Eagle Festival Photos

One winged female bald eagle
Photo by Phyllis Wheeler

This morning my husband heard about the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge's 12th annual Eagle Festival and we decided to check it out. We had a great time and saw this one captive eagle (above) who was wounded in a fight with another bird as well as four wild eagles (two in the refuge and two just outside). In addition to eagles we viewed four different kinds of owls, a hawk and a vulture. There was also an assortment of preserved animals on display. I felt really bad for the one winged eagle. She really didn't seem to like being on display but it was quite amazing to get so close to the beautiful animal. You can see what other activities and displays were available here.

Asian eagle owl
Photo by Ben Wheeler

Screech owl
Photo by Phyllis Wheeler

The owl handlers were really patient. The Asian eagle owl was superbly trained and the poor screech owl was brain damaged but on the positive side, it didn't seem to care that people were crowding around it and taking photos.

Next year, God willing, we're going to bring binoculars so we can better view the wild eagles. What a blessing it was to see these amazing creatures up close. May the God of all peace reign in your heart today!