Ramsey in the rain bedraggled

Description

this was the first bird of prey I had ever looked up to on the fist.  Ramsey, the huge young Martial Eagle had a wingspan of about eight feet and eyes larger than my own.  It was truly extraordinary to carry this beautiful white giant of a bird on the gauntlet and have the privilege of a few months with him to help him find a life back in the wild.  Ramsey was brought to me by friend in Cape Nature Conservation Dr Andre Boshoff who dealt with ‘problem’ eagles on Karoo farms.  Ramsey was no such problem he was just picked up after fledging too early from a nest and not allowed back to his home by the resident landowner.  Andre figured that I would have the lucky opportunity to be able to release Ramsey from my windmill on the plains.  To begin with I really wondered how I might escape being predated by his massive talons, but I realised quite quickly that Ramsey was just a big softy!  he fainted when I showed him his first rabbit and he used to attack karoo bushes from the windmill – a vegetarian eagle!