Before I go to the fest and possibly take some footage of the local mosque that appears to be going up, I wanted to put up some photos from the nature centers I’ve been visiting in the area. I just love walking around these places…unfortunately, the two nature centers that are close by - both are using the summer to undergo so revamping and reconstruction of their main buildings with exhibits.

Still, though, the weather has been beautiful, and it’s been great to take my new little camera out to experiment with its limited zoom.

The Palatine Nature Center’s exhibits are constructed in such a way that you can take a picture of the few birds they have on display - without the bars to obstruct your view. But the Trialside Nature Center in Northbrook has the path situated further away from the displays, which hinders the ability to take photos of the animals without bars in the way; which makes them look like they’re in prison if you dare to take a photo of them. (That’s one of the reasons I am looking forward to the Brookfield Zoo trip.) I’m not sure how they can change that, but I would really like to see these exhibits updated in a way that makes it seem less as though they’re in jail.

This little nervous guy was at the Nature Center in Palatine. As I approached their enclosures, I noticed that he was very nervous and had an unusual method of getting around in there. He would fling himself against the bars and kind of bounce off; and it seems as though it was completely intentional. I couldn’t figure out why that was, but my understanding of the few birds that are on display there is that they wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. This particular bird, if I remember the story, had been hit by a car and had some severe wing injuries.
I don’t remember the story about the turkey vulture, except one day one of the keepers was physically in the cage with him and they were playing. The keeper grabbed the vulture by the beak, and the vulture kind of jumped up in the air. This is a tremendously large bird, but what I found most amusing about watching the keeper with the bird while I was standing there - was the bird seemed somewhat embarassed and wouldn’t perform like he would have had I not been standing there. On the day when I took this photograph, I heard someone yell at one of the birds and said ‘don’t do that!’ And the bird howled and I felt really sorry for him. I think it was this bird that was being yelled at, because the other two birds were the red tailed hawk and the great horned owl, neither of which would have made that tremendous sad noise. I thought to myself that the noise sounded very human and very sad. I also thought –I wonder who thinks they can treat an animal like that just because they think nobody is watching or listening.

This guy was just staring at me. The fun thing about owls is how they sit there and seem motionless, except for their heads - which turn and follow you. This fellow seemed a little sleepy, but his eyes were open a little bit which made him appear as though he was scrutinizing me very closely. Not a peep out of him, though, as compared to the nervous red-tailed hawk, which screeched a few times while I was there, as though he was calling to some friends.

These were all taken with my Canon Elph…which is great for taking quick-and-dirty pictures. Those are the birds on display at the Palatine Nature Center.

Now come a few from the Trailside Nature Center in Northbrook.

I managed to take this picture in between the bars. It was dark, so I had to enhance it a little bit. The bird is completely missing its left eye. This would make it very difficult to fend for itself in the wild. The employees that take care of these animals tell me that most of the animals on display were injured, nursed back to health, and would not be able to take care of themselves in the wild. We have a rather large wild red-tailed hawk population here, you can see them throughout the year on the light poles on the expressway, and when they sit on the branches of dead trees. They like to find places where they have an unhindered few. I’ve even seen them out the window at work, and what is constantly surprising to me is how birds are their prey, in addition to small rodents, etc. They’re magnificent and a rather large bird. I know we have other similar birds of prey in the area, and again, hopefully when I get my other camera, I’ll be able to find them and get some shots of them. They include falcons and what used to be called sparrowhawks. One day I saw what I thought was some type of falcon - chasing after a mourning dove and the falcon was really closing in fast on that dove. It was a race in the air; a race that the dove probably lost.

The bald eagle seemed to be in pretty good shape. At the time that I was viewing these animals, they seemed to be somewhat agitated, although there weren’t many people around. The reason for that, as time went on, was because there is apparently a demonstration that occurs periodically throughout the day. The fox in particular seemed to be - not paying attention to me - but pacing about its enclosure, waiting for someone or something else to happen. In time, that’s exactly what ended up happening, while I was off doing other things. I walked around and took some pictures of the buildings, and the bee houses, and the other animals, and then a few SUVs pulled up and unloaded some kids and adults and suddenly a man appeared who seemed to work for the Nature Center, who pulled the captive skunk out of its cage, and held it while he was talking about how skunks are useful, and what the skunk eats.

An assistant came out of nowhere with a bowl of what they feed the skunk. In captivity, they give the skunk vegetables in addition to bugs, but I guess in the wild, their diet is comprised mostly of bugs. All i know is the thing stunk and I couldn’t figure out how the guy could hold the thing without getting that awful scent all over him.

This Barred Owl’s head is completely turned around on its body, which is facing the other direction. Something seems cockeyed about the bird’s eyes for some reason; although I didn’t get a chance to ask the attendants because they were occupied with the group of parents and kids.

I should have gotten a video of the way this fox moved. It was very specific with its little feet, and when it sat down, it reminded me more of a cat than a canine. He also seemed a little moth eaten - the tail wasn’t as full as I recall seeing on foxes that I’ve seen in the past. This wouldn’t be a very good specimen for a coat.

Overall, it’s been fun going around taking pictures, LOL…it’s gotten me off the blog, out of the house, and doing other things. And all this while my arm is improving…life is full of small blessings.

I still think that the local places ought to get a cougar in an exhibit.