feeding the birds

During one of my days at Pioneers Park Nature Center, I had the opportunity to feed the raptors that live there. They are all disabled in some way and now live in an outdoor aviary on the grounds of the Nature Center. Because of their disabilities, they would not survive in the wild. That day, I defrosted something like 55 white mice to feed three red tails, two great horned owls, and one barred owl.  I took a picture of the defrosted mice to share, but decided to post a picture of my shadow holding the bowl of mice instead, in case you're squeamish. The great horned owls were my favorite -- they were curious and timid, but jumped on the mice once I left the aviary. Being so close to these birds was incredible -- they look like wise visitors from another planet. 

me holding bowl of mice

great horned owl

I did see a barred owl in the wild this morning at Wilderness Park in Lincoln. It swooped down from a tree, without a noise to a perch quite close to me. I watched it for a few minutes, its dark hollow eyes surveying me, before it disappeared in the early morning light. 

Here's a picture of the barred owl at the Nature Center. The staff calls him Elliott, which is my father-in-law's name. Elliott Sober (my father-in-law) is a professor, so I call this bird Professor Sober. 

barred owl