Lupine Festival

Today the Pine Bush held its annual Lupine Festival, so I stopped by for awhile to check things out. It seemed like a great event for children and families. Mostly there were kids' activites, but they also had a "wildlife show." My favorites were the birds, of course.

A peregrine falcon, fastest animal on earth.

A Cooper's hawk, which is actually threatened in New York State. I didn't know that, and now feel even worse about the one that died hitting my window a few weeks ago.

A female red-tailed hawk, one of my favorites.

And a very grumpy-seeming great horned owl. Although I suppose they always look a little grumpy. Something about the wide, staring yellow eyes and "ear" tufts.

These birds had all been injured (by cars mostly, I believe) and are no longer able to survive in the wild. So instead they are used for educational purposes, to help convince the public how wonderful and fascinating these creatures really are.