Freeflight Journey

30/08/2023

Playing around with AI and created this piece of artwork.

13/08/2023

Absolutely brilliant turnout today for the World Parrot Trust - UK fundraiser at Turvey House in Bedfordshire, in collaboration with Mikey and Mia.

Got to meet up with some friends and of course, there was lots of flying. And maybe a bit of destruction of the odd hat. Shoutout to Shelby the Macaw at WPT for organising this, great job.

Free flyers flocked from all corners of the UK to show off the flying skills of their feathered companions. Here’s a little video of me releasing Rio who was later met with Pepper for a quick circuit flight display. And Rio wouldn't be Rio without going back to being, uhm.... social. 🫠😜

13/08/2023

Whe're packed and on the road heading to Turvey House in Bedfordshire for a huge public event hosted by World Parrot Trust - UK and Mikey and Mia.

There'll be stalls, food, fun and lots of flying!

Image Credit: Nimal.

11/08/2023

This will be epic.

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/education/dont-be-a-birdbrain-and-miss-out-on-this-parrot-fundraiser-near-bedford-4247621?fbclid=IwAR13PDMeK9RrvIHcYYdjmm50qAw5aie6vQGv_ELeybcIK48YV1xD8CIsI1M

It’s being hosted this weekend

17/06/2023

Spreading my own wings these days. 🪽🪽

Moving in 3 dimensions is a different ball game

Hoping to complete my first solo flight before the end of the summer.

14/06/2023

After a very long year of being unsettled with a house move and hormones, with one or two bumps in the road, he's finally stopped pulling out his beautiful yellow feathers.

25/10/2022

Well, I think I can safely say that the plucking issue seems to be pretty much done and dusted.

The first image is Rio as he is today. The images following are a collection of the changes in his condition from February 2022.

Two major changes in circumstances and a burst of hormones are what started the issue. What corrected the issue was time, reducing contact due to clingy behaviour and reducing pine nuts and smaller chop sizes. He wanted to bath more and then became happier with his own company in his own space. Still moans when he can't have my attention on demand.

He also became skittish when it was time to go outside and he also lost interest in flying. Giving him space to settle to his reduced food portions and a lack of success in demanding my attention, he then started to get used to a new routine. Part of this routine was helped by new work commitments.

Since then, he has been allowed more clingy time and spends his preening time working more on keratin and not plucking feathers. This has allowed more feathers to grow in his more settled state. He is still incredibly clingy but he wasn't skittish when I took him out today. Really pleased with the progress. His weight never changed and neither did his character, only a couple of changes to routine.

Some never fix this issue, but we've smashed it and I couldn't be happier.

29/09/2022

I've been somewhat silent for a while, meandering on what others are doing to solve the many complex problems of avian husbandry.

I've got a great deal of respect for my friends in the bird world, the most notable being my friends and in the freeflight circles, those pushing for greater bird health and my friends at birdman parrot rescue. I haven't been supporting as much at the rescue these days due to personal circumstances, I'm working a great deal lately, my time is limited.

It is worth mentioning, those that have experienced a great deal of stress with bird care, I know most mean well and I know they're all doing a fantastic job. I've taken a backseat of late, purely due to my new financial commitments. I've been watching my friends continue to battle through what can only be described as a huge stress.

The truth is, some are having more success than others, and some are finding it increasingly difficult. They're not doing anything wrong either, diet exercise and stimulating their birds is a top priority. I'm watching it. Yet, some of us are still facing the bird keepers nightmare. Whether it is plucking, picky diets and lack of training responses, I've experienced it all. I have an unshaken respect for those continuing to try and make the best natural life for captive bred birds, those that try and keep them loved and healthy.

Let's be honest, we're not meant to keep them. They should never have been bred for a life of domestic captivity and we may never meet the needs that manifest in a range of behavioural traits. They should be in the wild, they should be flying free. I love my birds, I love watching their personality grow. But I have been watching a sentient being look out of the window wondering what life exists beyond training based responses. We'll never understand it, I dont think I ever will.

Treat animals as you would a loved one, do what you can to give them the best life possible, no matter the species. I'll never tell anyone to keep any sort of animal in domestic environment, I think its wrong. But I won't take a way the care that a loving family can provide to a domestic bred bird.

One thing I will say, is that I admire strongly those they maintain that attitude to keep up a commitment, which can only be described as a form of family dedication. I'd just like to take this moment to acknowledge those on the same journey as I, those that feel that sometimes it is never enough. It may near wil be, but this is through no fault of your own.

Continue to allow them to eat well, to love, be healthy and to experience the skies where it permits.

To those doing all they can. I salute you.

The struggle is real.

To all my friends in bird circles, I see you, and it is not ignored.

All we can do is keep going, you're doing the best you can for a magnificent and intelligent species that should have never been born captive, but be born free.

Keep going and share the message.

From myself and Rio, to all those doing what they can, you have my respect.

28/09/2022

He's definitely improving.

10/08/2022

😅😅

10/08/2022

They're definitely growing back. Now that we've got this problem on track, we're going back to basics with training.

24/07/2022

Credit for these images goes to Soaring Wings Flock

24/07/2022

I had to share these thoughts from my good friend, Dean Bowen. All credit for the below images are also to Dean. Thanks mate, this is great reading. This extends to all the folks in the community.

"Today I had the great pleasure of meeting the folks who keep birds. Yet what makes this group of people special is that they have trained their birds to fly, free in the outdoors.

When my good friend Matthew invited me to the Lake District to witness these birds and take some photos, it was too good to pass up. I knew this may be a spectacle that I may never see again.

This very niche community are known as Freeflight. Matthew explained there maybe less than just 100 people in the UK that have successfully taught their birds to free fly.

In this country there has been a long tradition of keeping birds in aviaries or in a cage in the home. I myself kept birds in the back garden Canaries, Finches (in my case) Budgies and variations of Parrots. It must be said that not all birds kept this way are treat poorly however it seems there is growing concern that more birds are and this seems to be due to the lack of understanding of the level of attention and for example simply knowing that many of these birds particularly parrots will often outlive their owner.

Oddly though to imagine a group of folk who fly their birds outside come as a surprise to many. I Guess it shouldn't because surely the most fascinating appeal of birds is their ability to fly because we can't, yet if we keep birds that never get to do what their wings were intended for then what is it?
Matthew's response is 'they are little more than a bunch feathers".
So from this perspective its a sad story for many caged birds. Matthew having successfully taught his Macaw Rio to free fly now helps to advise and find suitable homes for birds that need rescuing. He's keen to understand the motivation of those who show interest in owning such birds. The most obvious red flag he says are when he's asked "can it talk"? This question he says is the most common one and a good indicator that the owner does not have the birds welfare as the heart of ownership but merely kept as a source of amusement.

That said I'm not surprised that people do no more than keep birds in cages. Here's why.

It takes, sorry it demands the owner of the bird is prepared for the journey that is free flight, meaning to take your birds outside and allow it to fly and return safely to it owner. The risks to the bird during training especially is huge.
The qualities required to my understanding are as follows.
Commitment, Persistence and Perseverance. Thats just the start then there's of course knowledge of you bird and this is what I come to learn yesterday. It was demonstrably clear the bond and connection between birds and owner has been born from commitment followed by fear. The belief that after all the training, improvement to diet, physical fitness when you feel the time is right after months or even year to finally let you bird fly free must indeed come with massive amounts of fear. This is not a hobby, it's a way of life. Yet the rewards are massive for both bird and it's owner if successful.

I've witnessed this story of the free flight journey told in detail bring grown men to tears.

Yesterday was special. The weather conditions were not exactly ideal. Drizzle and increasing wind would potentially cause the birds to behave naturally as one did later and decided to sit the rain out in a tree and I guess to wait for it to pass. Its owner knew the rain was in for the rest of the day.

I did however before it rained get to see all the birds in the air and what sight!
All of them squeaking and screaming clearly excited to be outdoors again surrounded by their friends the trees and mountains and of course in such a beautiful setting at Loughrigg Tarn which a true gem in the Lakes. These folk had travelled from all over the country to come here.
I clearly recall as we arrived later the welcome Matthew and his bird Macaw Rio received. Rio responded in true form "Hello"! One can't deny that birds talking is just funny, but this isn't what its about. Shortly after all birds were gathered and on the count of three they all took up to the sky and began to flock and loop around with everyone watching their bird like a hawk. Which is a good word to use because other birds of prey may be in the vicinity looking on at these crazy colourful birds and with prey birds who are notoriously territorial will not hesitate to attack or simply chase them out of sight. Wild birds light crows and seagulls are incredibly strong flyers and could easily chase down these birds. That's just one a long list of concerns when free flying. Anyway thankful and with much relief all birds gradually return to the perch or on the heads or shoulders of the owners and in some cases someone completely unknown as happened to me several times. I kept being asked am i ok with these birds pulling and tugging at my jacket and camera strap. "of course, why wouldn't i be". But not everyone one is I guess.

I confess my BIF (birds in flight) photography is not nearly acceptable enough, I've yet to master the skills required to capture good flight shots, so I came away with a load of portraits which show their amazing colours and a bit of their personality.

Massive thanks to Matthew and the free flight guys and girls I met yesterday for letting me in on a superb experience, I'll never forget it."

- Dean Bowen

Motleys Adventurez Shelby the Macaw Mikey and Mia Soaring Wings Flock

23/07/2022

Another great catch up with the freeflight community today.

Mikey and Mia Motleys Adventurez Shelbythemacaw Soaring Wings Flock

31/05/2022

Happy World Parrot Day

From a disease free, healthy and hormonal Rio.

Who was apparently s*x tested female! 🤔

10/05/2022

This is what real freeflight is about. Credit to these images belongs to Nimal Fernando.

Images taken at Primrose Hill with trainer Chucky KG.

Stunning work guys.

04/05/2022

Making the most of a quiet evening at the beach after a busy day

01/05/2022

30/04/2022

Massive shoutout to those in the local area for all of the tags. I really appreciate you guys for doing so while Rio got chased out to Bispham area.

You're all amazing.

For the new people to the page, I see you. Thanks for following. This is what I do!

Have a great weekend all.

Thanks from me, my partner Claire and Rio.

28/04/2022

Just thought I'd write some thoughts on where I am currently with Rio.

I've had full bloods taken following another vet visit yesterday. I'll get the results back in a few weeks. He's got healthy new feathers growing back but you can see he's really been having a go at himself. Every single day there are new feathers in the bottom of his cage when I come back from work.

We will be moving next week to our new home. He will be in a brand new cage and new surroundings. It is going to take a bit of time for him to get used to, but I've got some great ideas on how to fix this.

There's going to be a slight adjustment to his diet. He's a very picky eater and never finishes his food, no matter how many ingredients we include or change up. His weight is 1060g so I'm not overly concerned. I am concerned that he may not be getting the correct amount of nutrients from being so picky. This summer is going to bring enormous change, but much more opportunity. I've spent so much time reviewing information on hormones, food textures and nesting behaviours. He is still very young but it isn't uncommon for hormones or hormonal behaviour to occur.

I've also had him s*x tested, just to be certain he is male.

These next few months are going to be critical or I fear he will continue this behaviour.

I'm absolutely devastated.

20/04/2022

Two of these images are from different times of the day today, the other is from Thursday last week.

Whenever I find any I clear his space so I can keep track.

It's heartbreaking.

20/04/2022

All the care in the world cannot prepare you for the dismay of watching your bird start plucking. The pucture on the left is from 2 weeks ago and the picture on the right is from this afternoon. Spraying can be helpful with plucking but of course it looks much worse when he is wet.

This can occur for a number of reasons. In this case, I'm concerned about internal inflammation/infection. He's had one initial consultation, vet wasn't concerned about his care, his weight or his diet. She agreed it could be stress related but also further checks are needed. So he's going for some tests next week to see if he has anything internal going on and I'm really hoping it is just stress.

This of course is a different issue as it can be difficult to address. A lot has changed for him recently due to preparing to move and a change in work patterns following the end of lockdown. Investment has been made to increase his space at his new home and I'll also be getting an outside aviary. This should help with some of the stress, I do expect it to get worse before it gets better.

It really sucks having to wait the years for his feathers to grow back if it is stress related. You have to pay close attention to your birds and understand what could be causing it. Unfortunately for Rio, he's a victim from only being born a captive bred bird. And our routine isn't always helpful. We all have to work.

This can be a sad reality for some keepers and although I've done the very best I can to give him the best life possible, I still have to do more to settle him on our new home.

20/04/2022

20/04/2022

Sometimes, we all need a cuddle.

10/04/2022

Having to keep a very close eye on this one. I'm dealing with a keepers nightmare.

Rio has started plucking his chest so he's going to see the vet next week. I believe this is due to stress, there's a lot of changes he's dealing with and I'm hoping that's all it is. I'm expecting it to get worse before it gets better as we are moving home soon.

27/03/2022

Look, dad. We made it to the top!

22/03/2022

Excuse me. Sir, that parrot on your head is my companion. He just loves watching you play bowls and thought he would offer you some pointers to your game.

19/03/2022

A ride down the promenade certainly blew the cobwebs away.

19/03/2022

Finally dad, some sun. I think I'll just bask under the Blackpool Tower.

03/02/2022

Flying is minimised at the moment, but I've gotta make good use when the sun is shining.

28/01/2022

I am going to throw out a personal thought, this thought is founded in experience and opinion. This thought is not meant to shame anyone in any way, whatsoever.

Just to be clear, I really like animals and if it is not clear, I particularly love birds. As a child, my dream was to be able to fly and as such, the irony of which that has come to pass, I find myself in service of the naturally flighted. There's a few arguments that contradict this, I fall into the contradictions of those arguments. I eat meat, I cannot truly claim to love animals while I contribute to the wider issue of eating meat when 56 billion animals per year are slaughtered for our taste buds. I am not going to engage with this position, this is an internal battle for me to reconcile.

I get a lot of messages from people about birds, their care, their diet and their training. People ask me what I think is best to keep and my answer is always the same. That answer is it always depends on personal circumstances, but this is not what I am truly thinking. I find myself struggling with internal strife, as much as I love my birds, it really has me reflecting on what that love should really mean.

To put it simply, keeping birds, in my opinion is simply wrong. We cannot claim to love an animal that is condemned to a life of domestication, subject to the circumstances of the carer, especially when that life does not grant what would be as naturally as possibly in their interest. I firmly believe that anyone who wishes to give love to a bird, or any animal for that matter, ought to primarily consider animals that are sheltered in rescues, abandoned and stuck in limbo.

My message here I wish to make clear, if you like animals, then please make sure you consider rescue before considering the primary attributes of funny, they talk, they are clever and they can be loving. An abandoned, or that which cannot be longer cared for, has equally the potential to provide loyalty and a loving bond. Please do not get a bird from a breeder, please consider that contributing to such a wide scale problem of profit, where these magnificent animals are only kept for entertainment, or other personal benefits, is not in the interest of those animals. I would like to suggest at this stage, that this is not the kind of attitude that humanity ought to pursue. Again, I am not here to try and suggest you are a bad person, I myself have bought one pet shop bird, one direct from a breeder and a reject. This I find increasingly difficult to come to terms with.

I am firmly grounded in the position that all sentience and natural life has the right to live. If we are to truly claim that we have respect for this, then we should provide that care to those that currently do not have it.

Yes I fly a macaw, yes he is funny, he is cute, he can be a menace to some, in particular those that fear or do not understand their natural behaviour. This does not mean that I agree with the endeavour of which some pursue. I do not consider my birds a commodity, nor do I suggest that all bird keepers think this way. I am simply saying, please carefully think about how you approach this, it is not easy, it is hard, it requires a particular type of patience. Yes my patience is tested on occasion, but I expected this.

My point is, have you considered this and it is also, that birds naturally fly. I personally do not agree with wing clipping, I am living proof, alongside others, that this is simply unnecessary. Birds are meant to fly, like dogs are meant to run. I am living proof it can be done. It is not for most, it is for those that dare to go the extra mile. It is for those that wish to take the extra step!

Please, consider rescue before breeder. For more information you can contact me directly or you can refer to my friends that manage United Parrot Kingdom or we can assist at Birdman Parrot Rescue.

25/01/2022

24/01/2022

All bird owners should know about hormones, it’s something we all face at some point with our feathered friends. It can be one of the main reasons people end up rehoming their birds, because hormones can present many behaviour problems that the owner may not have prepared for. Learn all about parrot hormones with this awesome article on the UPK website.

https://unitedparrotkingdom.co.uk/parrot-hormones/

19/01/2022

United Parrot Kingdom are back with our daily posts after a much needed break, and today we are asking you to start the new year off by doing something good! Betty White, an avid animal lover, especially adoring parrots and birds of all sizes, passed away just before her 100th birthday, and in her memory an awesome challenge has begun across social media. The Betty White challenge asks you to donate money to your favourite animal charities, and make a difference to animals all over the world who need more of our support - and we love this. In our bio is a charity that is close to our hearts, one that supports the lives of macaws in the wild, protecting them from the destruction humans are having on macaws and their habitats. Great Green macaws are on the brink of extinction and Scarlett macaws are endangered. All because of the pet trade and deforestation. As humans we are destroying macaw habitats, but we can turn that around, and the best way is a small donation to the Macaw Recovery Network, who work tirelessly to reverse the damage we are causing. Please consider donating, no matter how small and do your bit for wild macaws.

https://macawrecoverynetwork.org/support-our-cause/donate/

19/01/2022

Happy hatch day Rio, you turned 3 years old.

From that timid little high pitched bundle of fluff I rescued at 6 months old, to a screaming blue flash in sky and a terror to the unsuspecting females that pass by. A regular at the bowling green and a pest to those coming out of the gym.

Regardless of how other people see it, I wouldn't change it for the world and nothing will stop him flying.

Happy birthday mate!!

26/12/2021

I don't feed Rio on a seed diet, he has a varied mix of fruits and vegetables for breakfast each day.

Coriander, radish, blueberry, sugar snap peas, broccoli, pepper, carrot and a little sweetcorn on the menu this morning.

A healthy parrot is a happy parrot 🦜 😊

25/12/2021

Mia has been found safe. Claire's face says it all in this image here, totally know how that feels. I believe Mikey found Mia hanging out at a play park. What a great little team.

Of all the days to go on a recovery mission!!

JUST GOT HER. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST FOLLOWERS WE COULD EVER ASK FOR!

25/12/2021

Remember, we are responsible for what we tame. The world can see your character from how you treat animals, not just people.

If you are sure you don't want the Teddy, then please consider rescue first. The greatest gift is that of love, compassion and dedication. Nurture and respect all life for the duration, not just while they're young and not just because it's Christmas.

From myself and from Rio, have a good one!

29/11/2021

Myself, Rio and other members of the community briefly appeared on The Pet Show, hosted by Dermot O'Leary on ITV.

They've all done fantastic work and are all incredibly inspiring, across the community. It just just a shame I am so far away from them all.

Great exposure for how exotic birds should be kept.

19/11/2021

When you tell him it's his last fly before home time and decides he just wants to play me up instead.

Great, thanks for that.