Monday, October 15, 2007

eagles and owls and osprey, oh my!

Yesterday was a gorgeous fall day, perfect for driving down to the south end of Coeur d' Alene lake, to visit Jane and the birds. Anna has been asking to go out to Jane's ever since I made my first visit over year ago, but it hasn't worked out until now. Jane was so sweet and gave us the extra-special treatment, even allowing Anna to go inside the aviary with Beauty.



She's the Bald Eagle who had the top part of her beak shot off (!); Jane brought her down from Alaska and is having a titanium prosthetic made. Jane has found a local maxillofacial surgeon to donate his time to attach the prosthetic; he arrived yesterday just as we were leaving, to take some measurements and figure out how he'll attach it. It's pretty incredible, what Jane does. She is a tireless crusader on behalf of these birds. She and her husband do EVERYTHING to care for these injured birds, every day, 365 days a year. Her dream is to build a Raptor Center similar to the one outside Boise, so that she can educate the public about these amazing birds. If you want to donate to her cause, go to her website; you can even sponsor a bird. She told us it costs over a thousand dollars a year, per bird, to feed them. She has anywhere from 20-35 birds that she is caring for at any given time. Ok, on with the pictures: First, David, Anna and Jane discussing another eagle she is rehabilitating.




Then, the aviary we helped build last week:

And then some of Anna and Jane with a Great Horned Owl and a Peregrine Falcon.



5 comments:

Dee said...

Kate, what a marvelous chilhood you are giving Anna. She will remember and cherish all the fabulous wildlife hands-on opportunities you are giving her. You really have so many available through working there at the tribal office. What great perks !
Thanks for the pics, its plain to see Anna loved it !!!!!!!!

Dee said...

Is that pen the infamous "butt bruiser" ?

Jodi said...

I admire people who can rehab birds of prey. They scare the hell out of me. I never liked the owls dad brought home - I was bit more than once. Bears and birds - bad!

kate said...

Jodi, I know what you mean. Birds ARE scary. Jane got "clamped on" by one of the eagles the other day. Her husband had to come running in and literally PRY it's tallons off her leg. eek. I'll stick with sweet soft little fawns...

Linda said...

Kate, I agree with Mom, Anna is enjoying an amazing childhood that will give her a life long appreciation of the world around her, especially birds. I've never seen a kid her age that can identify birds the way she can. Amazing.

On the other note, I would love to work with birds of prey. They don't frighten me at all. Especially the owls, I LOVE owls. It's amazing how close I came to the GH owls that lived by us on on the hill, within a couple of feet. And they had owls at the BLM that were being rehabilitated and my favorite treat was when Bob would take me in to see them. The little sawwhet owl was my favorite. (Attitude of a large raptor, but smaller than Gracie.) I guess I'm just to awestruck (stupid) to be scared of them. Bites from big beaks hurt, but are rarely fatal. I'd gladly risk loosing a finger for the opportunity to work with them.