Gone to the birds

Mama and I went to a presentation from the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program yesterday.

Here the speaker is demonstrating how a feather from a golden eagle makes noise. Then she demonstrated how the smaller feather in her other hand, from an owl, is silent. Later on I was able to feel both of them. Mama didn't get a picture because *she* wanted to feel them too! The one from the owl was surprisingly soft.

I had a front row seat!

This is a tiny little kestrel. She is blind in one eye, so she is a permanent resident at the facility.

This red tailed hawk is blind in one eye. Mama thought he was handsome.

His handler fed him some mice and some chicken. Mama missed the shot with the mouse tail hanging out.

The hawk was pretty active after his meal.

This barn owl has helped raise a couple of dozen orphaned barn owl chicks that have been released to the wild. He cannot fly from a broken shoulder injury. We got to learn about how owls have uneven ears that help them locate their prey, and how they can turn their necks behind them to almost three-quarters of the way around.