To Soar With Eagles

I still remember the first time I was joined in flight by a bald eagle. I lived in California at the time and a group of us were making a Thanksgiving holiday flight across Folsom Lake. Gregg Taggart, in the lead balloon, was first to sight the eagle and radioed his sighting to the rest of us. The thrill of sharing the sky with one of these great birds made this already special flight all the more memorable.

Not surprisingly when the invitation came to participate in the Soar with the Eagles balloon race in Orlando, Florida my mind drifted back to that glorious morning in California. Now a group of balloonists, myself included, were being asked to participate in an inaugural event aimed at helping these magnificent birds. Orchestrated by Paul and Lindsey Woessner and sponsored by Sea World and Church Street Station, two of Orlando's most famous family entertainment complexes, this first year event was to benefit the Florida Audubon Society's Center for Birds of Prey.

Established in 1979, the Center operates a renowned rehabilitation facility for thousands of injured and orphaned birds of prey from the Central Florida area. More than 4,000 eagles, hawks, owls, falcons and vultures have been rescued by the Center and some 2,000 of these have been successfully returned to the wild.

Unfortunately, some can never return to the freedom of the skies. These are often birds that have been captured by humans and kept as pets until, for one reason or another, they are no longer wanted. Sadly they have usually been "imprinted" by their human masters, in other words have become dependent on them, and can no longer hunt and survive in the wild. For these individuals, the Center's lakeside aviary becomes a permanent home where they receive excellent care and often become part of the Center's unique environmental education program. Here at the Center, tours are offered to schools, civic groups and others where the lesson learned is the role these magnificent birds play in nature.

Our weekend in Florida began with a Thursday evening tour of this unique center. Here we met the many dedicated volunteers to whom these birds are like family. Each is given a name, often reflective of the circumstances surrounding their arrival at the Center. For example, there's Bogie, a great horned owl that fell to the ground from its nest over a golf course and broke its wing. Then there's Monofilament, a barred owl whose wing had to be amputated after being found entangled in carelessly tossed away fishing line. And there is TJ, a bald eagle found on the roadside missing a wing after colliding with a powerline. These birds will never know the joy of flying free again. It was these and the other birds we were to fly for over the next two days.

Friday morning was set aside for the expected media flight but we woke to a surprisingly rare early summer morning rainstorm. A quick review of the rules and maps by Balloonmeister Paul Woessner kept the pilot briefing understandably "brief" before the flight was cancelled. Following a breakfast of Danish, croissants, juice and coffee at the field, we were off on the 45-minute drive to the ocean and Kennedy Space Center where an entirely different generation of American Eagles have taken wing. The remainder of the day was spent enjoying the IMAX movie The Dream Is Alive, exploring a Space Shuttle, and touring Mission Control to relive the launching of Apollo Eleven, then it was on to the massive Vehicle Assembly Building and the space shuttle launch pads. All too soon it was time to turn back inland for the evening pilot briefing, meal and (first ever in Central Florida) balloon glow at Sea World.

The one and only competitive free flight was set for Saturday morning and the weather was near perfect. Balloonmeister Woessner announced that he would lead us in a hare and hounds event. Soon the sky was filled with color as the 35 participating balloons were off in search of Woessner and his target. From the sky it was easy to see the beauty that is Central Florida. Behind us was Sea World, to the west was Disney World and Epcot Center, its giant silver sphere looming like an oversized soccer ball in the Magic Kingdom. All around were groomed golf courses and lake of all sizes and shapes.

From a promoter's stand-point the flight couldn't have been better-we were flying right over Interstate 4 providing quite a spectacle for the morning commuters. Woessner had talked of a possible flight over and beyond the Disney compound but a fog bank forced him to an early landing right alongside the highway.

The time for sightseeing was over. Concentrating on the target I set my approach, trying to go to school on those balloons in front of me. Ahead I watched as Mark Boulet drifted just three feet off the ground and dropped his marker dead center of the target. "So much for first place," I thought with the odds now against me in a one-flight race paying only the top three places. My throw, respectable though it was, was far from the money.

Church Street Station played host to our awards banquet with a breakfast buffet. Incredible as it may seem, Boulet was carrying a video cameraman in his basket so others got to see what I saw in live action, a marker being placed dead center for the winning score. Far more exciting though was the news from the Society's president Bernard Yokel, that another bald eagle, number 135, had been successfully released into the wild at the very time we were floating over Central Florida. So, unbeknownst to us at the time, we had after all come to Florida to soar with the eagles!

Birds that cannot be released inot the wild become permanent residents of the center and are used to educate the public about their role in nature.

Adopt A Bird

The Florida Audubon Society is dependent upon outside support to operate its Center for Birds of Prey. Private donations help support the building of enclosures, the purchase of food and medicine plus the expert care required by these highly specialized birds. A major source of funding for the center is its Adopt-a-Bird program.

For as little as $20 annually, you can become a "parent" to one of the center's birds. By adopting one of the permanently injured birds of prey residing at the center's aviary, you guarantee the care and feeding of your adopted bird, as well as give other birds a chance to recover and be returned to the wild.

When you adopt a bird you will receive:
*a color photograph of your adopted bird
*a biography of your bird and species information
*a personalized adoption certificate
*annual subscription to Florida Raptor News, the center's quarterly newsletter
*free admission to the center
*10% discount at the Society gift shop

You can become a "parent" of a Kite, Kestrel or small owl for just $20 per year. Osprey, Peregrine falcons, vultures, and other owls require a donation of $25 and bald eagles $30 annually. Additional donor categories of Steward and Caretaker are available for larger donations.

For more information contact:
Florida Audubon Society-Center for Birds of Prey
460 Highway 436, Suite 200
Casselberry, Florida 32707
1-800-874-BIRD
(407) 260-8300