Today was one for the birds.... literally. We woke up and grabbed breakfast and wanted to be the first ones in the park. The park doesn't open until 10 a.m. The night before the front desk manager had spoken to the Director of the Park, who we came to find out lives at the hotel because it is less than 100 steps from the entry of the park. He told him that a couple Americans had come to go to his park and that Sam had really wanted to do their "meet and greet" but since it was all in German we couldn't sign up before hand. Mr Scheres gave him his card to give to us and told us to ask for him first thing. When we walked over the bridge next to the hotel we arrived right at the gate. There were probably 100 people waiting outside the gate to get in. There turned out to only be about 150 in the park all day. We realized why people queue up early because you can't see the whole park without the full 8 hours, and even then we missed the penguins. We knew it would be a marathon and we were ready.
Mr Geer Scheres met us at the shop and brought a bird trainer with him who spoke English and said he would take us to see whatever we wanted. We couldn't believe it, it was so generous of him. He recognized Sam's love of birds and wanted to make sure he had the most memorable time. We were so appreciative.
At first we were thinking the young man who was asked to take us around was a guide, but he really was a trainer and he was trying to get to the birds so that he could get them ready for the flight show in about one and a half hours. He loved birds and Sam and him talked favorite birds on our way over to the cages where the birds that are in the show are kept. Sam was able to hold 2 yellow crested Cockatoos and a couple Macaws, and a Kea, which is what we saw flying in the wild in New Zealand. He carried a falcon to his spot in the show and fed some crazy ibises that kept trying to nip his leg as he fed them. He helped weigh some of the birds, which is part of the daily routine and feed many of them. He then was in the flight show and was able to have the barn owl fly down to him and then could pet him. Sam was in heaven!!!! He loves to look at birds but loves to pet them and hold them. It is so funny to me, since of course they are so beautiful to look at, but he really deeply loves birds and just was so happy today. As a mom it was a joy to see him so happy and engaged.
After the show we explored many of the exhibits from the hummingbirds to the huge Condors, the largest birds in the world. We explored many of their exhibits waiting until after the next flight show to visit the Lorikeets area where you can go in and feed them. The next flight show had different birds including a gigantic orange beaked, big headed black eagle from Africa which was spectacular. They also have the show on this giant lawn and so they have some of the birds with their huge wing span, like the pelicans and eagles cruise along the grass from the other side of the lawn so you can see them up close with their fully extended wings. Both shows end with soaring macaws, cockatoos, sun conures, ibises and cranes and is just beautiful.
Following the show Sam was able to go back with the trainers and hold his favorite pink cockatoo and the conures- both kinds of birds he would love to have. The gave him a big plate of good and released the conures and they all flocked onto him. He was all smiles.
We finished the day by visiting all the other exhibits. The whole park is like a beautiful garden with huge blooming rhododendrons and roses and lush green exhibits and water. It was just the most beautiful of all the bird parks and at the end in terms of presentation and landscape and number of birds, we believe it is th best bird park in the world. We finished so exhausted at the park, near the entry. They have huge slides and rope courses and zip lines, the best kids park I have seen. We were dieing to play on it but so tired. We grabbed a soda which gave us some last energy to climb up the 6 story tower and down the slides, which shot you out at the end, so fun! We had a blast and met a really nice family, the first english we had heard all day. We asked them where they were from and the dad was from this town but they lived in CA, they were here for a month holiday. Come to find out the mom of the three boys had been the pilates trainer for my cousin Debbie Harrison and lived in Maryland. It was a funny coincidence and fun to visit with her.
We were literally the last people to leave the park after we had Elizabeth, our new friend, take a photo of us after we had bought a plush cockatoo to take home with us. We stumbled across the bridge and right into our beds at the hotel. Full collapse. Just laid there for about an hour and a half until we could muster the energy to change and go downstairs and eat.
Our dinner was a great surprise and was delicious, the first real meal we had really eaten in a couple days. We then noticed Mr. Geer Scheres and we went over to personally thank him again for a remarkable day. He invited us to sit down and we talked birds and parks and how he is able to get birds and what it takes to run a park. Sam was all ears and full of questions and so engaged. It was a wonderful visit. Geer is definitely the biggest authority on birds and bird parks. He knew of all the places we had been and had been to them all, and worked at many of them and knew the directors and knew of the man that started World of Birds, where Sam's passion began, and whom we had met. We told him, if Sam starts a bird park, we will be calling him in about 15 years. When we left we realized in the area that Sam is passionate about, birds and parks, he was the Michael Jordan and we had better run back downstairs and get a photo. We did and he was delighted to have his photo taken with Sam and asked we send it to him.
We collapsed in bed having the day met and exceeded all expectations. We were hoping to finish the Book of Mormon that night, Sam's first time, but we couldn't keep our eyes open and fell asleep reading.
Great day! One for the books and one for the birds.
Mr Geer Scheres met us at the shop and brought a bird trainer with him who spoke English and said he would take us to see whatever we wanted. We couldn't believe it, it was so generous of him. He recognized Sam's love of birds and wanted to make sure he had the most memorable time. We were so appreciative.
At first we were thinking the young man who was asked to take us around was a guide, but he really was a trainer and he was trying to get to the birds so that he could get them ready for the flight show in about one and a half hours. He loved birds and Sam and him talked favorite birds on our way over to the cages where the birds that are in the show are kept. Sam was able to hold 2 yellow crested Cockatoos and a couple Macaws, and a Kea, which is what we saw flying in the wild in New Zealand. He carried a falcon to his spot in the show and fed some crazy ibises that kept trying to nip his leg as he fed them. He helped weigh some of the birds, which is part of the daily routine and feed many of them. He then was in the flight show and was able to have the barn owl fly down to him and then could pet him. Sam was in heaven!!!! He loves to look at birds but loves to pet them and hold them. It is so funny to me, since of course they are so beautiful to look at, but he really deeply loves birds and just was so happy today. As a mom it was a joy to see him so happy and engaged.
After the show we explored many of the exhibits from the hummingbirds to the huge Condors, the largest birds in the world. We explored many of their exhibits waiting until after the next flight show to visit the Lorikeets area where you can go in and feed them. The next flight show had different birds including a gigantic orange beaked, big headed black eagle from Africa which was spectacular. They also have the show on this giant lawn and so they have some of the birds with their huge wing span, like the pelicans and eagles cruise along the grass from the other side of the lawn so you can see them up close with their fully extended wings. Both shows end with soaring macaws, cockatoos, sun conures, ibises and cranes and is just beautiful.
Following the show Sam was able to go back with the trainers and hold his favorite pink cockatoo and the conures- both kinds of birds he would love to have. The gave him a big plate of good and released the conures and they all flocked onto him. He was all smiles.
We finished the day by visiting all the other exhibits. The whole park is like a beautiful garden with huge blooming rhododendrons and roses and lush green exhibits and water. It was just the most beautiful of all the bird parks and at the end in terms of presentation and landscape and number of birds, we believe it is th best bird park in the world. We finished so exhausted at the park, near the entry. They have huge slides and rope courses and zip lines, the best kids park I have seen. We were dieing to play on it but so tired. We grabbed a soda which gave us some last energy to climb up the 6 story tower and down the slides, which shot you out at the end, so fun! We had a blast and met a really nice family, the first english we had heard all day. We asked them where they were from and the dad was from this town but they lived in CA, they were here for a month holiday. Come to find out the mom of the three boys had been the pilates trainer for my cousin Debbie Harrison and lived in Maryland. It was a funny coincidence and fun to visit with her.
We were literally the last people to leave the park after we had Elizabeth, our new friend, take a photo of us after we had bought a plush cockatoo to take home with us. We stumbled across the bridge and right into our beds at the hotel. Full collapse. Just laid there for about an hour and a half until we could muster the energy to change and go downstairs and eat.
Our dinner was a great surprise and was delicious, the first real meal we had really eaten in a couple days. We then noticed Mr. Geer Scheres and we went over to personally thank him again for a remarkable day. He invited us to sit down and we talked birds and parks and how he is able to get birds and what it takes to run a park. Sam was all ears and full of questions and so engaged. It was a wonderful visit. Geer is definitely the biggest authority on birds and bird parks. He knew of all the places we had been and had been to them all, and worked at many of them and knew the directors and knew of the man that started World of Birds, where Sam's passion began, and whom we had met. We told him, if Sam starts a bird park, we will be calling him in about 15 years. When we left we realized in the area that Sam is passionate about, birds and parks, he was the Michael Jordan and we had better run back downstairs and get a photo. We did and he was delighted to have his photo taken with Sam and asked we send it to him.
We collapsed in bed having the day met and exceeded all expectations. We were hoping to finish the Book of Mormon that night, Sam's first time, but we couldn't keep our eyes open and fell asleep reading.
Great day! One for the books and one for the birds.
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