I posted this in the bird forum....I guess I can post it here for anyone interested. It's open to all and well worth seeing for you own eyes from what I've been told. You don't need big lens's for this event.
I just wanted to pass this on to anyone that might be interested but the Wildlife Center of Virginia is planning to release three young Bald Eagles at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, VA.
Here is a copy of the E-mail that was sent out.
Dear Friends, Ed Clark has asked me to pass this message on to you – hope you can make it! Sincerely, Kelly Matherly I want to invite you to join me and my colleagues from the Wildlife Center of Virginia for a very special event that will be held at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, Virginia (Fairfax County), on Saturday, July 25 at about noontime. I will be releasing THREE BALD EAGLES!!! This is the first time in the nearly 27 year history of the Wildlife Center that we have had a triple eagle release, and we are all very excited. This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. All three are this year’s “babies”, so they don’t have their white heads yet. (They get those when they are five years old.) Nevertheless, they are big, beautiful birds and are a sight to see. We won’t be tossing them all into the air at once, so there will be three chances for you to get dramatic photos as we launch each one. There will also be a chance for some close-up photos before we release each one, as we give each a final inspection before returning it to the wild. This event will be open to the public, so if you have friends, family members or colleagues who might enjoy the spectacle, please forward the information to them. Again, we’ll be starting to organize our audience about noontime at the Visitors’ Center. Then, we’ll explain what happened to each of the birds and what is going to happen during the release. We’ll start launching birds back to the wild at about 12:30 or a bit after, depending on how cooperative our feathered friends decide to be. Seeing just one of these magnificent creatures recapture their freedom will take your breath away. Having the chance to see three return to the wild will be the experience of a lifetime. If you are interested in joining us, just drop us a note so we can be looking for you. My colleague Kelly Matherly will be taking RSVPs at kmatherly@wildlifecenter.org I hope you can join me. The release will take place, rain or shine. To see a map of the location, check out Mason Neck State Park map. We appreciate the hospitality of our friends at Mason Neck State Park. When you arrive at the park, just go to the Visitors’ Center. If you want to bring a picnic, it is a great place to spend the whole day, enjoying the beautiful Potomac River and some of Virginia’s most pristine eagle habitat. I’ll see you there! Ed I have passed on previous Eagles releases but what the other photographers say it's well worth the trip. They allow you to get some close-up shots of the Eagles as they check them over one more time before being released.
