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Wearing a thick leather glove on her left hand, Nancee Goldwater counted to three and let loose of the yellow talons belonging to a red-shouldered hawk that she was tightly holding.
In an instant the hawk flapped its wings and soared toward the upper branches of a nearby black locust tree at Mormon Station on Sunday.
Perched safely in the tree above the crowd, the 26-inch-tall brown hawk with white-speckled wings experienced the first moments of its return to the wild since it was found sick and underweight. It was brought to the Wild Animal Infirmary for Nevada in Carson City three weeks earlier.
"Genoa will be the hawk's home for a few days before its internal instincts make it fly over the Sierra to California," said Goldwater, who has worked for more than two decades at the infirmary helping injured and orphaned birds return to the wild.
"Red-shouldered hawks are excitable and high strung. They don't normally reside in this area. This one is happy to be out of a cage and free. It will orient itself, cool off and then leave."
Goldwater, a volunteer at the infirmary (W.A.I.F.), helped nurse the raptor back to health before releasing it in front of a crowd near the pavilion.
"Genoa will be the hawk's home for a few days before its internal instincts make it fly over the Sierra to California," said Goldwater, who has worked for more than two decades at the infirmary helping injured and orphaned birds return to the wild.
"Red-shouldered hawks are excitable and high strung. They don't normally reside in this area. This one is happy to be out of a cage and free. It will orient itself, cool off and then leave."
Goldwater, a volunteer at the infirmary (W.A.I.F.), helped nurse the raptor back to health before releasing it in front of a crowd near the pavilion.
Goldwater was in Genoa as part of Nevada State Park's "Raptors" interpretive program about birds of prey. The program gives audiences an upclose view of raptors (eagles, hawks, owls and falcons) and an opportunity to watch as rehabilitated birds are released back into the wild. Goldwater released seven owls in Dayton a day earlier.
"I'm always elated to see one more animal that might not have survived without our efforts be returned to the wild," said Goldwater, whose infirmary houses 30 raptors. "W.A.I.F.'s mission is to help these animals and educate people about dealing with wild birds."
While walking through the audience with the hawk, Goldwater said people should never touch a bird because they could injure it. She fanned open the juvenile hawk's wings so people could get a closer look at the intricate patterns of white speckles called windows running lengthwise from the shoulder to the tip of each wing.
"I'm always elated to see one more animal that might not have survived without our efforts be returned to the wild," said Goldwater, whose infirmary houses 30 raptors. "W.A.I.F.'s mission is to help these animals and educate people about dealing with wild birds."
While walking through the audience with the hawk, Goldwater said people should never touch a bird because they could injure it. She fanned open the juvenile hawk's wings so people could get a closer look at the intricate patterns of white speckles called windows running lengthwise from the shoulder to the tip of each wing.
The 10-inch tailwing has six narrow white bands of feathers that are evenly spaced from torso to tip. Its three finger-like talons on each leg are used to clasp and tear prey.
"Juvenile hawks have brown feathers that around age 3 will change to a red brick color," she said, adding females are larger and lay one to five eggs that hatch in 28-32 days.
Jay Ford, 7, was the youngest member of the audience. He got a good glimpse of the hawk as Goldwater walked by.
"I want to take him home and make him my pet, but my mom won't let me," Jay said. "I caught a baby bird in my yard, but I let it go."
"Juvenile hawks have brown feathers that around age 3 will change to a red brick color," she said, adding females are larger and lay one to five eggs that hatch in 28-32 days.
Jay Ford, 7, was the youngest member of the audience. He got a good glimpse of the hawk as Goldwater walked by.
"I want to take him home and make him my pet, but my mom won't let me," Jay said. "I caught a baby bird in my yard, but I let it go."
Goldwater said raptors provide rodent control by eating three or more rodents a day.
"Ranchers love them," she said. "They eat thousands of rodents each year.
Goldwater warned that rodent poisons are passed on to the raptors that eat them. Because the poisons make the birds sick, she advised that traps be used instead of rodent poison.
"Ranchers love them," she said. "They eat thousands of rodents each year.
Goldwater warned that rodent poisons are passed on to the raptors that eat them. Because the poisons make the birds sick, she advised that traps be used instead of rodent poison.
W.A.I.F. will be hosting an open house Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The infirmary is located at 2920 Eagle St. in Carson City.
The infirmary depends on donations to provide veterinary care, food and supplies.
For more information about the infirmary, visit the Web site www.waifnv.org.
The infirmary is located at 2920 Eagle St. in Carson City.
The infirmary depends on donations to provide veterinary care, food and supplies.
For more information about the infirmary, visit the Web site www.waifnv.org.
