This prey with such beauty and strong talons I called him 'Tatum - The Red Kite.' Before I came close to one, I had certain expectations, they may seem frightening, but all they really are is living their life just like you and me, doing what we can to survive and to live the best of our ability. Tatum has given me such inspiration and has me rethinking the aspects of life that have made me evolve the way my brain works. This is the story of a journey of a bird and a man.
Tatum is somewhat like my pet, but I don't own him, he likes to respond when I'm whistling. He inspired me from the first day we met so to say, I remember it like it happened just yesterday, I was dilly-dallying in the woods on a summer's day. As I was whistling, I heard a similar pitch to my own, I thought it was an echo, I whistled another rhythm and there it was again. I looked all around, saw a beam of the sun's rays and noticed a bird silhouette. Tatum was appearing to grow larger as he was hovering closer towards me, I didn't know why at that time but I had the urge to whistle and something astonished me. You will like what I'm about to tell you. Tatum was whistling in sync with my own.
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Although we are different species, it is like he understands me. My interactions with Tatum is like I've never had with any other human beings.
It may seem strange, but Tatum is like my 'Spirit Bird', we have a relationship like no other species or being will understand. Other people started to call me 'bird-man' even the ones that don't know me, FYI my name is Jay.
It was after that, as you know I wanted to lure him closer to me. Found different ways, but the most reliable way is to swing a rope with a piece furry material, to simulate a rodent.
Tatum The Red Kite hovered in the skies circling around me for a good few minutes, I didn't recognize him at first, at least it wasn't till he darted down towards me at great speed - where I stood frozen on the spot. Somehow my arm automatically outstretched itself making it a perch. Tatum landed, the shear weight of him almost collapsed me to my knees. Once I regained strength back in my legs I shakily stood straight and looked at Tatum with awe. I couldn't believe what was happening at the time, it was like a dream. My arm was starting to ache so I transferred Tatum onto a nearby tree stump where I could truly admire his wingspan when he spread them out, so neat and so many variations of colour tones. I must have frightened him when I took out my camera to snap a few shots, he almost blew me away with those wings of his.
I took a few photos from all angles and didn't realise the sun was setting until I noticed the light was dimmer, I looked to the skies that became darker, that is when I jerked my arm into the air to set him free back to roam the wild. I watched him soar through the skies like he was one with the wind.
Tatum only comes whenever I whistle, as he knows it is for him, he sort of senses it if he's not nearby to hear me. It's almost like we share a heart like that movie with Sean Connery 'Dragonheart'.
Sometimes I do see Tatum in the skies watching over me whenever I go on my errands, it is a great feeling. Although it seems he spends a lot of time with me, I haven't seen him with his flock having fun, maybe he prefers being semi-solitary.
Wherever I go I know that Tatum won't be far away.
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The man became very distant to the human world, he hoped and prayed to be like the Red Kite, to join Tatum on his adventurous journeys. Then one night when he fell into a deep sleep his body structure transitioned both inside and out to allow for his extra limbs to sprout open.