The following is excerpted in part from my post to Flightphoto on 3 February 2008.

Carly was flying outside almost every day at the park by our house or other calm locations for 7 months before I decided she was fit enough and had the proper training response to fly at the beach. There are not only gulls who sometimes like to chase, but also many other distractions: people, blimps, hangliders, helicopters, planes, lifeguard jeeps, hordes of kids, as well as an occasional peregrine falcon or flock of ravens. If I had not seen her flying with skills at least equal to the redfronts in terms of speed and maneuverability, as well as reliable recall, I would never ever have flown her there. Another criteria was that she displayed behaviors indicating she was eager to fly there. We took walks there on a harness for over 2 years, and it was only toward the end that she began to be animated on my shoulder, extending and flapping wings, and making excited vocalizations.

We started at the beach just like we started initally outdoors in the park: short recalls from a wall for the first couple of days, increasing the distance and then working up into longer loops. It went more quickly of course than before since he skill level was considerably higher. But this allowed her to generalize the training to a very new area and acclimate a bit before having to confront any of the many distractions head on.

She does not exhibit behaviors indicating fear or anxiety when there are gulls around. She actively chases them at times, and is much more eager to fly when there are challenges such as high wind or gulls. I know what her postures are when she is uneasy with a flying environment, and whenever I see those I pay very close attention to the situation; if it can't be remedied we don't fly. I have seen Carly not only outrun gulls, but go back for more, overtake them, and reinitiate chases over and over again. When she lands back with me, her behavior is relaxed: wagging tail, fluffing feathers, eagerly taking treats, and ready for more flying.

She has been chased by a mob of ravens that she found on a detour up off the beach onto the Scripps campus. This was a fairly scary chase but she handled it well. She flew into a big pine tree at one point, but they followed her there. I was on the beach near the tree and when she left, ravens in pursuit again but fewer, she came down to me. She appeared a bit tired, but was ready to fly again in 15 minutes or so (away from the raven area).

I have gained much (and still do) from sources like Susan Friedman's and Barbara Heidenreich's seminars, classes and writings, as well as just about anything else written or presented by reputable professional trainers that I can get my hands on. (The IAATE article library is a good place to browse.) I have also learned much from observing and listening to other amatuer trainers like Hugh Choi, Ellen Aparicio, Wendy Craig, Tex Hankey, etc., whose birds I have seen fly with the kind of responsiveness I desire. Many of these sources of information are linked on the Training Resources page.

Flying in challenging environments (e.g., many distractions, potential chases, chaotic conditions, etc.) should only be undertaken when a bird is very confident in calmer venues (for us this was at the point where it was almost becoming boring.) I strongly suggest the article by Sid Price, " Strong Foundations & Adjustments: Keys to Training Success," that is linked on the Resources page, to help gain an understanding of using consistency, patience and practice in training to assure a confident flyer. There is no quick "recipe" for proper preparation, so understanding the principles behind the methods is essential for good training.

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