Raptors Wow the Crowd

The birds were the stars on September 14, 2024, when around 450 people filled Fort Hunt Park’s Pavilion A to learn about six species of raptors.

Liz Dennison from Secret Garden Birds and Bees described each species to a rapt audience, people of all ages.  All the birds were accidentally injured and cannot survive on their own. The sponsors of this free, annual event were the Friends of Dyke Marsh, the National Park Service and Secret Garden Birds and Bees.

Liz Dennison, president of Secret Garden Birds and Bees, and Olive, a barn owl.  Photos by Glenda Booth

Tim Dennison walked Olive around to give fans a close-up look.

Aleta Dust introduced attendees to Pippin, an American kestrel.

Many youngsters loved dissecting owl pellets to learn what the owls had eaten.

The sponsors had tables where children colored birds and made paper owls.

The youngsters loved feeling animal pelts, provided by the National Park Service, George Washington Memorial Parkway.

Around 500 people learned about raptors at the event.

Allison Paytas and many others snapped a selfie with Little Red, a red tailed hawk held by Liz Dennison.

American kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)  This and remaining photos by Robert Veltkamp

Red shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus)

Barred owl (Strix varia)

Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)

Eastern screech owl (Megascops asio)

Barn owl (Tyto alba)