Swift gryphons fly on long migrations every year, crossing continents and oceans and an array of sights many of us can scarcely imagine. Little Robin is an excellent flyer but we must work on their strength and endurance, and on keeping a level head.

It is not unusual for brief separations of family groups while flying, as storm winds can throw a hatchling into higher winds or twirl a whole family apart. They must keep their wits about them and regroup, but Robin has one notable problem – they get very dizzy very easily. They close their eyes and lose all sense of direction, and in bad weather they could fly the opposite way they need to.

So over the lake we must train little Robin to accept and work through their dizziness by… well, we throw them. We flip them with our wings or we send them spinning with a rapid tailwind, and they fight to keep their in place. They’re improving, little by little, so when their first migration comes along, they should make it through safely.