More Soar!

This weekend was the last weekend of Soar with the Eagles at the National Eagle Center this year. We had different presenters and a TON of visitors so I didn't get to take quite as many pictures. Even though we were busy, I still managed to meet a few critters.

The Minnesota Herpetological Society brought a bunch of creepy crawlies including tortoises, turtles, toads and snakes. To the left is a picture that Scott took where I am holding an 8 foot red-tailed boa that weighs in at roughly 22 pounds. When I was younger, I was terrified of snakes. I've come a long ways the last couple years but you have no idea how much I was freaking out doing this. After I had the snake I realized that I had handled rats earlier that day for the eagles. Maybe not the smartest thing I have done recently...especially since the snake kept "yawning." I survived and I hope to see you next year at this event :)

SOAR

Donald and I teaching

I have a pretty cool job. Each year in March, The National Eagle Center hosts an event called SOAR with the Eagles. Special presenters and vendors are brought in each weekend and our staff does lots of live eagle programs with our residents. This weekend, the feature presentation was World Bird Sanctuary and their free flight bird show. We also had David Stokes with his reptiles and some fun artists. There is one weekend left, so if you are in the area stop by! Its a great time :)

Eurasian Eagle Owl flying over the audience (and about to hit me in the head with his equipment)

Got to meet the bird stars after the show: here is the wedge-tailed eagle from Australia. AWESOME bird! There are no vultures in Australia so this bird serves the role of vultures and eagles. It also has a crazy long tail and this individual was rather vocal for a booted eagle. As a bonus, I now have my photo with 4 species of eagle - only about 55 to go!!

I purchased this Eagle Totem drawing from Foxloft Studies - one of our vendors. I first came across this artist last year at the IAATE conference but didn't purchase anything. Glad I did this time!

Playing with a bull snake