Me and a Raptor

[Lisa]

There was a Bald Eagle festival in my area today and at one of the sites, there was a booth set up for a falconry organization. For $5.00 you could hold and have a photo taken of you and a raptor. They had a Harris Hawk and a Barn Owl with them. The Harris Hawk has been my favourite hawk for many, many years - since I was a kid. It was amazing to be able to see one up close AND hold one! Check out my picture! Not the greatest picture of me, but sure is a handsome bird!

 

[Matt73]

Cool!

 

[Sixstardanes]

Very cool

 

[nootka]

I love birds of prey, too. Beautiful pic, looks like fun!

Liz

 

[LindaL]

I love birds of prey as well....very kewl!!

 

[Miniv]

He's a beauty!!!

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

That is awesome!! I'd love to be able to hold a hawk!!

Years ago I got my pic taken with a 2 year old, 400# siberian tiger. That was totally cool!

 

[Cara]

wow thats scary! theres no way i would do that, eeek

 

[Lisa]

Thanks everyone!

Irish Hills - When I was a baby, I had a picture taken with a litter of leopard kittens, while mom and dad looked on. I was about a year old, in the middle of a kitten sandwich The guy who owned them had the family at the mall.

Cara - It wasn't scary at all, it was amazing! Frankie, the hawk, was beautifully behaved! Harris Hawk's are known for having great temperaments. They are a favourite of falconers.

 

[Relic]

Boy are you brave...l'm not a bird fan but a few years back we had Hawkeye living under a part of the barn he was here for about 2 years and one morning we found him dead. We had to get him checked by wildlife to make sure we didn't do him in and then got a permit and had him stuffed..he lives on top of a bookcase now. My kids and the old thing were just crazy about him and he would even come in from the bush when they called him..me he'd watch from the branch of a tree and never got close l guess he could feel l was scared or didn't like him.

 

[Sterling]

Beautiful birds they are. My chickens have a great respect for these birds of prey.

 

[Lisa]

haha I imagine they would! We had an eagle, or a pair (I never did see them together, but it was the right time of year) in the spring and summer who were making meals of our chickens.

 

[Gizzmoe]

The only birds I have gotten the pleasure of handling. Was a Barn Owl that was found on the side of the road and weak we took to the rehab center to get help for her. While I was pregnant with Katrina we also saved a Red Tailed Hawk that was dangerously close to the interstate and yet again was weak. That was more awesome though because I caught her and had to hold her on the way home till we could get a dark box to put her in. We had her for about 3 hours before I finally found a place that could take her. She was quickly rehabbed and released thankfully.

 

[Lisa]

That's awesome! I've helped to rehab little tweety birds - robins and swallows and sparrows until I could get them to an actual wildlife rehab place.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

That's totally awesome! I'd be scared to do it, but it's really cool that you got to hold one that has been a fav of your for years.

We found a Barred Owl in the road one night. He'd probably been hit by a car. I put my coat over him, wrapped him up and took him to a raptor rescue group. He lived, but wasn't going to be able to fly any more. We asked if he could live in our barn, but they said no. Probably the right decision, but still I wanted to do it. So, he spent the rest of his life at the Center. He was very pretty.

 

[Lisa]

I find it interesting that so many people would be afraid, but I wasn't in the slightest. I was just ecstatic! When my father held a Gyrfalcon at another fair, he felt a bit of fear, because as he said "it looked like it was going to jump on my face!

 

[HorseMom]

When I went to Scotland for my Honeymoon in March of 2007 my hubby and I spent the day with Raptor birds. We got to play with 4 types of birds, a Harris Hawk, African Barn Owl, Falcon, and a Golden Eagle. It was truly amazing to meet these wonderful birds and be able to learn the art of falconry. I'm dieing to be able to do that again, we have some pretty awesome pictures for that day.

Heather

 

[Lisa]

WOW! That would be amazing! As soon as I have the money I plan to go to the place where this bird was from and spend the day learning falconry!