When I began volunteering
at the World Bird Sanctuary in the spring of 2011, I had vague dreams of
handling and flying birds.
I worked hard to discover
what my strengths (talking to visitors and bird room cleanup – that’s a nice
way of saying I clean bird up poop – can I say poop in a blog post?) and
weaknesses (bird food prep) as a Naturalist
are.
By fall 2011 I was helping
with Owl Prowls. By January 2012 I
was ready to help with remote display events and even held walk-on roles in a
few programs. Having also learned
to fly birds glove-to-glove, I had the luxury of volunteering to help out with
a variety of on- and off-site events.
The games were new and strange - here they are doing the caber tossing event (photo by Sandra Murray)
Each fall, the St. Louis
Scottish Games Organization (a not-for-profit) coordinates the Scottish Games
event that takes place in Forest Park.
The purpose is for education, cultural exchange, philanthropy, and
making clan connections. They are
open to anyone with interest in the history and rich culture of Scotland and
Scottish heritage.
I have been told by family
members that there is Scottish blood (I think up through my paternal
grandfather’s family) but I don’t think any research has ever been done. Note to self: do research on Grandpa’s
family line. I did, however,
marry into the Clan Murray. My
husband’s family has been able to trace their roots back to Scotland. As a result of this history, I have
also developed a crush on all things Scottish including several Scottish
celebrities like Gerard Butler, David Tennant (Doctor Who – don’t get me
started), and Craig Ferguson. And,
I have to admit, that I am crazy for men brave enough to wear Kilts! I think it has something to do with
getting to see their knees (sigh) and perhaps the constant mystery of what they
wear (or don’t wear) beneath them!
So I was very excited to see the 2012 Scottish Games listed in the Help
Needed email from World Bird Sanctuary that circulated in early September. I eagerly submitted my name to
participate.
Volunteer Fred Abrolat releases Lewis (Photo by Sandra Murray)
I know you’re thinking,
“Isn’t this supposed to be a blog about birds?” Stick with me-- here come the birds. A crew of humans from the World Bird
Sanctuary (Walter Crawford, Roger Wallace, Fred Abrolat, Cathy Spahn, and Gina
Staehle) and a crew of birds were with me at the Scottish Games. We had Lewis & Clark – Bald Eagles;
Tigger – Tawny Owl; Xena – Eurasian Eagle Owl; Sequoia – Red Tailed Hawk; and
Lightning – Peregrine Falcon.
Most of us were either in Renaissance Faire style clothes or decked out
in Kilts.
Little did I know there was something amiss with my skirt (photo by Cathy Spahn)
The first thing that
happened to me that day was noticing that I was wearing my borrowed Ren Faire
skirt inside out. It stayed inside
out all day. The second thing that
happened to me was a funny encounter with, uh, Clark’s poop. There I go saying poop in a blog
again. As Clark was being
transferred from his traveling crate to his display perch, and in an act of
precise timing and aim, Clark sliced all over my lunch bag, water bottle, and
camera. The lens of my lovely
Canon Rebel was covered in poop. I
think Roger was more upset about it than I was...like it was his fault Clark
was aimed in just the right direction at the exact right moment. For the most part it was nothing the
water hose couldn’t fix. My lunch
was fine, the water bottle was fine, and my camera, after careful cleaning,
went on to shoot more than 100 pictures.
I praised Clark for his spot on accuracy, then forgave him and made him
pose for a picture with me to get even.
Lewis was spot on with his flights (Photo by Sandra Murray)
Lewis gave two spectacular
flight demonstrations in the main ring to the delight of the crowd. For many that have seen this wonderful
bird fly at Busch Stadium, it was a real treat to see his flight close up. There were cameras and phones aimed all
around as he flew back and forth between Roger and Fred.
Crowds surrounded trainer Roger Wallace and Lewis after each flight (Photo by Sandra Murray)
It was a pleasure to see
peoples’ delight as they surrounded Roger after each demo to photograph Lewis
and ask questions. This is why I
do this; seeing their faces light up as they encounter birds from World Bird
Sanctuary. I know that my face
reflects the same joy and wonder as I look at them too. There were lots of visitors to our area
to ask questions about the birds and the facility. We, of course, were happy to educate and invite them to
visit.
The food booth gave attendees the opportunity to try new foods (Photo by Sandra Murray)
The entire day was a feast
for the eyes, ears, and taste buds as we listened to and watched the athletic
games, bagpipes and pipe and drum corps competitions, and sampled the variety
of distinctly Scottish foods (Haggis anyone?) available.
With a little sun on our
noses and necks, we packed everyone back up and headed back to World Bird
Sanctuary. Next up for me is a
trip to Kansas City for WBS’s participation in the
Renaissance Faire. Note to self:
make sure your clothes are on right side out next time.
The dreams that dance in
my head now revolve around flying a Bald Eagle glove-to-glove and accompanying
the flight team to a St. Louis Cardinals game. And, Ok, I’ll admit it, I’d also like to get my husband into
a kilt!
Submitted by Sandra
Murray, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer Naturalist
Photo by Lisbeth Hodges
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