One of the best things about the end of summer is the Fall Flights. The World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise hosts a 45-minute show of raptors soaring, diving, and gliding over your head! It’s a never-to-be-forgotten experience especially when the raptor lands on someone’s head, preferably someone else’s. The shows take place in the outside arena at 11:00 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the months of September and October.

As the birds fly through the air with the greatest of ease, their handlers provide a brief but thorough education about the habits and conservation of the hawks, vultures, owls, and falcons that are the stars. After the show, there are more birds to see at the Center. My favorite is the harpy eagle that can snatch a sloth out of a tree in full flight. The harpy eagle will also attack the glass in its enclosure if you happen to be wearing fur, as my friend discovered on one visit!  A close second for amazement are the California condors. The condors, once nearly extinct, have bounced back with the expertise of the Center.

Condors lay one egg a year but will sometimes lay two if the first one is removed. The eggs are hatched in a specialized incubator while dummy eggs are placed in the nest box. After hatching, the chicks are returned to their bio or foster parents for 5-6 months. They are then moved to flight pens to practice flying and eventually are released in the wild. What an incredible feat to save a magnificent raptor!

I wanted to become a falconer when I retired. However, retirement only lasted four months so I need to go longer next time to fulfill my dream. Watching the raptors at the World Center for Birds of Prey is a good substitute. Get online at peregrinefund.org/fallflights and get your tickets soon as shows sell out quickly. Take the kids and grandkids who will love you for it!

Priscilla Martens