Training Lewis and Clark to Fly at the Stadium

Today I helped Roger Wallace train Lewis and Clark, two of WBS’s education Bald Eagles, to fly at Busch Stadium.   

Volunteer Daniel Cone, releasing Clark during an early Spring training session

We positioned Lewis and Clark’s crates above the grassy area directly behind center field.  Roger climbed down a ladder onto the field and walked over to the pitcher’s mound.  Daniel Cone opened Lewis’s crate, but Lewis did not fly out of it.  Sometimes they fly from their crates and sometimes they don’t.  So, Daniel had Lewis step onto his glove, and then Lewis flew right away.  Lewis made a couple of spectacular loops around the stadium before flying down to Roger’s glove. 

Clark, making a spot-on landing on Trainer Roger Wallace's glove

Next, I had a chance to release Lewis.  When Roger was ready, I opened the box to allow Lewis a chance to fly out, but as before, Lewis waited until he was on my glove to leave the release point.  Roger would like Lewis and Clark to fly at the same time on game day sometime in the future, so for training purposes Daniel held Clark on his glove as Lewis made another impressive flight.  Afterwards, I held Lewis on my glove so he could watch Clark make his breathtaking, no-nonsense flight.

 Lewis on creance line during one of our early Spring training sessions.  Later the line is removed so that they are free flying.

When we fly the eagles in tandem, there will obviously need to be two trainers on the field to receive them.  So, the next round of flights allowed the birds to get used to that.  As Daniel and Roger made their way back to the pitcher’s mound, I got Clark out of the crate and prepared to release him from my glove.  I tried to turn Clark away from the field, so he wouldn’t bate (try to fly too soon) before Roger and Daniel were in position, but Clark knew exactly what was going on.  He didn’t bate, but he turned his head almost all the way around and watched Roger walk.  When Roger stopped walking, Clark was more than ready to fly.  He flew like an arrow directly to Roger’s glove.

Clark, at an early training session, demonstrating the intensity with which an eagle zeroes in on a target.  

Finally, Roger let me go onto the field with him as Daniel released Lewis.  Roger told me not to give the cue, but to get ready in case Lewis decides to fly to me.  And sure enough, he did!  Lewis made a couple of loops, and then trained his eagle eyes directly on me and made his way over.  I got my glove under his talons, locked his jesses, and tossed him a mouse.  I tried to play it cool, but the whole experience was pretty overwhelming and I could not stop smiling!

Because of Roger’s expert and insightful training, Lewis and Clark rocked the stadium.

Submitted by Leah Sainz, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist