Merry Christmas and Happy Boxing Day!

Christmas Day was excellent! Anita prepared an amazing dinner and we invited a hunch of people over for a late lunch/early dinner. We ate, drank, and everyone had a great time.

Afterwards we played "Secret Santa" but the fun kind where you can steal presents from others. I got lucky and got a gift certificate for a restaurant in town, but Scott ended up with a stuffed animal backpack. Oh well. It was a really fun game.

Later in the evening we lit a fire outside and sat around talking, laughing, and having a teat time.

And of course yesterday was boxing day. We went over to the British camp for an afternoon of BBQ, and croquet. It's always strange to go over there, it's like transporting to Europe. The food was excellent and the weather was amazing. It was a great afternoon.

Chistmas Eve: A Farewell to Noël

This morning we had two flights. Afterwards we decided the weather was perfect for the release of our rescue bird, Noël. We got a few taxis amd off we went. Because of all the commotion she ended up throwing up all over the car, but mainly on me amd Scott. It was a lovely ride up after that.
Upon reaching the takeoff we found the conditions to be good, and native Himalayan Griffons circling. We took our chances and let her go...

After the initial shock, she quickly took off and soared beautifully into a thermal joining the other birds. It was an emotional moment. Even though we didn't have to do much for her, seeing our rescue bird returned to the wild was an incredible moment to be apart of.

Once Noël was safely soaring up and away, Scott and I took off, sharing a brief second of the sky with these vultures. Of course it was hard to tell which might have been our girl, but she was up there somewhere and so were we.

We flew around with Kevin and some wild Egyptians before doing the dreaded spiral down.
Back at Maya Devi, Anita was busy cooking and Jess and I were trying to help a bit. Luckily the power stayed on most of the afternoon, so we got a lot done.

Scott's 40th

 

Today was Scott's 40th birthday! We had a cute party with tapas, cheeses, and wines. It was a nice night, the weather cooperated for us. The party was a success and a great time spent laughing with friends. 
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve....I can't believe time has gone by so quickly! it was a bit hard to get into the spirit of Christmas, but now we are in full holiday mode. I'm very grateful to have such a great group of people who have welcomed me so warmly into a family. Especially around the holidays it's so nice to work in an environment where I can have both a true passion for the job, and true friends to spend the time with. I feel very lucky this season to have been provided this opportunity and having it work out so well.  
With that being said, my favorite Christmas gift this year is Noel, and we are looking forward to releasing her tomorrow (how fitting)! 

Noël

My first Rescue Mission!

Scott came back from the festival today. Overall we werent very busy because there was a strike and no taxis were running. So we had no flights. I did some falconry lessons and just kinda sat around in the sun all day.

Then around 5:30 two men showed up saying there was a big bird in someone's front yard. So we hopped on the motorbike and went over to lakeside. Sure enough a massive Himalayan Griffon was sitting in somebodys front yard. She Ed okay, but had rope around her ankles.

We asked what had happened and apparently she was sitting out in a rice field for a few days, and some kis started throwing things at her. So a few guys picked her up and brought her to their front yard. Not knowing what to do now, they called us. Which was great.

Trying to catch her was another story. She's very strong, and seemingly the picture of health, except that she wasn't flying. Scott grabbed her neck and I went for the wings, paparazzi taking photos like crazy. We got her into the taxi and were able to relax a bit.

Once we got home we did a quick examination and everything seems fine. She's got good wings, no cuts or bruises, and she feels like a healthly weight.

Poor Bob, we woke him up in the middle of the night to steal his aviary. We set him up in my bedroom and rearranged his aviary for Noel, which is what I'm calling this Christmastime girl.

I'll post pictures and updates on her tomorrow :)

Keeping Busy

Since Scott left we've been really busy, both with parahawking related topics and Christmastime.

I've made a bunch of paper snow flakes for the tree and to hang in the restaurant. We've also been doing a bunch of flights and some lessons too.

Scott being away makes me extra cautious about the birds. Without a second set of eyes I'm constantly checking and rechecking them, which has been a bit stressful. Of course this week was the coldest yet (at night mainly) so its been hard to properly keep their weights up. I've been feeding almost double!

I've also taken the birds up in the taxi a few times in the last few days, it's really fun to get to interact with the passengers before their flights and talk about the birds and conservation. I'm really trying to impact everyone I talk to. The groups seem to take in the information, but I hope they're also spreading the messages back home.

Talo has been really fun this week too. He's not teething so much anymore, and he's back to his normal happy self. He's starting to pull himself up and stand more often, so I think walking is coming soon.

Here are some really funny photos of the boys

Bob, just under estimating his landing and trying desperately to get to the glove...

And Kevin throwing the breaks on

Christmas Cheer!

Because it's the 13th, we've officially begun the 12 days of Christmas. It's a little strange because this environment doesn't completely support the typical Christmas spirit. For one thing, it's my first Christmas above freezing temperatures and snow. In addition, there aren't many stores or people in the streets selling Christmas items or talking about the upcoming holiday. Its easy to just forget the typical Christmas hustle.
And that's how its been going up until now. We've been doing some great flights with the birds and keeping plenty busy.

Scott and Anita left for Kathmandu this morning, Scott is going to Abu Dhabi for the International Falconry Festival, which is really great. In the mean time, I took today to search Mehendrapool for a Christmas tree. It was a hard find, but for a grand it was mine. I was also able to find some lights for it, and even a Christmas cd. I've been decorating and its turning out a bit better than expected.

The next two weeks will be busy, with Scott away and preparing for not only the flights, but the birds, and Christmas.

Missing everyone at home, hoping everyone is having a great holiday season!!


Xxx

Broken Primary

Kevin broke a primary in flight, a complete accident. Luckily the feather wasn't fully dettached and we are able to reuse it. I've never imped feathers before, so it was a good learning experience for me. The first step of the process was already done because we could use the broken feather and not need to find a substitute. This saves a lot of time. The next step is to file down a piece of carbon fiber into a small toothpick like piece that can be inserted into the shaft of the feather.

The carbon is strong, light, and easily filed down to the appropriate size.
Before making any permanent attachments, we checked that the piece fit snuggly into both sides of the broken feather. Add super glue, and place the carbon piece inside to secure the two sides together. The picture below is an example feather I practiced on.

Fancy Dress!

Thursday night we had a "fancy dress" (aka costume) party at Maya Devi as a going away party for Adam. There were some pretty nice costumes, mummys, 80s inspired, military. Scott was Rocky X, the come back. Anita was a girly nerd, and I was white trash. It was a great night.

The next day was pretty rough on everyone, a bunch of the pilots didn't fly and most spent the day recuperating. Bob and Kevin had nice flights though. We ordered Thai takeaway and ate an early dinner at home. I was in bed by 7. 

We only had one flight today, so I had time to disinfect the aviaries and get some other cleaning done. 

Unfortunately for Kevin, he was a little over eager for food and ended up in an awkward position between the glove and glider, resulting in a broken primary. It wasn't a bad break, and we can fix it, which is really a relief. 

There was also a lunar eclipse tonight! Just watched it and it was beautiful

Monkey business

Recently we've been quite busy, but not only with bird things.

A few nights ago someone came knocking on Scotts door with a monkey. He said "that's not my monkey" and went back to bed.

Wednesday morning I woke up to find the monkey outside my hut. It proceeded to go into my bathroom and drink water out of the tap. It then ran into my room and ate my chewing gum. Afterwards I tried to get it out, but somehow ended up with the monkey on my head. I quickly changed my clothes and went downstairs, still wearing the monkey.

Our next door neighbors have a monkey which looks identical to this one, so I went over there and asked "is this your monkey?" he replied "that's not my monkey" and I said "well it's not my monkey!". This is really funny to us because Talo has a book called "that's not my monkey". It goes through a bunch of monkeys and reads "that's not my monkey it's tail is too velvety", or its eyebrows are too bushy, etc.

Anyway so I dumped the monkey next to the neighbors monkey and thought they could play and be friends. Unfortunately Scooby also wanted to play, which scared the new monkey. It started chasing me, I started running away and hid in Scott and Anita's hut.

The rogue monkey then was terrorizing Maya Devi, scaring the birds and stealing bananas and rolls off the counter in the kitchen. After a short chase, Graham was able to secure the monkey with a leash and bring it back to town to find the owners.

Always an adventure

Highland Games at Galem

Yesterday claudio, Elli, Noa, Graham, Al, Yeti, Annalena, and Junior went to Galem, a small village outside of pokhara. We drove about an hour and a half and them walked the rest of the  way up to the mountain top. On the way up I was lucky to see a lammegeirer yeti had me a little nervous she's clumsy and walks a little too close to the edge for my comfort. 

Upon arrival we were greeted warmly with a sort ceremony. Ten we listened to a bunch of speeches, all of which were in Nepali, and then it was time to eat! Dhal bhat, of course, with goat curry. 

After lunch the games started. The kids games consisted of a race, and then a race with a spoon in the mouth with a piece of candy on it, the objective is not to drop the candy.

After the kids turn it was time for tug of war. We had a men's team and a ladies' team.  The men looked like they had a chance for a while, but ultimately Galem took both the men's and women's title for tug of war champions. 

Next was shot put for the men, and musical chairs for the ladies. Annalena won musical chairs! And I think Graham won shot put, which resulted in a chicken as a prize.

After the prizes had been awarded, a trophy and goat for the winning men's tug of war team, we headed back down the mountain and back home. What a great experience. 

This morning I got to fly with Bob, which was amazing again...dont think that could EVER get old. This afternoon the clouds rolled in but we had a great BBQ with friends.

Oh my December!

I can't believe its already almost been two months since I've arrived in Nepal. Time is just moving so quickly. I'm loving everything we do, each day is it's own small adventure.

Here's a photo of Kevin:

Yesterday we were training some new pilots to fly with the birds. Scott and Elli aren't always available, so its going to be helpful to have more parahawking pilots to fill in. After a brief falconry lesson and bird handling session, they were off to Sarangkot with Elli and Scott as passengers. 

It was a little stressful because the sky was busy, with both birds and paragliders. Finding the new gliders was the hardest part for me, but having behind such a great thermal was a little too hard for Kevin. Instead of following the gliders he spn right around to gain some more height. How could be blame him? The gliders went back for him and the flight ended smoothly. Overall a successful first flight for Damu and Shankar

Unfortunately PM flights weren't looking too good, cloud cover moved in and the wind died. We had a group too, so instead of flying Bob posed for some pictures to raise money for Himalayan Raptor Rescue and vulture conservation efforts.

The last two days we've had power cuts at the absolute worst time, just as the sun is going down and everyone's showering or getting ready for dinner. I just popped on over to Scott and Anitas because they have a generator/inverter. We watched some tv and then had dal bat made by Elli and Nani. 

Today was a pretty normal day. Kevin had a good flight. Unfortunately for Bob the native Egyptians were a little annoyed about him being in their territory, so he got chased around a bit. I don't think he was too phased though, I also gave him a little head scratch earlier that probably made him happy. 

I was able to get a shower in early, so I had time to dry my hair with the electricity :) the little things that make me happy. 

Vultures and cameras :)

On Sunday I took a small group up to the vulture restaurant because there was a dead cow. On the way we saw a breeding pair of Egyptians, which was amazing! I'm so happy to have seen them in the wild, and grateful for the brief chane at a photograph.

We saw a lot of vultures, hymalayan griffons, and redheads mainly. Unfortunately, for a few different reasons, we didn't actually observe them eating the carcass...but I still thought the experience was well worth it.

Monday we had two awesome flights and a falconry lesson in the afternoon. We went to thai for dinner, which was great. Richard and Toby from the RSPB came and we had a nice sit-down about vultures in Nepal and India.

Yesterday I painted my bathroom, so it looks really nice. We had a full day of flights, keeping with the routine of our busy days. In the afternoon we had a visit from an American director looking to make a film about a Nepali girl. I won't give away too much of the plot, but there are some scenes that he wants some vultures for....we'll see, maybe Kevin or Bob will be on the big screen ;)

Today I did a falconry lesson this morning, which was really nice. Tango decided to drop us a present, a rat with the trap still attached. Nice.
Then Scott and Elli flew a Japanese film crew for a TV show. Now we're all having lunch and a midday break before the next round of flights.

Happy Birthday to Noa

It's hard to find things to update in these blog posts. Everyday is so similar and yet unique at the same time.
We pretty much stick to the same schedule lately...
Weigh the birds, put them out, clean, falconry lessons, first flights, lunch group, and then second flights.
Sounds like a pretty set day, but things change all the time. Dependng on the weather, birds,or paragliders. Even though we try to stick to this plan, something different always ends pops up, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Today we are celebrating Noas birthday. He turned 3 this week, so we will all have some cake this afternoon to celebrate. Happy Birthday Noa!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things have been going great as normal. We have flights every day, and lately a lot of falconry lessons.

Wednesday we spent a lot of time preparing for thanksgiving, cutting and peeling.

Yesteday was pretty busy, between flights and cooking, we were all running around. Anita spent most of the day cooking, and at night we had lots of people come over to celebrate. We had an amazing dinner, and the best part was the leftovers for today ;)

Last night we found a baby spotted dove that tried to fledge too early. I kept it in my room for the night, but we tried to reintroduce it to the parents this morning and it took off. We haven't been able to find it, so natures going to take it's course.

And just now we got a phone call that "cow dead" which means that if I can get a group together, we will be going back to the restaurant to watch the vultures move I. Pretty exciting, so I'll keep my fingers crossed!

First Flight with Bob!

Today we had a videographer come to film some of our daily actives for a piece he's making for French tv. He spent some time with me during the falconry lesson, then went up to takeoff wit Scott.

After the lesson I did my usual activities, cleaning the aviaries, getting food ready for the birds, playing with Talo, and laundry.
The first flight with Kevin went well, the passengers were happy and so was he. The weather is finally how it's supposed to be, nice blue skies and sun.
We only had one flight booked for the afternoon, leaving one open. Unexpectedly, Ellie asked if I wanted to fly. I asked "what kind of a question is that?" OF COURSE I'd love to.

So we all jumped in a taxi and up to the takeoff. The videographer joined us as well, had some interviews and filmed take off.

We got a nice lift in the thermal and the experience is almost indescribable. I thought I enjoyed a regular paragliding flight, but being able to watch Bob soaring, maneuvering, and landing on my glove was unlike any experience I've ever had with a bird.

From a bird lover's point of view, watching him in a natural environment, watching how easy he can make decisions, turns, stops...the whole thing left me speechless, which is pretty hard to do. From a trainer's perspective, it's always rewarding when your birds do the behaviors you ask of them. It's the greatest satisfaction when the activity you ask is so enriching for them. Being with Bob in flight truly allowed me to appreciate what we are doing with these birds, and know that they enjoy and expect these flights perhaps even more than we do.

And here's a photo from our amazing flight...

In summary, a life changing experience as both a bird enthusiast and trainer

Blue Skies!

Yesterday was completely rainy and a waste in relation to anything paragliding or bird related, however Anita, Ellie, Talo, and I went to Mehendrapool to go shopping. Surprisingly, I was able to find everything I was looking for. My room feels homey and mine, and the bathroom is neatly organized. 

Today we finally saw blue skies for the first time seemingly in a month. Heres Kevin, enjoying some sun

It was great to just be outside! I had a falconry lesson in the morning, then finally got to do some laundry.

While waiting for the first flights to come down, Anita and I were presently surprised when Talo started crawling for the first time. Looks like the good weather has him feeling adventurous too. He's going to be unstoppable now!

We had two lunch  groups, both of which went well and they were interested in our project and conservation, always a good sign.

Our second two flights are due down any minute, which will effectively wind down a  really busy day, but all went smoothly.

Clearer skies ahead...

Slowly the weather is clearing, allowing us to do a few flights.

I've had some falconry lessons, which are going nicely. The guests seem to enjoy them And it allows the birds some much needed exercise.

Weve been very lucky and able to squeeze in some parahawking flights, making everyone happy.

Tango has been even more of a pain lately, going after me, Scott, our birds, and now Scoobys food. I tried so hard today to grab her, but no luck. Eventually we will get her and be able to transport her safely some place else.

We finally got around to coping Bob, so he's got a nice looking beak and set of nails :)

In other news, Ive moved closer to Maya Devi, which is lovely. I'm enjoying my new space.

Vulture Restaurant

The weather continues to disappoint us, so Scott and I took a trip down to the vulture conservation site, also known as a vulture restaurant. Basically it's a place for old or abandoned cows. They are free to roam and graze, and when the cows die the vultures can safely eat the carcasses without the possibility of ingesting the harmful drug Diclofenac.

This sign explains the vulture safe zone and is located at the village just before the cow pastures.

The trip took us about an hour on motorbike, with a few scary moments in between. The paved roads in Nepal are not well maintained, but they're better than being on rocks and mud. Unfortunately part of our journey included crossing a river, and going both up and down steep terrain. Luckily we arrived in one piece. Because of all the rain, the river was really high and we had to leave the bike behind. From here we walked the small path down to the gate.

Once in the cow area, we were lucky to see a few vultures circling, and then this beautiful site of a bunch of Hymilayian Griffons and a Red-headed vulture feeding:

Amazing. After they saw us, they flew off and waited on the ridge:

Here's a few cow carcasses..appealing? Our visit also involved some constructive criticism, such as removing old carcasses, otherwise bones will just about pile up everywhere.

This vulture safe zone relies on donations to continue maintenance. By raising money through parahawking we can help preserve this space. Some of the money we raise goes towards projects such as this. The people who maintain the site know this, and they were eager to talk to Scott and I about their hopes for the future of the project. We are hoping to build a wall around the cow area so that they can be better kept and looked after. Also, we are hoping to use a room in the school to do talks and presentations to the students and community about vulture conservation. Here's a photo of Ravi and Scott, clearly excited to be discussing the future!

Goggles in the bath

Bad weather...

Yesterday was a nice day, I did a falconry lesson for two really nice women. They enjoyed it, and then left me to go parahawking with Scott, which they definitely liked.

I had a group for lunch. Basically the tour groups come, I talk to them about vulture conservation and try to spread the word about what's happening in Asia. (still don't know? Google "vultures diclofenac").

The day ended pretty early and we all loaded up to watch the Gurkhas vs. Pilots soccer match at the British camp. It was a nice afternoon, all of the babies were out and I felt like I was in a JCrew or Ralf Lauren ad. Loafers and chinos anyone? Afterwards we hung around a bit and then went for pizza. Good way to end the night.

Today the cloud cover was awful so we couldn't do any flying. I worked the kites in the morning, did a talk to a less than enthusiastic group, and we flew Bob at Maya Devi. He's still not 100%, so we are working on building his muscle before he goes on another long flight. Kevin had the day off :)

Poor Bobkins :(

Though itnwas a relief to have successful first flights with both birds, we weren't out of the woods yet. Tuesday was our round two.
Kevins second flight went well, possibly because he's more fit, or more experienced to know his own limits.
Bob's was not as successful, and was actually a scary experience for all of us. Seemingly out of no where, he just fell out of the sky. Luckily he landed in a rice paddy with no serious injuries. We still aren't sure if he was starting a decent, if he had a muscle cramp, or other problem...but it was a definately reminder of our motives. Our best interests are for our birds, and so although it wasn't something we wanted to do, we needed to cancel a few flights to get Bob back to health.

Today is his second day of resting and feasting, and he's looking much more lively. Here's photos of him chowing down on a delicious mix of egg, buffalo meat, and chicken. Yum.

Kevin will be flying this afternoon, and hopefully Bob will be back to himself tomorrow.

In other news, Tango has been very aggressive (as usual), but took it a bit too far for my patience today. While I was working Goggles she came down and whacked me in the face. We've got to figure out a solution for this one, and quick.

Xxx

First (unofficial) Flight!

This morning we finally saw a break in the rain. I was able to give falconry lessons to a nice couple, who really enjoyed working with the birds and learning about the birds.

Then after a little worrying about the weather, we decided to try out first trial flights with the vultures today. We went into town to get the paperwork sorted and unfortunately ran into a bit of trouble. A gentleman didn't understand our cause, or care to listen, and decided to cause a scene. He claimed we were illegal (which we aren't) tha the birds belong to the government of Nepal (which they don't) and that he works for congress (which he didn't) after a lot of arguing,some police involvement, and translation work he fled the scene without so much as an apology.

Moving onwards, we were finally able to get the show on the road. Kevin and Ellie flew first, looking beautiful, followed by Scott and Bob. I was a little nervous when Bib got stuck on my glove before take off, but he happliy ran to the side of the takeoff point and flew from there. Awesome. I was so happy to see them flying, and so happy to get a start on our season.

Here's a nice shot of Bob pondering his flight....

Xo

Better

Haven't posted the last few days for two reasons, I had a horrific hold/flu illness, and it's been raining nonstop.

The kites are all doing well, all at good weights and working daily (in between storms).

Bob has now completed multiple flights from the hilltop down to the landing. Kevin started the same flight yesterday and also did well. It might be silly, but I'm feeling proud of them.

Today, if the weather cooperates, we will be doing a full on practice flight with Bob. I'm nevous, excited, and ready to start our season :)

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Although the monsoon season is technically over, it's still raining. Almost every night. The water table is still high, so the ground is always a little smushy. The rain isn helping much for the thatched roof we have on the aviary either. Today Scott decided to bring it down. Because of the rot, dust, mold and whatever else, we moved the birds a little farther away from the demolishing site. We set them up in a circle, which was nice for all of us...

Got to work 4/5 birds today, not bad. Kevin had a day off because disinfecting the aviaries was a top priorty after roof removal. I'll post pictures of our project tomorrow.

The kites all were flown out in front of Maya Devi. Poor Brad, Tango snuck up behind him and scared him off the perch. Although, she also snuck up behind me and gave me a good whack on the head.

Bob is getting better, he was chased down by the kites once this morning, but actually did make it down to the landing zone, so I'm gonna call it a success.

We've had pretty long power cuts the last two days, about 6 hours a day...luckily we don't need much power for working birds outside, so business can continue as usual. At tis rate, the boys should be up and running by next week :)

Ah, and I figured out how to add photos to my blogs, hopefully making them more appealing.

Happy Halloween!

We attempted to fly Bob again closer to home, but the kites are still an issue. They continued to mob him in flight and went after Scott once Bob was on the glove. This shouldn't be an issue when he's a little more fit and confident

Tango also went to hit me and Raju back at Maya Devi. Shes becoming more than just a little pain.

Flew all three kites, who are still on the heavy side but coming down.

Here's a nice photo of Goggles

Claudio, Ellie, and Noah arived yesterday, but it was also Steve's last night before heading home, so we all ordered Thai and had a small party. We played some beer pong and I even won against Scott (doesnt matter that it came down to the last cup, does it? A win is a win).

Today we were able to do some flights with Bob without full on attacks! Success. The kites are doing okay amd Goggles is getting a beak trim.

Finally Kevin is making an appearance, we are flying him at Pame this afternoon

A million steps up for Taylor, one step back for Bob

Today was BBQ Sunday, so most of the day involved eating, lounging, and babies. This morning was a bit of a different story though. After tarping their enclosures, both Kevin and Bob lost considerable amounts of weight. We decided to try to fly Bob again.

Basically, there's a large hill-ish mountain behind Maya Devi. The goal is for Bob to fly from up there, with me, to his typical landing site with Scott. So bird and radio in hand, I went up. This was the easy part, except for Scooby deciding to come along and being under my feet. But we made it. Unfortunately, as I got up there two kites showed up. I took one, Scooby took the other, amd we had a pretty good eye on them. After a few attempts, Bob finally took off towards Scott, only to be attacked by both kites. This forced him to turn around and land somewhere on the hillside out of my vision. So Scooby and I start trucking to the left, only to reach a huge waterfall. This was unplanned,a nd it took us a it of time to et across. Unfortunately, once we did we were no where close to Bob.

With Scott directing us from the ground, we hiked upwards through the rice paddies and vertical climbs. Finally we got to poor Bob, still being mobbed by the kites. He happily stepped onto the glove for a second go.

After finding a clear area to stand in, and checking the sky for kites, we deemed it safe to retry. Unfortunately, the kites came back, causing Bob to retreat to even higher ground. Up went me and Scooby to find him. So there's me, Bob, Scooby, and kites on the hill. Which was great, except I had no idea how to get down. Scooby lead the way while I clumsily stumbled down the steep ridges throughout out the rice paddies with Bob, kites trailing not too far behind. Bob was a trouper, I fell a few times and he just calmly sat on the glove.

When two kites because three, we had to give up on the mission. The new problem was how to get down the rice pattie mountain with a vulture on one arm, radio in the other hand. After a lot of sliding, bumbling, stumbling, and falling somehow Scooby lead us to a beautiful stone staircase seemingly from nowhere to nowhere. At this point, a welcomed gift. We followed it down right night to Maya Devi, everyone grateful to be out of the wrath of the wild kites...


Until tomorrow.

Kites, Cows, and Dogs

Friday morning I walked Bob up this hill close to Maya Devi. The goal being to fly him down to his usual parahawking landing site. On the way up we ran into lots of Nepali wome, resulting in lots of baiting, some cows, and one brave kite. The kite came down and got me in the head from behind. I thought that was the end of it until she also mobbed Bob in flight. At least we tried.

Because of Tihar, all the pilots were off and he restaurant was closed. Scott, Anita, Talo, and I walked into town to have lunch. For some reason there were a lot of cows in the streets, more than usual. There was also a cow vs. dog stand off for some food.

Speaking of dogs, the street dogs are so well mannered and submissive its really weird that they mind people amd direction so well.

Scooby went missing for a few days, i was worried out him but he showed up this morning. :)

Kevin and Bob went through Extreme Aviary Makeover: Insect Addition this morning. I throughly disinfected their aviaries and Scott put tarps down. Hopefully this will help us keep a handle on what they're eating. Bob gained 20g after chowing on bugs last night.

I'm off to do a vulture talk for a British group, though they'd much prefer to talk to Scott. Oh well, what to do

What's in that tree?

Yesterday we drove down to Pame again, Bob is definitely getting there. Tomorrow we will fly him to the landing site that he will be flying to during parahawking flights. If that goes well the next two or three days, we can start doing glider flights with him!

Everyone else is also chugging along. We flew Sapana free flight today, she did pretty well except for the equipment part.

Goggles had a moment today that set me up for failure...got himself tangled in a tree and the creance. As I attempted to free him, something in the tree must have bit me, and my entire hand went numb. Luckily Adam gave me some antihistamines and it's almost back to normal.

In honor of the festival, there are a ton of candles lit all over town, and people's houses,and even here at Maya Devi. They all look beautiful.

Serge is cooking for us all tonight, it smells great. Good food with good people (and birds)

Lastly, a sad little story. We've been keeping the birds out on the lawn to weather all day. First because the fresh air and sun is good for them, second because they spend a large amount of time eating bugs in their aviaries. We waited just a bit too long this evening, and Bob couldn't find his perch. He tried twice, and fell both times. Poor thing, he gratefully accepted my assistance to place him on his perch. He's content and sleeping now :)


Also, a big happy birthday to my mom xx

Tihar

We are currently in the festival of Tihar. It seems everyday I'm introduced to a new Nepali holiday or tradition. Yesterday was dogs day, where everyone is to be nice to dogs. Seeing as street dogs are in abundance here, it seemed a little strange. Going with tradition we gave Scooby a beautiful flower necklace, which was the nicest o all the dogs i had seen, not that it matters.... Anyway I also tried give him some beer but he preferred meat products. Go figure.

The festival continues 3 more days, I'm excited to see what else I will learn. Back to the purpose of this blog...we attached Bob's tail mount yesterday for his telemetry. This means...wait for it...flying him off creance! We drove down to Pame where he did 2 long free flights. He was absolutely beautiful to see in flight.

His progress is making me excited for the season. Kevin is still fighting his diet, but he's slowly dropping the weight and he should be flying soon too.

The kites are coming along. Sapana and I are working on a friendship,which is seemingly one sided at the moment, but she will come around with time and trust.

Anita made a very yummy pasta dish last night, but the rain prevented us from eating outside.

Jess, Ivan, and I took the motorbike home but the headlight was out. We used my flashlight, again probably the best gift I could have received.

Oh, and there was a gecko in my shower last night :)

Sunday was BBQ day, so not much was going on betides eating and laughing...but that was okay with me.

Monday we took Bob to Pame to fly. It must be so weird to see two white people in a taxi with a vulture. I'd think we were crazy too. Upon arrival we were greeted by cameras and questions, paparazzi style. Luckily Scott and Shiva kept it under control. Good session.

Yesterday Scott and I went to the vet supply store. Basically it's a roadside shop selling antibiotics, vitamins, and treatments for poultry and cows. We have to sift through dirty boxes to find what we need. Bought some disinfectants and deworming stuff. A good trip. Went home and finally properly cleaned the aviaries, hopefully that will keep the bugs out. We had a feeling the vultures are eating tons of insects and that's why their weight isn't dropping.
We also gave Bob some new anklets. All and all a productive day.

Today we are going to deworm the birds, hopefully get new anklets on Kevin, and fly Bob off creance! Exciting times ahead

Internet is back :)

Blog

Haven't been online in a few days, the Internet was down for repairs.

Thursday night Scott, Anita, Talo, Adam and I went to Nanis for dinner. Its amazing how   I have such a low tolerance for spicy food, and yet the 4 year old Nepali was eating the hottest foods so easily. Scott also introduced me to my new favorite drink, sprite with beer, better known as a shandy. 

Took Bob out to fly him some long distance runs. I'm impressed at how well he did just sitting in the car on the glove. 

So far I've been in Nepal two weeks, and I've been introduced to two new sports that I love. Paragliding was wonderful,  but today Jess, Stee, Ivan and I went rafting down the Seti, it was so much fun! I love all of the outdoor activities I can easily participate in here. A stroke of luck put us in a raft with two people from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. We chatted some, and I asked about my buddy Brendan. I invited them back to meet the birds at Maya Devi today.

Had a nice birthday dinner Ivan with two delicious cakes.

Getting ready

Tuesday I did my first vulture conservation talk, but when it rains it pours...so I actually ended up doing three in one day. Its nice to talk to people and teach them the importance of conservation. Hopefully they all can help us make a difference.
It was also Jodis last night in Nepal so we went to dinner at Moon Dance, we all had a nice night.

We've spent the last two days cleaning, painting, and overall renovating for the new season. Maya Devi looks great, and our bird area is cleaned out and ready to go.

And I'm definately adapting to a completely different lifestyle. Last night I took the flashlight in the shower, just in case, without a second thought. This morning I chased to cockroaches out of my room and didn't get grossed out.

Life is grand :)

Sunday night we all went for pizza. It was a nice night but 7 people is a little too much for their kitchen and the food took a while.

Monday had beautiful weather. The birds all got some sun and did some verticals to build a little muscle. Spent most of the day trying to get rid of two kittens that wouldn't leave. After work we had Japanese food in town, yum :)

I bought a cool device that is keeping most of the Mosquitos out and i finally slept the whole night!!!

First flight

Today Scott took me on my first paragliding flight. It was absolutely amazing! Much calmer than expected. Saw a wild Egyptian vulture and followed him to the thermals....really cool.

This afternoon we wanted to work the birds but the rain prevented much. :(

Preparing for the season

Ysterday Scott and I cleaned out the birds enclosures and let them spend some time outdoors.

Today I'm going on my first paragliding flight, then Anita and I are going shopping, and there's a barbecue this afternoon. Should be a great day!


The birds are still a bit heavy so we are just doing some basic vertical exercises to build muscle

This morning I met a bunch of people at Maya Devi, as well as the birds. It was a nice relaxing morning.

Spent the afternoon greasing up some gloves to get them ready. Then a tour group came through for lunch and we gave them a talk about vultures.

We weighed the birds but it'll be a few days until they're ready to work.


Now were all sitting around before dinner

Pokhara

Today we headed out to Pokhara, a 7 hour car trip. This morning we gathered some supplies in Kathmandu and headed out.  Its late, so Im just going to bed, but tomorrows a new day. Can't wait to meet the birds and get settled in.


On a different note, culture shock moment of the day was a TV commercial advertising a match making service for parents to select a match for the arranged marriage of their children. It shows 20 something's opening an envelope with just a picture. Then said child jumps up and hugs the parents. The tagline is "give your child the gift of a happy life"....yeeahh

 xxo 

Arrival

Yesterday I flew from Newark to London, great flight. No neighbors and got to watch Zookeeper and Mr.Poppers Penguins. All and all an excellent flight. The next, to Bahrain was not so good. This small child insisted on screaming for 3 of the 6 hours. Perfect. After a 4 hour layover, with a flooded bathroom, I was off to Kathmandu.

Got to the Scared Valley Inn around 8pm local time. On the way I learned there are few traffic rules in Nepal, and people don't move for cars.

I had some French fries and went to sleep early.

This morning I saw my first native black kite, and I got to enjoy some delicious banana pancakes.

Afterward I went wondering around the city. I saw a few temples, monks, and cultural ceremonies. The streets remind me of Quito, very crowded with people, vendors, and vehicles.

Went to lunch at a really nice place and discovered my dislike for Asian Pad Thai. Afterwards I ordered a plate of fried rice. It was good, so there's a plus.

I'm still struggling with jet lag so it's hard to stay awake...taking it easy and reading on th roof for the afternoon...