IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! IT’S A BUILDING!
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After some delays due to the weather, construction continues on our new nest. Now it looks like a building! The metal roof has been installed, which allows the construction crew to work, even in bad weather. All the utilities have been run to the building, and roughed in. The walls have been framed. It’s coming together! Stay tuned!
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"Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds
on the heel that has crushed it.”
-
Mark Twain
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SOARIN' HAWK ON THE ROAD: RUBY STEALS THE SHOW!
by Jan McGowan
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One dad earns BIG POINTS with the kids as he helps Bob teach about raptor flight and other features.
When dad commented that birds don't have beards, Bob said, "Hey! There are Bearded Vultures, so you fit right in!"
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Three Soarin’ Hawk volunteers motored to the Allen County Public Library’s delightful Monroeville Branch to present Hoodini the Eastern Screech Owl, Peabody the Barred Owl, and Ruby the Red-tailed Hawk to about thirty moms, dads, and their children.
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July 1
- Little Turtle Library, Fort Wayne, IN - 7pm
July 4
- Limberlost State Historic Site, 200 E. 6th St., Geneva, IN - 2pm
July 5
- Clear Lake Community Ed. Program, 111 Gecowets Dr., Fremont, IN - 10am
July 9
- Shawnee Library, Fort Wayne, IN - 1pm
July 10
- Waterloo Public Library, 300 S. Wayne St., Waterloo, IN - 10am
July 13
- Angola Balloons Aloft, 350 John McBride Ave., Angola, IN - 2pm
July 14
- Open Streets, Brooklyn Ave., Fort Wayne, IN - 1pm
July 16
- Fremont Library, 1004 W. Toledo St., Fremont, IN - 6:30pm
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July 17
- Purdue Extension Service, 1240
4-H Park Rd., Bluffton, IN - 6:30pm
July 19
- Noble County Fair, Noble County Fairgrounds, Kendallville, IN - 5pm
July 24
- Allen County Fairgrounds, 2726 Carroll Rd., Fort Wayne, IN - 5pm
July 27
- Allen County Fairgrounds, 2726 Carroll Rd., Fort Wayne, IN - 3pm
July 27
- Walk-In Waynedale, 6200 Bluffton Rd., Waynedale, IN - 1pm
July 27
- Black Pine Animal Sanctuary, 1426W 300N, Albion, IN - 1pm
July 27
- National Day of the Cowboy, Moose Lake, County Road 68, Avilla, IN - 11am
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JOJO'S BIG ADVENTURE
by Mary Koher
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On Monday evening, June 10, Soarin’ Hawk received a call from Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control, who thought they had picked up one of the peregrine falcon chicks banded and named on May 24, 2019, at Fort Wayne’s AEP Building. The bird had a blue and a black leg band, and it was picked up in a small parking area near a dumpster, approximately 75 feet from the base of the AEP Building.
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ANOTHER HAPPY ENDING!
On June 7, 2019, this handsome hawk was released to his forever home at Lindenwood Nature Preserve, after being in Soarin' Hawk's care for exactly three months. On March 7, he was hit by a car. His injury was so bad that he needed a pin placed to repair his broken leg. Two days after the procedure, he started standing and eating on his own. A short time later, he was transferred to our rehabilitation facility, where he regained his strength and eventually practiced flying.
It is so gratifying to all of us at Soarin' Hawk to watch as a beautiful bird returns to life in the wild.
We couldn't do this work without you.
Thank you!
(video link is above bird photo)
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CELEBRATING GENEROSITY
Thanks to June donors!
A. Candor, Community Fund of Dekalb County, Darling Family Foundation, M. Erik, Fort Wayne Subaru, C. Havik, Kroger Community Fund, J. McCrory, Network for Good, A. Rifkin, Walmart Employee Matching Fund
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Photo: Andy Kenutis/Audubon Photography Awards
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Like humans, bald eagles and other birds have upper and lower eyelids. But many birds stay alive by diving into water, flying into dense vegetation, or flying at high speeds in order to catch a meal. Fortunately, birds have evolved a third eyelid, called a nictitating membrane, that keeps their eyes moist and protected from hazards.
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CONSERVATION CORNER
Be the change...
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Dandelions are an important source of pollen for insects - especially bees - in the early spring, before the other flowers have bloomed.
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THE GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME
Many of us spend loads of time and money to make our lawns into lush, green carpets that are the envy of our neighborhoods. In many places, such a carpet is not achieved without copious amounts of lawn chemicals and water, which carries the chemicals into the ground water. Most of the lawn chemicals we use are not selective in what they kill. Insecticides don't just kill the "bad" bugs. They also kill, in part, the insects that we need to grow our food, like bees. Rodenticides don't just kill rodents. They also kill animals that eat the rodents to survive, like owls. Weed killers don't just kill weeds. They also cause death or cancer in wildlife, pets and humans. In addition, fertilizers are often mistaken for bird seed and ingested by birds and animals.
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On June 2, Skittles, one of the peregrine falcon chicks banded in Fort Wayne's I&M Center on May 16, died of unknown causes. She had been unwell for about a week, but it was determined that disrupting the nest at that critical time - when the other three chicks were close to fledging, but not ready yet - might have scared the other three chicks out of the nest before they were physically able to fly. So, the painful decision was made to let nature take its course. We all are deeply saddened by this great loss.
Fly high, Skittles!
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WHAT'S UP WITH LAST MONTH'S BABY KESTRELS?
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The little kestrels - 4 males and 1 female - are doing quite well, but they aren't little balls of white fluff anymore. All have been moved to a flight pen at our rehabilitation facility, so they can have space to exercise and test their wings, and learn to hunt live prey.
Great care is being taken for Soarin' Hawk volunteers to have as little interaction with the babies as possible, so they remain wild and don't get comfortable with humans.
Keep following the babies' progress in next month's issue!
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THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS -
It's baby season!
# 1
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On June 18, Soarin' Hawk's rescue line received a call from Dale about a baby Cooper's Hawk that was found at the foot of a tree in Fort Wayne. Dale had located the nest, 40 feet above the baby, who was eating a dead bird lying next to him. What followed was a coordinated effort, which depended on the generosity of
Top Notch Tree Service
, to get the baby back to his home, high atop the tree.
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THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS,
# 2
by Diana Ward
I had the privilege of seeing a young Cooper's Hawk being re-nested. Thanks to the generosity of
Matt West Tree Service
, the little one was returned to its very, very high nest.
We placed the young Coop in a sturdy bag, and Matt carefully pulled the bag to the top of the tree.
Then, parents and another sibling watched closely as Matt climbed the tree and placed the youngster close to the nest. By the time Matt got back to the ground, everyone was back in the nest.
We couldn't have done it without you, Matt! Thank you!
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THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS,
# 3
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On June 24, Tina reported several baby hawks on the ground in her backyard in Huntington. Soarin' Hawk volunteer Darren went to assess the situation, and reported that the nest had fallen apart, and was no longer usable. There were four baby Cooper's Hawks on the ground, and one had an obviously broken leg.
Darren brought all four babies to our ICU, and the next morning Dr. Funnel examined each bird and found that three of the babies had no injuries, and could be re-nested. The fourth will stay with Soarin' Hawk for awhile so he can have surgery to fix his broken leg.
Many thanks to Soarin' Hawk volunteer
Ross Eagleson
, who built a makeshift nest and hoisted it and the healthy babies into the old nest tree, under the watchful eyes and supervision of mom & dad. Thanks to Ross, three of the babies are back home, and being cared for by their parents!
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EDUCATION CORNER
INTRODUCING (drum roll) . . .
OUR NEWEST EDUCATIONAL AMBASSADORS!
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This little Eastern Screech Owl came to our ICU in March of this year. He was hit by a car, which resulted in fractures to his right wing and injuries to his eyes. His poor vision made him non-releasable. He is a small screech owl, so we think he is a male, since male raptors are smaller than females.
After he recuperated at the ICU, and was deemed non-releasable by our vet, he went to a volunteer's home, where he began training to become an educational ambassador. This is what our volunteer says about him: "He is a very sweet bird, very easy to train, but has a mischievous attitude. I picked the name Puck, after the clever and mischievous wood sprite in Shakespeare’s
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
. It seems to fit his personality!"
by Gigi Stewart
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This beautiful Eastern Screech Owl was admitted to Soarin' Hawk's ICU on November 18, 2018, after being found in the cavity of a tree that had been cut down. His nest fell 25 feet to the ground, and he sustained a permanent wing injury and minor cut on his cere in the fall. Due to the way his wing healed, he was deemed by our veterinarian to be non-releasable, so in January 2019, he was taken home by a volunteer, who trained him, and now he is a very sweet, and vocal, educational bird.
by Sandy Moore
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PLEASE HELP US HELP THE BIRDS!
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We are able to keep helping these beautiful little American Kestrel babies prepare to live in the wild, thanks to donations from people like you. Won't you make a donation now to help us help others like these little ones? No contribution is too small!
Your donation is tax deductible.
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