With the leaves changing and the sun setting earlier, it is obviously fall. The birds know it, too, as they feel the urge to prepare for migration or cold winter weather.
Carson the Red-tailed Hawk has a habit of gaining weight very quickly in the fall despite eating the same amount of food each day. She becomes ravenous and leaps on any scrap of food she can get.
In this recent training session, Carson displayed behaviors indicating her drive for food. I have yet to find a good hawk translator, but her squawks and squeaks seem to convey some impatience for my slow food delivery. She eagerly chases the target stick, willing to do whatever it takes to earn a chunk of rat. Watch her lean forward so much that she has to throw her wings out for balance as she quickly nabs each tidbit. And, of course, she gobbles down the last, large piece of food so quickly you can barely see it go down.
While Carson may feel hungry, she would become drastically overweight if left to her own devices. We'll be keeping a close eye on her weight to make sure she stays healthy through the change of seasons.
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