Leg 31.5- Sept 30- Ada County, ID

We took a detour south to the Peregrine Fund's World Center of Birds of Prey.  Just as we got there, they were starting a bird demonstration.  We got to watch a red tailed hawk fly around, stomp and preen.  The hawk handler was named <3 Curtis <3 who Dallas and I both thought was the bees knees.  The birds are much much bigger than you can imagine.  After we saw the demonstration, we went into the bird center where we met 2 enormous California Condors.  When the condors flap their wings, the beat of the wings is like a drumbeat and blows air from 30 feet away; incredible.  1/4 of all the California Condors existing today were helped into this world through this center.  The center established all sorts of techniques to generate more condor eggs and finding condor parents (some condors just get confused and start raising eggs they all of a sudden find in their habitat- placed by handlers of course).  Inside the center they also had many other birds being rehabbed.  We saw a harpy eagle,  a bunch of owls, a peregrin falcon, and a bunch of success stories of bird populations being rehabbed.  As we were leaving, we saw <3 Curtis <3 holding a golden eagle.  The golden eagle is on the Mexican Flag, so good job Mexico but maybe you should add <3 Curtis <3 

EP watching a red tailed hawk.

California Condor

Swainson's Hawk