THE BIRDMAN VISITS ST MARY’S!
Today we were delighted to welcome back Ian Patterson, the Birdman, to St. Mary's PS Cabragh. Ian has been a regular visitor to St. Mary's over the past twenty years.
Ian brought along 'Talba', the Barn Owl, 'Fluffy' the Long-Eared Owl, and 'Joel' the Harris Hawk.
The children enjoyed finding out some very interesting facts about Birds of Prey.
Birds of Prey are large, predatory bird species that have hooked bills, sharp talons, strong feet, and keen eyesight and hearing. They tend to feed on small mammals, birds, insects and reptiles.
Talba the Barn Owl is six years old and he is named after his 'talon' and 'alba' which means white in latin. Talba the Barn Owl had the most beautiful heart - shaped white face and black eyes.
'Fluffy' the Long-Eared Owl is 14 years old and the children learned that Long-eared owls like Fluffy can be seen in our local forests. Fluffy had orange and black eyes and we learned that the colour and pattern of its feathers, helps it to camouflage and blend in with the bark of trees, as they sit still and quietly among the branches.
The children learned that Joel the Hawk eats twice as much food as Talba and Fluffy. Joel the hawk had brownish feathers, reddish shoulders, and tail feathers with a white base and white tip. The hawk’s key weapons for hunting are it’s long legs, strong feet with big talons, and a sharp hooked beak.
The children asked Ian some very good questions about Birds of Prey and many of the children and staff got the opportunity to hold the amazing birds !
Please enjoy the photos below!
