Grandgirls and Birds…The Iowa Raptor Project

When our Indy grandgirls decided to spend a week with us this summer, Peepaw and I began to make a list of nearby places to go and things to see during their “GrandCamp” visit. One of the first places I thought of was the Iowa Raptor Project near Solon, formerly known as the Mcbride Raptor Center.

It had been YEARS since Peepaw and I had visited the Raptor Center, but that was the beauty of our grandkid’s summer visit. It allowed two old folks to think like kids again, and the drive to the lake was gorgeous on a warm summer morning.

The Iowa Raptor Project is jointly sponsored by the University of Iowa Recreational Services and Kirkwood Community College.

About twenty unreleasable birds of prey were on display at the center when we visited. Many of these birds have been struck by cars or injured by animals or even by humans, so this sanctuary is the very best place for them to live out their lives.

The birds at the Raptor Center are all historically found in Iowa.

Our grandgirls quickly found favorites in those large cages.

And little Claire was convinced that this tiny owl was looking right at her. (It was love at first sight!)

In fact, we had to make several trips back to that exhibit so Claire could connect and reconnect with her tiny feathered friend.

We took a short break from our bird-watching to take a short walk through the woods…down to the scenic lake shore.

And Peepaw gave the girls a lesson on skipping rocks across the water. (He’s a pro!)

I was so glad to capture THIS heartwarming moment for three sisters.

We took some time to tell the girls how major floods have affected our area, and the exposed roots of this beautiful old tree made it crystal clear to them how the power of rushing water has changed the landscape and the lake itself. (Much more about that in a future post.)

We headed back to the birds, and we saved a beautiful bald eagle for last…

Our grandgirls were shocked by this fact about the size of those majestic birds.

Before we headed back to our car we also took a quick peek into the “bird hospital” where the feathered residents receive treatment and rehabilitation. 

So…did the kids have fun? Yup.

And did Peepaw and I wear them out that memory-filled morning?

You be the judge! 🙂