Today, I attached the swivel (a good idea for a Merlin as they get pretty twisty when bating) and the leash and we went for a walk through several rooms of the house. Miguel wasn't alarmed with going through doorways at all--which is different than what I expected. He looked around with a lot of interest and always wanted to know where the food dish was. My house has a LOT of mirrors. He did put his hackles up when he saw "that other merlin".

After the walk, I put his perch on top of the carrier, tied a WICKED falconer's knot, and took the opportunity to do a thorough cleaning of the carrier. He isn't very messy, so there weren't extra mutes, just a pellet or two that I hadn't seen before. I feel a little guilty with all of the paper towel trash, but they are a great way to keep the cage clean. This is short term. Miguel really loved perching he sat up there very happily. He bated once, and then figured out that he was attached and calmed down. The tricky part came at the end: he jumps to the glove for food, but he wasn't hungry at this point and wasn't interested in returning to the glove so that I could put him away. He eventually bated when I picked up the perch and came to the glove after that. He waited patiently while I removed the swivel and leash and returned to the carrier where he immediately enjoyed a good roust.