World Bird Sanctuary Live Raptor Show – Starved Rock State Park
January 28, 2009
Article in: Birding
This is the third time we’ve watched the World Bird Sanctuary’s live raptor show at the Illinois Audubon Society’s Bald Eagle Weekend, but this was by far the best for photography.
First up was probably our favorite raptor in the world, the Harris’s Hawk. This is Sheldon and he flew over the crowd’s heads, causing an eruption of “oohs” and “ahhs”.
Next up was Turk, the Turkey Vulture. Some people call these fine birds “ugly” and “gross”. They do a lot for the ecosystem by cleaning up dead animals. We think they are just plain cool.
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Illinois Audubon Society Bald Eagle Weekend 2009
January 27, 2009
Article in: Birding
This past Saturday we volunteered to work the booth for our local bird club, North Central Illinois Ornithological Society at the annual Illinois Audubon Society Bald Eagle Weekend. This is a recap of what went down. We’ll have some more detailed information in upcoming posts!
Our booth was centrally located in the large gathering room at the Starved Rock State Park lodge, strategically positioned near the entryway to the meeting room where the live birds of prey show was held. Every two hours, lines would form and crowds would gather. But it wasn’t our bird club that was drawing all the attention; it was Barbara Williams’ taxidermy booth that snagged nearly every passerby.
31 Cool Bird Facts #5 – Harris’s Hawk
October 5, 2008
Article in: Birding
Harris’s Hawks are colorful, desert denizens that have one of the most peculiar behaviors. Known as ‘stacking’, two or more of these gorgeous birds perch atop each other, often on top of a cactus, in order to search for prey. The reasoning for this is mostly due to a lack of perches in the desert, but we speculate that it also may help the family group of hawks stay in better hunting position.
