Raptors
A new friend.
Allow me to introduce Kenny, the Bald Eagle. And here we have Octavius, the Barred Owl.
It was an amazing experience to see these magnificent birds up close and personal. To actually have them standing on my hand. The witches hat wasn't going to work, because the birds were too flappy. Kenny just about knocked the comb out of my hair when he decided that his wings needed a good stretch.
Both of these birds are non-releaseable. Octavius got imprinted on humans when he got blown out of his nest as a youngster. It was a real hoot (literally) to watch Octavius and his favorite human whoooo at each other. Kenny received an eye injury when he was just a juvenile and so was never able to learn to hunt properly. Both are having as good a life as is possible outside of the wild by living at the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur. Both are wildlife ambassadors, doing educational programs for kids and us grownups.
There were about fifteen of us there, all middle aged and up. All of us were fulfilling a dream. It doesn't get any better than that.
Allow me to introduce Kenny, the Bald Eagle. And here we have Octavius, the Barred Owl.
It was an amazing experience to see these magnificent birds up close and personal. To actually have them standing on my hand. The witches hat wasn't going to work, because the birds were too flappy. Kenny just about knocked the comb out of my hair when he decided that his wings needed a good stretch.
Both of these birds are non-releaseable. Octavius got imprinted on humans when he got blown out of his nest as a youngster. It was a real hoot (literally) to watch Octavius and his favorite human whoooo at each other. Kenny received an eye injury when he was just a juvenile and so was never able to learn to hunt properly. Both are having as good a life as is possible outside of the wild by living at the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur. Both are wildlife ambassadors, doing educational programs for kids and us grownups.
There were about fifteen of us there, all middle aged and up. All of us were fulfilling a dream. It doesn't get any better than that.