You’ve heard that birds of a feather flock together – well, apparently bird watchers do too.
An eclectic group met at Steer Inn, Cushing, Tuesday night – Mama Frog, Papa Frog, Catwoman, Softy – just to name a few. Some came from Tulsa, others came from Texas and two even came from South Carolina by way of Perkins. And while it was the first time most of the 16 had met, none of them were strangers.
Several months ago Penny Jenkins picked up a hobby of sorts – bird watching. However this bird watching didn’t require binoculars or hikes in the woods, it could be done simply – via the Internet.
Penny was captivated after discovering you could watch the progress of the featured red tailed hawks on Tulsa’s KJRH – TV website, but it wasn’t long before she found herself not only watching, but chatting as well.
“These people are a varied group,” Penny said, “and there are folks from Tulsa, Texas, South Carolina and even Canada watching and chatting.”
More recently, “the watchers” have been keeping track of “Fred and Ethel” and their fledgling “J.J.”
Fred and Ethel are part of an elite group – bald eagles. Their nest is located above Sooner Lake in Stillwater and is overseen by Sutton Center based in Bartlesville. Cameras have been mounted for a 24/7 view of the comings and goings of the Eagle family.
“It’s like J.J. is my kid,” Penny confessed. “I’ve been watching since she was an egg. I watched her hatch, I watched her being fed and now she’s a fledgling.”
One day – sooner or later – group members will become “empty nesters.” And yet, the bonds that have been made could very well last a lifetime.
For more information visit www.suttoncenter.org or www.kjrh.com
*Writer’s note: Jo Jo the Clown was on hand wowing them with his balloon artistry. To see a photo of the special gift from Jo Jo to Penny, visit the Molly and Donna page.
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