Alaska Cruise: Day 2 – Glacier Bay

As the World Bird Sanctuary prepares to lead a group of travelers on another Alaska Cruise this September I propose to give you a peek into the highlights you might expect to find when you travel along with us.  This is what we experienced on our 2009 cruise.

We awoke the morning of Day 2 to find that we were about to enter beautiful Glacier Bay.

Entering Glacier Bay 

My husband, who is a real early bird, was already out of the cabin and up on deck.  My first challenge of the day was to find him so that we could enjoy breakfast together while watching the magnificent scenery slide by.  (A note to the wise—you’ll do plenty of walking on one of these huge ships, so bring comfortable walking shoes.)

As we were eating breakfast an announcement over the public address system let us know that the Park Ranger would soon be boarding the ship for our all day excursion through Glacier Bay.

The park service launch preparing to board the Ranger for the day

The ranger would be available to give talks and answer questions about the huge glaciers that composed the shoreline, such as “Why is glacier ice blue?”  ….and the answer is: Glacial ice is a different color than regular ice. It is so blue because the dense ice of the glacier absorbs every other color of the spectrum except blue--so blue is what we see!

  Why is glacier ice so incredibly blue?

We finished breakfast and hurried to the top deck to watch as the Park Ranger’s boat docked alongside our huge cruise liner and transferred him to our keeping

for the day.

Cruising the glaciers gave us the opportunity for some incredible scenic photos

Throughout the day we cruised the edges of the glaciers, watching as the glacier calved its icebergs into the sea.  The first indication of a calving iceberg was a deafening CRACK!—at which every person on the upper deck would race to whichever side of the ship was nearest to the cracking sound (it’s a miracle that the ship didn’t list to that side). 

  Waiting for the glacier to release an iceberg from its grip

Then it was a waiting game until the next CRACK and you could begin to see plumes of ice flying from the area which was releasing the berg.  After a few more CRACKS a huge chunk of ice would suddenly begin sliding into the sea.  I’ve never heard so many camera shutters clicking in my life! 

Photos don't do justice to a calving iceberg

Occasionally there would be a whale sighted by the crew and an announcement would be made over the PA system (another mad dash to that side of the ship).  In addition to the icebergs and whales, we also spotted occasional sea otters and Puffins on this day.  However, I would caution anyone who wants to take photos of the wildlife from the ship, that a long lens is a “must have”—at the very least--a 300mm lens for a DSLR (preferably longer).

 This photo of a Sea Otter was taken with a 400 mm lens (an effective 600 mm) and then cropped severely to bring it in close

A word about cameras here--remember, most digital SLRs have approximately a 1.5 lens conversion factor—in other words a 300 mm lens on a digital DSLR would be equivalent to a 450 mm lens on a film camera.  If shooting with a small digicam Click Here for a formula to figure how much optical zoom is needed to equal the mm lens measurements used with a DSLR camera.

Have you ever been afraid to nap?  After spending a full morning in the brisk glacier-chilled air watching icebergs calve, rushing from one side of the top deck to the other, and watching for the occasional whale sighting, I was more than ready for an afternoon nap.  But I had a dilemma—if I went downstairs to my cabin to nap I might miss something!  I finally resolved my dilemma by grabbing a deck chair and camping out on the top deck—in the hope that any huge rush to one side of the deck or the other would wake me if anything exciting was sighted.

 After a full day on deck I was ready for a nap

By the time we sailed out of Glacier Bay I was almost thankful, since that meant that I could retire to our cabin and get ready for dinner and a show without missing something.

This year’s cruise visits Sawyer Arm and Mendenhall Glacier which I’m told are just as impressive as Glacier Bay. 

To find out how to sign up for the World Bird Sanctuary’s September 9-16 Alaska Cruise Click Here. 

Our next blog visits our first port of call—Juneau.

Submitted by Gay Schroer World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

Alaska Cruise: Embarkation Day & Day 1 At Sea

As the vacation season approaches many of us find ourselves perusing the travel brochures in search of a travel destination that meshes with our particular interests and lifestyles.  Look no further—the World Bird Sanctuary has just the trip for you!

 This year's ship--the beautiful Holland America Lines MS Oosterdam

In September 2012 Walter Crawford, Executive Director of WBS, will lead a small group to Alaska via one of Holland America’s beautiful cruise ships—the MS Oosterdam.  In 2009 my husband and I accompanied Walter and a small group of travelers on a similar Alaska trip.  I would like to share with you some of the memorable sights and activities from that trip.

 Walter Crawford, Executive Director of WBS, giving a welcoming talk to our small group aboard ship

My husband and I chose to fly from St. Louis, Missouri, to Seattle, Washington a few days ahead of departure so that we could explore the state of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula on our own.  This was well worth the time and will perhaps be a good subject for a separate blog—just suffice it to say that for any who have the time this makes for a fabulous pre-cruise adventure.

At about 3 pm on departure day we boarded the beautiful Holland America MS Westerdam (sister ship of this year’s MS Oosterdam) and were directed to our stateroom where our luggage was delivered to us within a short time.  (No struggling with luggage—they brought it to us!)  We were immediately free to explore the ship, which would be our floating home for the next six days.

 Having dinner in the Grand Dining Room with fellow WBS cruise members

The remainder of the evening was spent exploring and getting our bearings, as well as acquainting ourselves with the Grand Dining Room and meeting our fellow travelers.

Day 1:  At Sea

For those who have never cruised before, a cruise ship is like a floating city and when we were not up on deck we spent this day finding our way around the ship and exploring its many options

The beautiful indoor pool with its moveable roof closed 

View of the indoor pool with its roof retracted

There were two swimming pools (one indoor and one outdoor). 

 View of the outdoor pool

Tucked strategically here and there were small bars serving food and libations.

  One of the many small bars strategically located near the pool

For more serious meals there were huge buffet restaurants--open at most any hour, an intimate upscale small restaurant with a gourmet menu, the ship’s Grand Dining Room, several small lunch bars, and probably other eateries that we never discovered—all designed to fit whichever dining style you prefer.

 One of the many watermelon carvings at the Grand Buffet

For those whose idea of entertainment is shopping, one deck housed a floating version of a shopping mall whose shops ranged from inexpensive souveniers to couturier clothing and diamond necklaces.  Upon unpacking I found that I had packed my lightweight jacket, but mailed it on ahead to Kodiak Island for our post-cruise adventure.  Fortunately, one of the on-board shops had just what I needed, and surprisingly the prices were comparable to those I would find at home.

 The beautiful on board theater where shows were presented nightly

There was a full size theater with professional entertainment nightly--each night presenting a different show.  Speaking of shows—one of the most fun and entertaining shows was the one presented on the last night of our cruise in the grand dining room by the dining room wait-staff.  Everyone took part—including the cooks!  This was in addition to the show regularly presented in the theater.

 The beautiful crystal chandelier which adorns central grand staircase

Other amenities included a sauna and exercise room, library, electronic media room, piano bars and cabarets with musical entertainment nightly as well as dancing for those so inclined.  Of course, there are the beauty salons, massage parlors, casinos, and bingo parlors.  I’m sure I have probably missed a variety of other activities—but hey, you can only do so much in one week. 

For me, the only day I was willing to forsake the top deck and its magnificent scenery long enough to enjoy many of the above activities was Day 1 when we were at sea sailing to our first port.  I’m an “outside” person—but “inside” or “outside” there was something for everyone.

Sail along with me for the next few blogs as we visit Glacier Bay, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, British Columbia

So….if you are contemplating a fabulous vacation at a reasonable price for this year Click Here  for specific details.  We’ll be setting sail from September 9-16, 2012 on the trip of a lifetime.

Submitted by Gay Schroer, World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer

"Bat"urday and Community Recycling

You're invited to celebrate bats with us at "Bat"urday, on April 7th, 2012!  In an effort to help save bird and bat habitat, we will have a FREE Community Recycling Depot at "Bat"urday!

Batty & Scar, our Straw-colored Fruit Bats, will be there to greet visitors 

Bats are interesting and misunderstood creatures.  Learn more about the environmental and economic importance of these animals, the threats they face, and what you can do to help bats survive.

Join us for interesting day of bat presentations, where you'll meet our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats, watch our bat trainer give them enrichment, and participate in bat-related fun kids "bat"-activities.  We will also be giving out bat houseplans so that you can go home and build your very own bat house!

Keep it out of the landfill and help us save bat and bird habitat! 

Bring your items to the Community Recycling Depot at WBS.

 Donations from our wish list would be appreciated - a donation box for wishlist items (e.g. latex gloves; trash bags; etc.) or cash will be at the recycling depot.  Click here for a full list of eligible wishlist items.

 Get a coupon for 10% off anything in our gift shop, valid on April 7th 2012 only.  One coupon per recycler. 

Items you can bring for recycling include:

Equipment:

 Computers

 Network

 Medical and Lab

 Telecommunications

 AV Equipment

 Electronic Operated

 Battery Operated Items

Accessories:

 LCD Displays (No Fee)

 LCD Display-laptops

 CD, CDRW, and DVD Drives

 Hard Drives

 Disk Drives

 Zip Drives

 Scanners

 Printers

 Speakers

 Battery back-ups

 Batteries

Miscellaneous:

 Adding & Answer Machines

 Phones (Cell, Cord/Cordless)

 Pagers

 Pocket PCs

 Cartridges

 PC and Digital Cameras

 Batteries

 Power Cords

 Cables and Wire

 Appliances

 ALL SCRAP METAL

Sponsored in part by:

"Bat"urday & Community Recycling Depot

Date: Saturday, April 7th, 2012

Time: 9am - 2pm

Place: World Bird Sanctuary, 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road, Valley Park, MO 63088

Admission: Admission and Parking is FREE!

Bring your unwanted recyclables and bring your camera!  It's going to be a great "Bat"urday!

Not Just Another Acorn In A Tree

Meet Acorn—one of our most popular education ambassadors here at the World Bird Sanctuary.

Acorn - our 17 year old red phase Eastern Screech Owl

Acorn is an Eastern Screech Owl who came to WBS as an orphaned chick through our Wildlife Hospital 17 years ago.  She has been in our education department ever since then.   The lifespan of an Eastern Screech Owl ranges from 7-10 years in the wild and longer in captivity. 

Acorn is a wonderful little bird with a lot of spirit.  Almost every time I pick her up in the morning she vocalizes to me.  Even though her vocalizations are quite endearing and cute, they belie the ferocity of these adorable little creatures in the wild.  Ounce for ounce they are one of the fiercest predators in the avian world. They can be very territorial and aggressive when it comes to breeding season.  They have been known to dive bomb larger animals like dogs or cats and even people when they are close to their nest!  These small animals are very fearless! 

Screech owls can weigh between five to nine ounces, which is very small.  Their diet consists of small mammals such as mice, birds, and even large insects when they are abundant during the summer.

Here is Acorn in her miniature sized jump box

Eastern screech owls have two color phases--a red phase and a grey phase.  Acorn is a red phase and above you can see her in her little jump box in our weathering area at the Nature Center.  A jump box is a man-made perch that gives shelter from wind and rain and security from the view of some of our larger birds (Screech Owls’ small size also makes them prey).  Some of the larger birds have jump boxes too, but theirs are bigger. 

This is Twig, another one of our Eastern screech owls.  He is a grey color phase

On the exhibit line past our wildlife hospital we have some eagles that are on jump boxes also.  A weathering area is an outdoor display area that our birds go to during the day to experience the full gamut of weather elements, such as sunlight, wind, rain, temperature, and sounds and sights from other things in the environment.

There are over 200 species of owls in the world.  They range from the smallest, which is an Elf Owl that can fit through a hole the size of a quarter, to the largest species which is the Eurasian Eagle Owl that has a wingspan of 5-7 feet!  Screech owls are the 12^th smallest species of owl.  We do not have any Elf owls at WBS, but we do have several Eurasian Eagle owls. 

Eastern screech owls are found only in North America, and range between southern Mexico and east of the Rocky Mountains.  They tend to live mostly in wooded regions around rural areas and residential areas.  You can sometimes find them in your own backyard! Their population is doing well, but individuals will often become a victim to vehicle collisions because of their proximity to humans. 

Twig's grey coloring makes him difficult to spot against the bark of an oak tree

Eastern Screech Owls nest in tree cavities, old woodpecker holes, and man-made nest boxes .  We have nest box plans at the World Bird Sanctuary if you would be interested in making a home for these amazing little bundles of feathers. 

Screech Owls are a great animal to keep around if you have a rodent problem!  They have been seen visiting backyard bird feeders at night to capture mice in search of bird seed that has fallen from the feeders.  Also, while they are there they have been known to take baths in the birdbaths too!  I would love to see to that! 

Acorn is available for adoption in our Adopt a Bird program. To adopt Acorn click here to go to the Adopt a Bird page on our website—or to find out more information, call 636-861-3225.  All adoption donations are tax deductible. 

I invite you to come and visit Acorn at our Nature Center and find out what all the cuteness is about!

Submitted by Lisbeth Hodges, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Many Paths Lead to WBS

Hello everyone.   My name is Adam Triska and I am new to the World Bird Sanctuary staff.  

This is my first blog entry so I decided to break the ice by telling you my background and how I found my way to the WBS organization.

I am a native St. Louis-an, born and raised in South St. Louis County.  The real story started at a very young age for me.  Even as a youngster while attending St. Elizabeth of Hungary elementary school in Crestwood my fascination and overall curiosity about nature, particularly animals, was strong.  I am often reminded of this by my mother Kelly.  She will often tell stories from when I was a boy about the critters I would find and bring back home.  She frequently says that I reminded her of the youngest son “Alice” in the movie “Old Yeller”.  Oftentimes she truly would have to empty my pockets in search of my findings from my explorations.

As I got older my passion grew stronger and I realized that I wanted to pursue a career with wildlife. It was in 9^th grade while attending Lindbergh High School that I found my calling.  We had to take a survey that was intended to give us an idea of our skill sets and possible career choices. I knew in my own mind what my skill sets were, and the test confirmed it. The real excitement for me was the career list, and right at the top was Conservation Agent. The job description didn’t sound like work to me—it sounded like an opportunity.  I knew from that point on that I wanted to be a conservation Agent when I grew up.

While attending college at Southeast Missouri State University I majored in Wildlife Conservation Biology and Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law Enforcement—all geared toward my goal of becoming a Conservation Agent. 

As I was finishing up my course work for college I began looking for internships that were, frankly, as far away from the Midwest as I could get.  However, I was just not catching a break.  Then I started looking for something local.  That was when I stumbled across the World Bird Sanctuary. The more I looked into it the more I realized that this internship sounded like a perfect match for me.

Upon arrival at WBS my thoughts were confirmed.  The staff was friendly and I could tell I was going to love it right from the get go.  Working with animals was always a dream of mine and WBS gave me the opportunity to make my dreams a reality.  I took full advantage of the opportunity and made myself useful no matter what the task was. 

You might be asking yourself why I am at WBS and not pursuing my goal to become a conservation agent.  Well, like many others my path has changed for the time being because I can truly say that I love my job and I’m happy where I am. 

Submitted by Adam Triska, Field Technician

          

Photo by Sandra Lowe Murray

Melanistic or Dark Morph?

One day while at the World Bird Sanctuary I was looking at the beautiful coloration of one of our dark morph Augur Buzzards, and it got me to wondering. 

 Keeoo - Our beautiful dark morph Augur Buzzard

Normal Augur Buzzards are a slate grey on their backs with some speckling, and have white chests and bellies.  The dark morphs have a more overall black plumage.  While standing there I found myself wondering what the difference is between true melanism and a dark morph.

    

I found, through researching many books and websites, that true melanism is actually very, very rare.  It is a genetic mutation that causes the bird to have excess amounts of melanin in its feathers, which causes them to be very dark.  Melanism is generally accepted to be hereditary, but there is not enough scientific evidence to determine if it is or is not hereditary. 

When a species of bird has a regular color morph that has a slight degree of melanism it is not considered true melanism, but just a dark morph.  Eyes, feet, legs and beak color are not altered by melanism, which can assist in identifying a bird that has true melanism. 

According to some studies it is thought that melanistic animals may eventually one day be more common than non-melanistic animals.  Studies in cats and other animals have shown that melanistic animals have stronger immune systems and are much more resilient to disease than their normally colored counterparts.  It is believed that this trait is true in birds also.

 

In cold climate environments dark morphed and melanistic birds have an easier time absorbing some of the sun’s solar energy to help them regulate their body temperature, so they don’t have to use as much of their own energy.  Excess amounts of melanin in feathers, however, has also proven to make the feathers slightly weaker, making them more prone to breaking, and also renders feathers less flexible than they should be.

 

In the wild, dark morph Augur Buzzards are believed to account for about ten percent of Augur Buzzards.  In some areas this increases to about fifty percent of the population.  In the eastern part of the Augur Buzzard range there seems to be a much higher population of dark morphs.

The next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary be sure to look for our dark morph Augur Buzzard, Keeoo, in the weathering area behind the Environmental Education Center (EEC).  Unless she is performing in an educational program with members of our staff, this is where she spends most days.  

If you do not live in the St. Louis area, we have two other Augur Buzzards—Sam, a dark morph, who will be flying in our Milwaukee Zoo show starting May 26, and Oracle, a normal morph, who will be flying at Stone Zoo in Boston beginning May 1. 

If you live or are vacationing in the Milwaukee or Boston area this summer come out and visit us at these two popular venues and be sure to look for Sam or Oracle

Submitted by Mike Cerutti, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer

365 Photo Project: Orchids and Butterflies

The month of February was slow for photo opportunities.  However, I did have some outings that resulted in some nice photos. 

 Can you identify this winged wonder?

My absolute favorite photo for the month is one I took at the St. Louis Zoo in the Monsanto Insectarium.  I did not write down the species of butterfly or where it is from, but it is absolutely beautiful.  I managed to get a full frame photo which makes it a great photo.  I just love the blue, white and black as it makes this butterfly a very striking insect.  Could one of our readers identify this beautiful creature?

Another of my favorite photos is from the MO Botanical Gardens Orchid Show.  Once again I am horrible at writing down the names and species of the flowers.  I believe this one may be an oncidium.  Would any of our orchid savvy readers know if this is correct?  These crinkly orchids always make me smile.  I don’t know why--they just do. 

 Does anyone know the name of this crinkly critter?

Orchids have always played a special role in my life.   For years I would go to local orchid shows with my Mom, and I grew up helping her with her 70+ orchids.  When it comes to taking photos at the orchid show I could spend hours taking pictures.  I just find it relaxing.

I find taking photos to be a great way to spend a day off relaxing.  I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Submitted by Cathy Spahn, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Wren Nest Boxes Available

WBS now has Wren Nest Boxes for sale – made from 'upcycled' materials

Robert Seyer has a unique retirement hobby.  He makes Wren Nest Boxes.  Lots of them!

On Saturday, March 4^th, Mr. Seyer donated over 1,500 wren nest boxes to World Bird Sanctuary. Proceeds from the sale of the nest boxes will go directly towards helping the birds we rehabilitate at the Kathryn G. Favre Wildlife Hospital at World Bird Sanctuary.

Mr. Seyer started this project to help the Girl Scouts, and it grew from there.  Using materials that would otherwise find their way to the landfill, Mr. Seyer churns out the nest boxes in an effort to stay sane!  "It keeps me out of trouble," he said. 

Combing construction sites for offcuts of lumber or plywood that would otherwise be thrown away, he takes them (with the site foreman's permission, of course) and turns them into prospective bird homes.  He will also use entertainment centers that have been discarded on sidewalks near people's homes, or just about any other source of safe wood that would otherwise be discarded.

You can buy one of these nest boxes at World Bird Sanctuary for a minimum donation of $2.  But hurry!  Nesting season starts soon!

Submitted by Joe Hoffmann, World Bird Sanctuary’s Sanctuary Manager 

"Bat"urday

You're invited to celebrate bats with us at "Bat"urday, on April 7th, 2012!  In an effort to help save bird and bat habitat, we will have a FREE Community Recycling Depot at "Bat"urday!

Bats are interesting and misunderstood creatures.  Learn more about the environmental and economic importance of these animals, the threats they face, and what you can do to help bats survive.

Join us for an interesting day of bat presentations, where you'll meet our resident Straw-colored Fruit Bats, watch our bat trainer give them enrichment, and participate in bat-related fun kids "bat"-activities.  We will also be giving out bat houseplans so that you can go home and build your very own bat house!

FREE COMMUNITY RECYCLING DEPOT INFORMATION

 Keep it out of the landfill and help us save bat and bird habitat!   In partnership with RNA Worldwide, we're working to save habitat.

*   Bring your items to the Community Recycling Depot at WBS.

*   Donations from our wish list would be appreciated - a donation box for wishlist items (e.g. latex gloves; trash bags; etc.) or cash will be at the recycling depot.  Click here for a full list of eligible wishlist items.

*   Get a coupon for 10% off anything in our gift shop, valid on April 7th 2012 only.  One coupon per recycler. 

Items you can bring for recycling include:

Equipment

   Computers

   Network

   Medical and Lab

   Telecommunications

   AV Equipment

   Electronic Operated

   Battery Operated Items

Accessories

   LCD Displays (No Fee)

   LCD Display-laptops

   CD, CDRW, and DVD Drives

   Hard Drives

   Disk Drives

   Zip Drives

   Scanners

   Printers

   Speakers

   Battery back-ups

   Batteries

Miscellaneous

   Adding & Answer Machines

   Phones (Cell, Cord/Cordless)

   Pagers

   Pocket PCs

   Cartridges

   PC and Digital Cameras

   Batteries

   Power Cords

   Cables and Wire

   Appliances

   ALL SCRAP METAL


Sponsored in part by:

"Bat"urday & Community Recycling Depot

Date: Saturday, April 7th, 2012

Time: 9am - 2pm

Place: World Bird Sanctuary, 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road, Valley Park, MO 63088

Admission: Admission and Parking is FREE!

Bring your unwanted recyclables and bring your camera!  It's going to be a great "Bat"urday!

Census Flights

I am not a morning person, but when my alarm went off at the unholy, dark hour of 6AM on 17 February this year, I eagerly catapulted myself out of bed.  Why?  Today I would fly. 

 The eagle counting crew - volunteer Kendra Spaulding, me, and Naturalist Mike Zieloski

Through a series of unexpected but happy circumstances (and the generosity of WBS Director Jeff Meshach), I was afforded the opportunity to help conduct the last aerial Bald Eagle census of the season.  These winter eagle counts are a long-standing tradition: World Bird Sanctuary personnel have flown the Mississippi River from Alton, Illinois to Quincy, Illinois—a distance of 134 river miles—since 1981.

 We were airborne into a soft morning haze

This particular morning was chilly: delicate frost had etched our surroundings during the night and a soft haze hung low above the earth.  Joe Tebo, a pilot for the charity flight organization Wings of Hope, taxied us into the sunlight, its rays slowly melting the ice sheet coating the wings and fuselage.  WBS Naturalist Mike Zeloski, volunteer Kendra Spalding, and I settled into the small cabin and conducted a sound check with the headsets we would use to communicate during the flight.  Ten minutes later the engine roared and we went careening down the runway.  With a thrust we were airborne, watching our shadow grow smaller as the features on the face of terra firma compacted and shrank.

 The view from my side of the plane

I pressed my face against the window.  Even with all the particulate matter clouding the air, I could pick out the emblematic St. Louis Arch gleaming in the distance, the sweeping height of its elegant parabola as lofty and radiant as my mood.

 Our starting point - the Alton, Illinois bridge

Twenty minutes’ flying time put us at the beginning of the survey route and the count began.  If you were wondering, birding at 115 miles per hour is every bit as intense as it sounds: Mike, Kendra, and I had only a few seconds to scan the land below for perched or flying eagles.  The white heads and tails of the adults contrasted well with the forested backdrop, but the juveniles were disguised as subtle, dark blobs.  I felt like I was on some grand treasure hunt as I excitedly called out my sightings (“Adult, perched, right side!”), and Mike recorded the location and age of each bird on a series of river maps.

Beneath us the Bald Eagles flew gracefully over the river, every delicate, powerful movement backed by a millennia of nature’s invention and tinkering.  Their wings stretched forward, feeling the air currents, reading them, and responding to them.  Meanwhile we hung in a metal box, rigidly droning along above them.

 Counting eagles from 800 feet up at 115 mph can be a challenge

In total, we counted 257 eagles: a high number for this year, but low in comparison with the previous few years.  This year’s mild winter has seen very little ice cover, and the eagles aren’t forced to concentrate around the flowing, open waters of the Mississippi.  We did, however, spot around 500 American White Pelicans and 6000 Snow Geese, many of which swept dramatically past at eye-level.

The Eagle Flight was indeed a wonderful experience that I feel fortunate to have taken part in, but that was no great surprise.  I have always loved flying… it grants the rare opportunity to break free of our overwhelmingly two-dimensional reality.  Even from  the modest height of 800 feet above the earth—the altitude at which we flew on this morning—the world takes on an entirely different appearance.  Everything seems small… Fragile.  But then the greatest epiphanies do usually happen when we view our lives from a new angle.

Submitted by Jennifer Roth, World Bird Sanctuary Intern