Flights are coming in!!!

[ranechild]

I'm so excited!
My boyfriend pointed out that he thought he saw some new flight feathers coming in. Fats was clipped when I got him at 4 months old. One flight feather probably got knocked out and grew in all the way. He's been waddling around with his one flight feather for months!!!
Today I stretched out his wings and he's got beautiful new flights coming in over top of the clipped ones. They are almost as long as the clipped ones now! May in two or three weeks he'll be fully flighted!! Then he can learn to fly
He can go pretty far jumping off the top of his cage--the entire way across the living room. And we already know that if there is a wind, he can make it over the fence into the neighbor's back yard But now maybe he'll learn to fly to us in the kitchen instead of jumping off his cage, coasting to the other end of the room and then waddling to the kitchen. We only find out he's there when we hear his little nails on the linoleum

[MissK]

He's not going to make a lot of noise in flight either - maybe you can convince him to holler "INCOMING!!!!"

Maybe watching Camo will help him. You can put them together and lure Camo to fly for a treat. Fats won't be able to resist.

[ranechild]

HAHAH funny you said that... already when Camo takes off, Fats will fly off the top of his cage. I bought him an extra long ladder so if he gets to the floor he can climb back up by himself Maybe soon he'll be able to just fly up!

[InTheAir]

That's great. He's going to look even prettier when they finish growing in too

[ranechild]

Hmmmm.... funny thing.... His flights have not made much progress since I last posted. I wonder what they are waiting for? I might take a picture later. His old cut flights are still there. I'm waiting for those to fall out. I don't know whether to expect them to fall out before the new flights get longer or after.

Maybe some vitamins will help him along.

[AlphaWolf]

Hi Fats,
Aero is also getting his flights. He looks weird with 3 feathers sticking out .Isn't amazing when they get their flight feathers.

[ranechild]

Flights are not coming in. I think I might have been confused. I have seen one of the clipped feathers fall out though. Fats has been practicing his flapping more. Can't wait till he's flighted. It going to be like having a toddler.

[ranechild]

So, Fats has been taking flights for the last few days. He usually starts on his cage and flys through the living room to the kitchen where he abruptly is stopped by a wall. (He usually hits it fairly gently, no injuries yet).
Saturday I took him to Rentzel's Bird Farm in Red Lion Pennsylvania. Nice bird shop. It's very busy! the lady there trimmed his nails with a dremel--they are so smooth now. Poor thing can't hold onto my shoulder anymore--but hopefully I won't have any new cuts on my hands and shoulders for a little while
Last night he was on the Bfriends's shoulder. He was sliding off so he jumped and took flight and landed successfully on the perch on top of his cage about 10 feet away!!! We were thrilled! He doesn't get to practice his landings during his usual flights!
this morning, Camo took off from his cage as I was trying to put him back in. Fats also jumped into the air from the top of his cage, flew a semi circle around the hanging paper lantern which directed him towards the spare bedroom. He curved back through the bedroom door and landed at the far wall!!!
He needs to learn to make turns better, but it seems he is improving with the gentle curves he made today. I'm so proud! Once he can do a U-turn in a 8 ft space, he'll be good to fly around the house as much as he wants!