Live raptors

One of the things I like about festivals is the chance to see birds very upclose. Rehabilitation centers and educational programs occasionally appear amid the vendor exhibits at festivals and give us a chance to really peer at these fantastic creatures.

Three exhibitors in the Brevard Community College gymnatorium provided those opportunities during Space Coast. At the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey booth, I came almost nose-to-beak with an American Kestrel and a Crested Caracara. On the opposite side of the hall in the Florida Wildlife Hospital booth, an Eastern Screech-Owl named Gonzo posed for me. Look how little he is!

Up on the stage, Jonathan Wood's The Raptor Project provided quite the sight with more than 10 owls, eagles, falcons and hawks displayed for our perusal. Isn't Uncle Sam magnificent?