It has been a year now since I’ve started blogging. I love it because those that know me know how much I love talking about the birds in which I work, play, or observe. If you are reading this, we have something in common that has brought us together, which is probably a passion for birds, for animals, or in training. Regardless of what it is, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a very happy Holiday Season and a Merry Christmas.
I also want to thank you for following along on my blog with me. I’ve read many comments to many of my posts over the past year. With each comment someone leaves, I learn from them also and I wanted to thank those for sharing an opportunity with me from which to learn.
Even if you haven’t left a comment, I’m glad you are here and I want to thank you for following along. I enjoy sharing what all of the birds have taught me. They are some of my best teachers and I thank them for giving me an avenue to learn and hopefully make their lives better in the process.
A year ago this coming January, I remember posting on my FaceBook page that I was excited for the upcoming year. 2010 has taken me many places, taught me many things, and with each day 2010 reminded me to appreciate what I have in life that makes it special, and those things are many and go beyond the birds.
I am very thankful for meeting so many new people this year and for keeping in touch with those I’ve known before 2010 began. I mean this sincerely. I will be turning 40 in a few months and these 40 years I’ve lived on this earth has given me plenty of opportunities to learn to be thankful for what I have, because it is when those things are gone and never to return that make you realize how precious those in which we share our lives truly are. I’ve lost, I’ve grieved, I’ve regretted, I’ve experienced, but most of all I’ve had fun and I know happiness and I know what love feels like. It is good to be celebrating Christmas again this season. I’ve appreciated every day of it and have enjoyed this season. I’ve enjoyed this whole year and I wanted to extend this out to those who read this blog to let you know I wish a happy holiday season for you also.
I hope you and your family have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. Thank you for following along.
Most sincerely,
Lara Joseph
i love hearing from you lara! i think you are a fabulous person doing really important work to add to the volume of knowledge we have concerning birds of all kinds. i know you put your heart and soul into what you do and it shows. i love that sweet picture and i look forward to all you will share in the coming year. keep an eye out for owls!
Thank you Rebecca. I do put my heart and soul into what I do and I’ll offer anything I can to those who are looking to better the future and livelihood of birds at any level.
I appreciate and adore you on so many levels. SO grateful that life brought us the chance to network and become friends. xo
Katie, it truly was fabulous to get to meet you and know you. Life long friends are so priceless. We need to plan another outing.
I look around my home, watching all the people going back to their apartments in New York City, leaving their second homes where they “get away from it all”. We may not have all the money we would like, but being able to watch the turkeys, deer & wild birds every day, I know just how lucky we are. Nature & all animals should never be taken for granted. We are the caretakers. People need to stop, look up from their cell phones & notice what a beautiful world it is.
Happy Holiday to you as well, & thank you.
Oh words so true Laura. So true.
I love how you write and can’t wait to read more of it when you get your blog started. You have a lot to offer an appreciative reader.
Hi Lara,
We met at the conference in Worthington, Ohio. I enjoy reading your blog, but is there a specific place for the birds you work with at the rehab center? Do you use the same techniques on them as the parrots?
Thanks for all you do and share!
Nancy
Hi Nancy. Its good to hear from you and thanks for reading my blog. I do use the same application in training and applying behavior change on the birds of prey as I do on the parrots. I have a video on my FaceBook page that I should also post here. It is my approach in training a Red Tailed Hawk to accept a nail trim without restraint. I use the same approach I am using on my Greenwing Macaw at home in accepting a nail trim. The application is the same. The positive reinforcers, or rewards, are different but the rewards are all used in the same way with the same principle of shaping desired behaviors on a continuous schedule of reinforcement until they are trained and then changing those schedules while identifying and shaping new rewards for future behaviors.
I take the same approach with a parrot showing signs of aggression as I do with a bird of prey showing signs of aggression. I usually train them to target (touch a predetermined body part to a desired object) and teach them to station (go to a particular area of the cage or enclosure on cue). No matter what the species of bird, it is the bird that determines the positive reinforcer.
I’m sitting here working on my website now and putting a lot of video examples of training different species of birds the same behavior. The website is up, but pretty much just a place holder while I work on everything behind the scenes.
Why is it that you ask? Is there something in particular in which you are training, a particular bird, species, or behavior? As far as a specific space in which I work the birds, I’m not really clear on what you are asking. If you’d like, feel free to e-mail me anytime also. My e-mail is aviansanta@gmail.com. Thanks for keeping in touch.