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Searching for Eagles

This past weekend, we went out searching for eagles.

Oddly enough, Alton, IL is one of the best areas in the country to spot American Bald Eagles as they migrate.

If I were any sort of bird, and I could fly anywhere I wanted, Illinois would not be where I headed - just saying.  But I'm glad they do, because we are here and we got to see them!

Our first stop was the Treehouse Wildlife Center in Dow, IL.  This center rescues and rehabilitates wild animals.  Those that can not be rehabilitated enough to be released back in to the wild are given a home for life.

And it's free.  We gave a donation, but there is no cost for stopping by and seeing the animals if you need a cheap date.

We got to meet a woodpecker who was rat-a-tat-tatting away on the wood in his cage.

Snakes.  I don't remember what type these were.  If Kerry were here, I could ask him.  He would totally know.  All snakes are just 'snakes' to me but that man of mine treats them like his old college buddies.  He loves snakes and knows them all by name.  Whenever we get to the reptile house at any zoo, that's when the kids and I know we will get to sit and rest for a while because Kerry is going to take his time and we will be there a looooooong while.

An up close personal view of a turkey buzzard which has to be one of the homeliest creatures I've ever seen.  It's nostrils form a hole all the way through the top of its beak. He glared at us a lot and I think he thought my nose looked weird too.

Turtle.  I think it's a red-eared slider.

Get it?

My favorite animals were the eagles of course.  They didn't have any elephants, or that would have been my favorite, as usual.  But I don't usually get to see eagles this close.  They really do look fierce - just like Sam the Eagle on the Muppet Show.

They had a cool door.  I loved the colors.

I may become one of those people who takes pictures of cool doors.

An owl with eyes so black he looked like he eats souls for breakfast.

Luckily it was lunch time while we were there.

Kerry's favorite - a hawk.  We've nearly run smack into many a semi-truck because Kerry was saying, "Look at that hawk!" 

 This is usually echoed by me screeching, "Look at the road!"


Owl

Owl who was pretending to sleep, but was totally peeping at us with one eye.

A coyote with what looked like a serious case of mange.

This fox wasn't saying nothin'!

Afterwards, we stopped by the river in Alton.  The chunks of ice were floating down the river, and eagles were landing on the chunks and floating on them.  It was really cool!

We saw six eagles while we were standing on the banks.  One woman said that she had spotted forty-four the day before.  We probably could have seen a lot more if we had hung around longer, but it was still pretty chilly (as evidenced by all that ice).  The girls and I were chilly anyway.  Kerry thought we were wimps and made friends with some strangers who gave us Red Vines and I let my kids accept candy from strangers.


Found a big eagle on our eagle hunt!

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