Missing Mortimer

It has been a while since we updated the news of Mortimer.  In early July, after a few weeks of Mortimer being outside but staying super close to our back step and not seeming motivated to start to figure life out for himself, we decided a change was in order.  When he came down to feed, we held him, put him in a box, covered him with a towel, drove him the 1/4 mile to Carl's garden and then walked another 1/4 mile to the current place where Carl is planting and opened the box.  We stayed around a bit checking in on the garden and making sure Mortimer would come out of the box.  Mortimer finished eating his food and then flew up to a tree perch and we all walked away.  He didn't follow.  We thought this would be a great idea to start getting him less associated with us but still see Carl on a daily basis when he went to the garden.  The next day Carl went in to the garden but didn't see Mortimer and even tried calling him with no response.  A few hours later, guess who flew onto his favorite avocado tree perch on our back step.....as I said, I will never be insulted if someone calls me a bird brain!!  He found his way home and the kids and I were impressed and excited!!

And then it was time for our family vacation.  One of the researchers (Katie) who was with us when we first got Mortimer and who had formed a loving connection with him was back in Trinidad and came to spend a few days helping out however might be needed with Mortimer while we were gone.  By day two of our absence she noticed an exciting new skill of Moritmer's....he was catching insect, he was hunting, he was feeding himself.  We were all excited to hear this news and all feedings stopped as he was successfully fending for himself!!  By the time I returned one week later, Mortimer was still around the house but spent much more time on the front electricity wires and in other trees waiting for his next meal - beetles seemed to be his favorite. Carl and I watched him grow more and more independent during that week and then we went to Grenada for 6 days.  We have not seen Mortimer since.

We miss him.  We take walks and make his calls.  Kamala heard him once and we all went running in the direction of his voice, calling him but never saw or heard him again.  Last week we heard his call and went running outside.  There were two Plumbious Kites on a tree across the street.  We don't think either was Mortimer.  But we are noticing that those two Kites who were always around are also not in the area any more.  I hold out hope that all Kites have gone to other places for something (food, mating, anything) and they will return next year to nest and Mortimer will fly in one day to his favorite branch and whistle hello.  How nice that would be!!