The Falconer

0421 Douglas Hart 278-SH, by grizzly_lightning (Click photo for more info)

One of my favorite Saturday Night Live sketches is “The Falconer”… it’s hilarious, but unfortunately there aren’t any good clips of it online.

I met real falconers today. I had no idea that people still did this. They trap immature raptors (falcons, hawks, owls, kestrels, etc.), raise them and then hunt with them. That’s insane. I’m mystified by it… I might go out with this couple later this year to watch how it works.

The couple were part of Earth Day activities at Douglas Hart Nature Center earlier this morning. They brought this red-tailed hawk and a smaller American kestrel.

I’m still all tingly-feeling after getting to pet the kestrel. These birds aren’t injured, rescued animals that normally come to classrooms. These were wild birds of prey. And I touched one…

This is the closest I ever hope to be to a bird like this. Especially a live one with razor-sharp talons.

I probably would have enjoyed the presentation more if one of the birds could have taken care of the obnoxious kids. Seriously… who brings their kids to a presentation of any kind and then lets them sing, bang on chairs, talk and cry the whole time. No one would have thought twice about seeing what talons could do to the little brat.
I like kids, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but can see myself having my own in the not-too-distant future, but if my kids ever act like the ones I saw today, I’m trading them in for a new model.

More photos from Douglas Hart after the jump:

0421 Douglas Hart 353-SH, by grizzly_lightning (Click photo for more info)

0421 Douglas Hart 025-SH, by grizzly_lightning (Click photo for more info)

0421 Douglas Hart 407-SH, by grizzly_lightning (Click photo for more info)

0421 Douglas Hart 376-SH, by grizzly_lightning (Click photo for more info)