It turns out Orville is particular about hats.
Kennon usually wears a camouflage outback hat when he’s dealing with the osprey. But last December, he changed his headgear, never suspecting Orville would have an opinion on the matter. On that day, he wore an orange beanie. Orville responded by snatching the beanie from his head during a flyby. We assumed he objected to the color, if not the style.
Cooler weather set in this week, so when it was time to put Orville on the glove, Kennon grabbed a black baseball cap instead of the usual camo. The bird flew off his arm, flicked off the cap, and scratched Kennon’s head. Kennon laid the cap on a bench outside the mews, and Orville circled by and eyed it. Then he dove into the lake and took a bath.
Several months ago, a young girl and her mother came to see the osprey. Orville was less than polite, repeatedly growling at the girl. We wondered if her pink hoodie was the trigger for his rudeness.
Another item which makes him hostile is the black camera. Every time our son aims the long lens at him, he growls. Perhaps he mistakes it for a black bird, such as a crow or cormorant. Maybe the black cap and the camera remind him of eagles. But we can’t explain why he hates the bright orange beanie. Or the pink hoodie. Unless Orville is afraid of flamingos.