Minnesota State Fair 2018 – Rapture Presentation

The Crested Caracara was most impressive of the rapture presentation, being beautiful, agile, fast, and powerful.

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The following birds were presented:

Harris’s Hawk

Great Horned Owl

Barred Owl

Red Eastern Screech Owl

Gray Eastern Screech Owl

Black Vulture

Northern Crested CaraCara

Bald Eagle

 

Falconer and veterinary technician John Karger, and founder of “Last Chance Forever” The Bird of Prey Conservancy headed the rapture presentation. All birds of prey were from the conservancy and were rehabilitated and were at one time sick, injured or orphaned birds of prey.

Select this link to see info on Last Chance Forever

 

 

Northern Saw-Whet Owl Bird – Birds of Prey – 8/11/2015

The rehabbed Northern Saw-Whet Owl was photographed at the Wisconsin State Fair from the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Saw-Whet Owl

The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is a very small tame-like Owl brown in color with white braces on the back and brown streaking below, and with a pale buffy facial disc. It is fairly common but hard to spot in nature. It has a range from southeast Alaska, Canada, western and northeast United States to central Mexico. It has a habitat of forests, conifers and groves. They roost in dense cavities or in dense vegetation. Their diet is mostly small rodents, and swoop down on their prey at night from a high perch. These birds have exceptional hearing and vision at low light and night.

Select this link to see info on the Saw-Whet Owl

Select this link to see other info on Saw-Whet Owls

 

 

Burrowing Owl Bird – Birds of Prey – 6/25/2014

This Burrowing Owl was photographed in Badlands National Park in South Dakota

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Burrowing Owl

The Burrowing Owl is a small tannish barred spotted owl with white chin stripe, round head, long legs, and stubby tail. It is often seen in open country by day standing erect on the ground or posts. It has a range of southwestern Canada, western United States, and Florida. It has a habitat of open grassland, prairies, farmland, airfields, and lives in burrows and prairie dog towns. The diet consists of insects and small mammals.

 

Great Horned Owl Bird – Birds of Prey – 5/1/2010

This Great Horned Owl was photographed at Wehr Nature Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This Great Horned Owl was photographed with a VHS video in Muskego, Wisconsin in 1988.

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Great Horned Owl

The Great Horned Owl is either red-brown or gray in color with large tufts. It varies regionally from very dark to very pale and has a white throat bib. It habitats in North America in forests, mixed woodlands, streamsides, open country, shady suburbs, and city parks. It roosts during the day in high perches, and is active at night. It has no regular migration but may wander long distances in fall and winter. It’s diet is varied, mostly mammals and birds. May begin nesting very early in the North-late winter.

 

Snowy Owl Bird – Birds of Prey – 1/6/2012

This male Snowy Owl was photographed on 1/6/2012 at the South Shore Yacht Club breakwater in Bayview, Wisconsin

This female Snowy Owl was photographed on 12/12/2012 at the South Shore Yacht Club pier

This female Snowy owl was photographed at the Coast Guard Impoundment on Lake Michigan in Bayview, Wisconsin

This female Snowy Owl was photographed on 12/14/2012 at the South Shore Yacht Club pier

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Snowy Owl

The male Snowy Owl is a large white owl with a large round head yellow eyes, and a flecked or barred appearance. The female Snowy Owl has a darker appearance than the male. It is one of the few owls that can be seen during the daytime, however its distance is usually from afar. The range is the Arctic; circumpolar. In the winter it comes southward to Canada and the northern United States. It has a habitat of prairies, fields, marshes, beaches, dunes, breakwaters, and shorelines. It feeds on a variety of mammal prey such as lemmings, voles, squirrels, and birds.

 

Barn Owl Bird – birds of prey 8/12/2010

Photo taken at the Wisconsin State Fair WE Energies Birds of Prey Show

Select this link to see photos or a slideshow of the Barn Owl

Owls are one of the oddest birds to photograph-their appearance photographed appears so smooth that the look is unreal. I have never seen a Barn Owl in its natural habitat, so I took the opportunity to see the WE Energies Birds of Prey show. Barn Owls can be found in woodlands, farms, barns, towns, belfries, and cliffs. It preys mostly on rodents.