Tuesday, November 22, 2016

This place is for the birds! (and the deer, and the fish, and the....)


One of the coolest things about the nature center is the presence of animals that people can get up close and personal with. The habitat here draws wild animals which are sheltered enough that they sit still for people to observe. The exception is our raptors which are all rescue animals that can't survive in the wild so they are in aviaries. I love getting kids up close and teaching them that stepping quietly can lead to some cool encounters.

Meeting deer on the path is a common occurrence. Some of these fawns were actually born in the nature center.
Sassy crayfish.

Fiona, our one-eyed american kestrel
Mother and fawn watching from the safety of the trees.

This squirrel ate a bit too much and had to be rescued from the bird feeder.
Whoots! has a broken wing that never healed.

Wilson is a peregrine falcon with a broken left wing.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Hawk Stalking

I like to go out into the Nature Center and look for opportunities to educate people on-the-spot. Today I saw a man taking a picture of this Copper's Hawk. After we were done, I started stalking the bird around the Nature Center and eventually got him taking a bath.