Friday, April 27, 2012

High Desert Museum - near Bend, OR




     Barb and I stopped at the High Desert Museum a few miles south of Bend off Highway 97, on our way to Crater Lake. Founded by Donald Kerr, a young biology student from Portland, it is both an interactive teaching museum and a home for rescued raptors and other high desert animals. 
     We were introduced to this gyrfalcon, who is actually a transplant from a breeding facility in Pennsylvania. She is currently being trained as an aide for educational talks. This curious female pecked and nipped at her handler looking for goodies, but it's her feet not her beak, one must treat warily. The claws are a falcon's most dangerous weapon, so they must be controlled at all times. You'll see that the handler has a very secure grip on those talons!
     This lovely lady-bird remained on a tight leash at our inside presentation, but during the summer she may show off her flying ability. Then, visitors can watch falconry demonstrations in the museum's outside arena.
    As always in a museum, we managed to while away a few hours, meandering through the grounds, visiting other birds of prey, a working scale model of a sawmill (Bend's major industry until logging declined and micro-breweries took over :-), sleeping otters, and the Leapers and Creepers exhibit that included the beautiful sulcata tortoise.

No comments:

Post a Comment