Raptors

Today, we took the kids to a free program at our local library.  We just brought the kids, because it was supposed to be for them, and Jeff and I really wanted to go.  The Delaware Valley Raptor Center came and talked about some of their birds that they rescue.  And, of course, they brought live birds with them.

The had a kestrel (falcon), peregrine falcon, great horned owl, some teeny tiny owl, a red tailed hawk, and...a golden eagle.  With a 7 foot wing span.  In a room the size of my living room and dining room combined.  There were probably only 40-50 people present.  It. Was. Awesome.  I never imagined they would bring a full grown eagle to a little production like this.

The man who brought the animals was so funny and informative and really really good.  He told tales of the bad things people have done to hurt these types of birds...but then he told stories of how people have really helped them as well.  He never got irritated with the noisy, over-reactive kids (I did).  He told cautionary tales of how these animals have hurt him even though they know him (once a talon through his tongue and into his lower jaw.  Ouch). 

He told us the ways to tell a falcon apart from a hawk.  Hawks look annoyed all the time because of their brow ridge, and falcons have nice rounded cute heads.  Did you know that Laplanders used to keep trained golden eagles with them when they were taking care of their reindeer herds?  If a wolf started to threaten the herd, they would release their trained eagles.  The eagles would take down the wolf and hold it until the humans came to dispatch it.  If the eagle hadn't killed it first.  Can you imagine watching an eagle take down a wolf?  Did you know that owls have fantastic eyesight and hearing...in fact one of their eyeballs is as big as their entire brain.  He said, "Owls are NOT wise."  But they have no sense of smell...so they regularly come into the rescue center smelling like skunk...they hunt them because they can't smell them.  Etc etc etc.

It was fabulous.  Except for the little boy sitting next to Lily.  He was at least Andrew's age...and the worst behaved kid of the bunch.  It wasn't that he wasnt' interested in the birds...he knew a lot and paid attention.  He was just unable to sit still or be quiet...he kept touching Lily pretending he was a hawk or whatever, and making the animal sounds in her face.  She laughed most of the time.  I kept telling her to be quiet, because of course I can't tell someone else's child to stop screeching like a hawk and clinging to my daughter's neck like you have talons.  But when he started picking up crumbs or something off the floor and crumbling it in her hair, I'd had enough.  I grabbed Lily up onto my lap and told him to stop. 

His father was sitting right behind me.  Never said a word. 

Ugh. 

Good thing it was a fabulous program.  I just wish they'd have had it for adults only.  Except then Andrew couldn't have gone.  And he was CAPTIVATED.  We even went and adopted a kestrel from the organization after the program.