Birds of prey meet and greet public.Byline: Andrea Damewood The Register-Guard The birds were set to go - it was the grounds of the Cascades Raptor Center The Cascades Raptor Center is a nature center and wildlife hospital in Eugene, Oregon, that specializes in raptor rehabilitation. They have a large collection of live birds of prey on display. that required some last-minute preening before the nonprofit group's biggest event of the year. Volunteers seemingly flew as fast as the center's two Peregrine falcons - which can reach speeds of 200 mph - to finish a new education pavilion before more than 1,000 people flocked to the center's 13th annual Earth Day Celebration on Sunday. "A lot of what we do here is weather-dependent," said Director Louise Shimmel, adding that the center is open year-round, making the pavilion a boon for winter activities. "We won't be as limited to dry days." The pavilion's roof was installed Saturday night, said volunteer Sue Matyszak, who was perched on a bench with Linnaeus, a small burrowing owl bur·row·ing owl n. A small, long-legged owl (Speotyto cunicularia) of American prairies that nests in burrows dug by animals such as prairie dogs or rabbits. that rested on her right arm. Linnaeus came to the center after being hit by a car, and her broken wing failed to heal properly, Matyszak told a small group gathered under the new shelter. The center houses more than 60 birds of prey that can't be released back into the wild because of injuries and other problems. Despite her natural tendency to nest in small holes, the fully grown female welcomes an adoring audience, Matyszak said. Though the annual celebration is intended as a day of enjoyment and education for human visitors, some raptor residents got into the festive spirit as well. As the sun broke through the afternoon's intermittent clouds, Edgar, the resident crow, and Guinevere and Ajkataku, a pair of Merlin falcons, trilled trill n. 1. A fluttering or tremulous sound, as that made by certain birds; a warble. 2. Music a. The rapid alternation of two tones either a whole or a half tone apart. b. A vibrato. along with an acoustic bluegrass bluegrass, any species of the large and widely distributed genus Poa, chiefly range and pasture grasses of economic importance in temperate and cool regions. In general, bluegrasses are perennial with fine-leaved foliage that is bluish green in some species. set by local band Conjugal Pertaining or relating to marriage; suitable or applicable to married people. Conjugal rights are those that are considered to be part and parcel of the state of matrimony, such as love, sex, companionship, and support. Visitors. Other raptors seemed to prefer solitude, particularly McKenzie, a nesting female bald eagle bald eagle Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. . Five-year-old Fagarika Sharma was undeterred, shouting, "Hi, America Bird! Hi, bald eagle!" "It's wings are, like, so big," her 8-year-old brother, Shriyansh Sharma, said of his favorite animal. Some visitors found a way to get really up-close to the predatory birds. Among face-painting booths and a craft table, some intrepid - and iron-stomached - children were invited to inspect owl pellets. Austin Lanier, 8, said the table "seemed interesting," as he used a toothpick toothpick, n a wood sliver used to cleanse the interdental space. toothpick, balsa wood, n a triangular wedge of balsa wood used to clean the teeth interproximally and stimulate the interdental gingival tissues. and tweezers tweezers An instrument with pincers used to grasp or extract. See Optical tweezers. to tease out mouse bones from a pellet. "I learned that some pieces of the mouse body don't get digested and they spit it out," he said. The Earth Day event was a twofold benefit for vendor Tiffany Petry of Eugene. Petry was staffing the KeKau Chocolatier choc·o·la·tier n. 1. One who makes or sells chocolate. 2. A place where chocolate is made or sold. [French, from chocolat, chocolate, from Spanish chocolate booth, but she also had her daughter, Fiona, along. The celebration was a great chance for her curly-haired 4-year-old to see such large birds in person, she said. "We don't have a zoo in town, so I think it's a great place for kids and adults to come," Petry said. "It's also another lesson on how we need to take care of our habitats." CASCADES RAPTOR CENTER Where: 32275 Fox Hollow Road, Eugene Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through October, except closed Mondays Contact: 485-1320 or info@eRaptors.org |
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