SEWE surprise

BY Dave Munday

For the hundreds of people who stood in Marion Square Sunday afternoon wondering what happened to the falcon who flew away from her trainer's hand and never returned, there's good news.

The falcon is fine.

The Center for Birds of Prey, which includes the lanner falcon, stages one of the most popular demonstrations at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. Crowds were especially heavy Sunday afternoon, as they have been all weekend for this year's exposition.

The great weather certainly helped, but local hotel and restaurant owners also hope it's a sign of a strong tourist season.

The falcon was supposed to fly up and then race back to earth, showing off her speed and agility. This time, the bird didn't come back. After several minutes, her handlers dismissed the crowd.

Stephen Schabel then started following the radio signal from the chip the bird carries. It led him to Hampton Park, where the falcon was sitting atop a tree. He called trainer Audrey Poplin to lure the bird down with what looks like a pair of wings attached to a chunk of beef.

The falcon was back in the tent later in the afternoon, sitting on Poplin's arm with a hood over her eyes to prevent her from becoming agitated by the crowds.

The lesson is that even a trained wild animal is still a wild animal, Schabel said. That's why the falcon doesn't have a name.

"They're wild animals," Poplin said. "They're not pets."

And there you have the allure of the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, as artists try to capture that wildness in every imaginable medium.

John Orehovec, a nature photographer from Williamsburg, Va., has come to the expo for 20 years. He was selling photographs at the Embassy Suites.

"I think there seems to be a little more enthusiasm this year," he said. "And I tend to have a pretty good perspective, being the old guy here."

Embassy Suites Guest Services Manager Brandon Davis said the expo is a barometer of the tourist season, and the initial readings look good.

"This weekend kicks off the busiest season," he said. "It's definitely looking pretty good. It's definitely better than last year."

Charleston Place Hotel Front Office Supervisor Ted Wojtkowiak also said crowds there were up noticeably from last year.

"We've seen a lot of traffic this weekend, a lot heavier than I've seen in years past," he said. "I think a lot of it had to do with the weather."

On the other hand, the hotel was sold out well in advance of the event, he said.

Many of the events in Marion Square were free Sunday afternoon. The art exhibits in other buildings required tickets. Ticket sales won't be available until later in the week, according to Ashley Slane, the expo's marketing director.

Peter and Jenny Wallace of Gainesville, Fla., have come to the expo for 20 years. They buy tickets for the exhibitions, stay at The Mills House Hotel and eat at local restaurants.

This weekend, they also bought nature photographs, a bird feeder, an antique tool chest and an addition to Peter's knife collection.

Their only disappointment is that prints are getting harder to find each year.

"It's like a drug addiction," Jenny Wallace said. "You start with prints, then you go to originals, then you go to sculpture. So it's a progression. … If they're trying to entice new people into the show, it seems they're eliminating them by saying you have to buy an original."