On Canada Day my family and I went to the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale for the third time.  My daughter loves owls; our first adventure for the summer therefore had to be at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre.  The centre has had some changes since my last visit.  It was great to see improvements made to the aviary, added beautiful flowers and plants and a landscaped rock garden with a waterfall. 

The morning we arrived, the Birds of Prey Centre was called out to rescue a baby Ferruginous Hawk. It was only 10 weeks old or so and had fallen out of its nest and was not able to return back.  Baby hawks are unable to fly and sat in the same spot for a few days before the Birds of Prey Centre was contacted.  The crowd was able to see how small and helpless the little guy was and enjoyed learning about these birds during an impromptu presentation.    

While there we enjoyed watching an eagle during a flight demonstration.  The eagle flew very low to the ground to and rose up into the wind to grab its meal.  It is amazing to watch these birds fly and understand how trainable they are.  The eagle glided back and forth between perches demonstrating its wing span and quickness of its smooth flight.

We enjoyed holding a burrowing owl named Mario.  Mario only weighs a few ounces.  I experienced his wings flutter (and my heart) by moving my wrist from side to side.  You could touch the soft feathers along his back and watch his head move around almost completely backwards like you see on TV.

My daughter and I had our picture taken with a blind golden eagle named Spirit. Spirit was shot in the eye and will not be able to be released back into the wild.  Thankfully the Birds of Prey Centre can protect and feed him.  I could feel the closeness of his beak to my face as a picture was taken.  Then Spirit’s feathers brushed my hair as his wings spread above our heads.  The day was a breathtaking experience and filled my mind with memories that will last a lifetime.