasshoppers and one big black ant, but that didn't help to settle him down.

He didn't try to land and perch on me, as had become his morning habit, and did not want to be picked up or to really be near me at all.  I left the aviary and sat on the front porch with Frank to watch him for awhile.  Sammy continued to seem upset, distressed and restless, flying continually back and forth from screen to screen.

I think he wanted out of his aviary and this was his way of letting me know that he was ready and eager to be out in the world.  Sammy was hunting and eating on his own very well, had successfully spent a couple of nights outside in his aviary and his flight was strong and confident. We decided we had to give him what he seemed to so desperately want...today was going to be the day he got his freedom.

I took him back inside the house, which was no easy feat like it usually was.  Every time I tried to pick him up to carry him inside, he wiggled himself right out of my hands.  When I finally had him snug and secure in my cupped hands and tucked into my cardigan, I took him upstairs to my room and as soon as I opened my hands he flew right off.  While Sammy and I were inside, Frank was busy taking off the front screen wall of the aviary, so that he could choose when to leave it.  Our plan was to leave his aviary up for several days, in case he wanted to go back into it for safety and security, which is part of a soft release.

He flew the length of the room a few times before settling to perch on a window sill, where he quietly sat and looked out the window.  If I put human emotions to this, I would say he was looking wistfully out the window at the world he wanted to be a part of.

Wistfully watching the world that was about to become his

I tried offering him more mealworms, and although he ate 2, he still didn't seem like himself.  Sammy has always been a calm, confident-seeming, trusting little bird and his behaviour today just did not seem normal for him.  He didn't like me approaching him too close, didn't want to hop on my hand for food, didn't try to land on me, didn't try to have his morning cuddle, he just seemed very detached, wary, agitated and almost restless.

I brought him back outside about 8:30am, placed him on his feeding platform in his aviary, and he flew right off onto one of his perches for a few seconds.  Then he flew onto my head, hopped down to my shoulder and sat there calmly quiet.

Moments before release

I, however, was not so calm - I felt anxious, worried, nervous, excited for him and I felt like I was shaking inside.  From here on out, he would be in charge of his own fate and at the mercy of his environment and predators - I wouldn't be able to keep him safe and out of harm's way any longer.

Sammy and I

I spent several seconds savoring his closeness and just looking at him, he seemed very at ease now...so different from the start of his morning, almost as if he knew he was getting his freedom.  I stroked him one more time, whispered to him to be safe and that I loved him, took a deep breath and slowly walked out of the aviary with him perched calmly on my shoulder.

Saying goodbye...

Seconds after walking out of the aviary

Sammy sat on my shoulder for about 30 seconds, quietly looking around, then he suddenly flew onto our song bird platform feeder a few feet away from me.

First flight of freedom - to the bird feeder

Relaxing with a little scratch

He stayed there for a couple minutes, and had himself a drink of water from his shallow bath dish that I had placed there.  Next, Sammy flew onto the aviary roof for a couple of minutes, turning his head this way and that, observing everything around him.

Sammy watching his world from the roof of his aviary

I felt much calmer at this point and was enjoying watching him out where he belonged. That is until he flew off into the beech tree several feet away and several feet up.  I think my heart actually jumped into my throat, to see him so far away and out of my "reach".

First time perching in a real tree!

Sitting quietly in a beech tree

He didn't stay in the beech for long, moving to a huge hemlock tree across the driveway, then to a maple tree next to it, a few minutes spent in each one.

High up in a hemlock tree

Hunkered down in hemlock tree

Hopping along a branch

Resting quietly from his first big flights

Watching him fly so high and confidently was simply breathtaking.  His wing beats were strong and powerful, even gliding part of the way and his landings were steady.  He looked so small up in the branches and blended in to his surroundings very well.  It was a very moving experience, watching him explore his world for the first time.

Next thing we knew, he flew off over the house and was gone.  This part, I was definitely not prepared for...I guess I didn't expect him to be out of my sight so quickly.  My research on raising him had led me to believe that he would hang around for several days, weeks, if not a couple months, just as he would have stayed near his parents to be fed and protected. So I think my naive mind pictured Sammy staying close enough for me to see him.  I kind of panicked when he disappeared, and started crying while I walked around the yard calling his name "Sammy Sammy Sammy", which is what I would say (since I can't whistle) when I entered his aviary or opened his indoor cage.  I'm pretty sure this was totally inappropriate behaviour on my part - certainly not how a professional rehabber would behave - and I should have just gone about my business, happy that he survived, was healthy and able to fend for himself.  But, once again, my heart was in charge of my brain and I felt overwhelming sadness and even a bit of fear for him, worried if he was going to be okay.

Sammy showed up in the front yard again a long, long 10 minutes later and the relief I felt upon seeing him was overwhelming.  He went straight to our feeding station, where his mealworm dish and bath were ready for him.  He ate a couple of mealworms, had a drink of water and a quick bath - like it was just another day.  Just like a child, he was oblivious to how worried I had been.

Having a little bath

Getting good and soaked

After his bath, Sammy flew onto his aviary and on one of the 3 strong ropes that my husband, Frank, had hung at various heights between the trees and our corner porch post and spent some time preening his feathers. When Sammy flew off out of our sight about 20 minutes later, I felt much calmer, happier and confident that he would be okay.

Sammy on his perching rope

Do I look tough?

Spreading his gorgeous blue wings to dry

Eastern Bluebirds like to perch on hydro lines, fence posts, etc to scan the ground below in search of prey that they will swoop or flutter down to catch.  Since our hydro lines were underground, the idea was that these ropes would be his own personal perching lines.  I also had Frank make a couple of perching posts, kind of like crosses, out of 2 by 2 lumber and pound them into the ground, so he could use these in the backyard for hunting perches.  Did I go a little overboard in preparing for his release?  Probably, but if he was going to hang around for a little while, I wanted his territory to be as "bluebird friendly" as possible.  Remember, I'm the woman who hunted fresh bugs for him daily while he was being raised so he could learn to hunt!

We didn't see him again until mid-afternoon, when he flew towards me from the wooded edge of our backyard as I went outside.  He flew over and down towards me 3 times, then flew across our pond to a large tree and clung like a woodpecker on the side of the trunk.

Clinging high on a tree trunk

A few minutes later, he came into the front yard again, had himself a mealworm snack, perched on his ropes again (which may have been going overboard, but he definitely seemed to like them!), in the beech trees and then back onto the rope close to the porch post.  I walked over to him, held my hand out below him and he hopped right on.  Sammy moved to my shoulder, close to my neck and under my ponytail.  I thoroughly enjoyed this incredibly special "in the wild" cuddle-time that Sammy shared with me for several minutes before he was once again off exploring.

Sammy flew through the front porch a few times after that while we were sat there enjoying the beautiful day watching him come and go.  He also came in for more mealworms and a few live grasshoppers that I offered him.  He discovered a dead, exposed limb on a maple tree that overlooks the grass area surrounding our pond, a good hunting perch, and rested there for a few minutes.  At 3:45pm, Sammy flew off over the pond into the edge of the woods and that was the last we saw of him today.

At 44-45 days old, it was done.  He made it.  Sammy was free.