10/16/11

so we went to the world bird sanctuary becuase they were doing this special open house thing. my sister toni and two of her three kids came with dad mom and me there. we all rode in one car since we could all fit in it. the place was showing some rabbits and other things and letting you touch and the kids staid and listened and petted them. they also had all sorts of venders in a certain area selling stuff thats proceeds all went to the sanctuary. there was this bird hospital thing that they never have open to the public. they had it open for everyone to walk all around. they had people telling you what each instrument is used for. then they also had a room that had some of the birds in cages and a guy was telling about how you tell if its a hawk or vulture when its flying. vultures when flying there wings are fixed a certain way that it looks sorta like a v while a hawks are straight out. he said if you see hawks flying around there ether hunting marking territory or courting a mate. we told him about the one we see almost everyday flying around and how we have bunnies and squirles all over our back yard. he said does it circle around your yard and the neibors yards who have those. we said yes and he said its probably hunting most the times. we said we have a small dog and she goes out side we try to watch her outside but if were busy we leave her a bit. he said you probably shouldnt do that becuase it could easly swoop down and get her. certain breeds of hawks can pick up a 30 to 35 pound animal or even a child. so now were gonna be more careful with queenie. they also had this area down a trail that is normaly off limits to the public. it had were they did training for the birds to be re released or for stunts and stuff in shows and breeding areas for them to. well the walk down the trail took forever and then we had to walk on the side of a road type thing to. it was at least a mile and dad had to sit down on a bench on the trail for a long time. also on the trail there was an area over grown with weeds that we had to walk in. i hated that and hope i dont get a rash. anyway we got there and found out a bus drives people there and back that it picked people up at the entrance to the bird sanctuary. needless to say we rode it back to the entrance. anyway they had tour guides telling us about some of the birds and areas. one area they showed an eagle who had deformed feet from birth. he had actualy been hatched there and they would of let him out in the wild but he had deformed feet so he would never be able to hunt. see he doesnt have the scalyness to his feet like eagles normaly do. the tour guide said since they loose heat and gain heat a bunch from the feet if he hunted and grabbed a fish out of cold water hed freeze to death. so he can not be released. then they showed the bird they called old man. he was some kind of hawk. he has been bred to many different females over the years and has father quite a few hawks. they have a few of his offspring there but most were ether given to zoos or set free in the wild. old man unfortunately can not be released becuase of one of his feet being paralyzed. they think he got hit by a car or something but he can fly and he has always been very protective of his young. whenever he and a female had babies or eggs in the enclosure he was in he would not even let the handlers get to close to the enclosure without trying to attack them. he had actually sat on and hatched a cared for some offspring over the years becuase the mothers wouldn't.when they took us to one area that had all sorts of differnt enclosures you couldn't really see in they took us next to some big freezer type thing. they said this is wear they keep the meat they feed the birds. most of it comes from road kill that the people who take care of the roads donate it to them. well in the area they were telling us about the birds in the enclosures and in a few you looked in the windows and actualy saw the pair but none were mateing at that moment. one enclosure had a bag over the window so you couldnt se in. they said the eagle in there was getting ready for realease and they didnt want it seeing a lot of people. they said if it sees alot of people it could think people are safe and will feed it and will never be able to hunt on its own. they then took us into the nursery which at that time had no chicks. they showed what they would have to do to take care of chicks whose parents wouldn't take care of them or something. they had puppets they stuck on there hands shaped as different kinds of birds and big blankets. they covered themselves in a blanket and used the puppet to feed and take care of the babies. the birds take a long time to recognize a human shape under the blanket. this way they dont have to worry so much about them thinking humans will feed them and not be able to take care of themselves if they set them free. we saw in other enclosure a eagle whoed been shot by a pucher. half his wing been blown off needless to say hed never be released into the wild. the hunter was fined and got jail time for it. then there was a pair of eagles in a enclosure they werent being bred. the guy said these two were found around the same time injured both of them can not be released in the wild. when they were being treated they got a bond together and they like being together a lot. they said just to make them happy and keep them comfortable they keep them with each other. he said they have had a few nests over the years with babies but so far none this year. we saw a stork and some other type of birds there to. it was very nice. after riding bus back to the entry then we hoofed it to our car. the place was very crowded today. still was a very nice day