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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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Message from the President
Happy New Year! We are having a "real" winter here in Denver, with ANOTHER storm on January 18th, the heaviest snowfall since 1992! I'm tired of shoveling, and so much snow on the ground is wreaking havoc with our pea gravel, and just making things cold and slippery. They say that the new year is also a fresh start, and a chance to change your perspective. I've been thinking a lot about perspective lately.
The snow falling is beautiful; the coated, pure-white pines we saw last month in Beaver Creek looked like a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale come to life. Surely, this is a healthier perspective than fuming over heavy wheelbarrows of snow needing be pushed out of the mews. Everywhere around me it seems, I'm receiving more reports of the devastation and death that the outbreak of HPAI (Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza) has caused. We haven't accepted any donations of wild birds or waterfowl in nearly a year. Flipping my perspective, however, AI has given us the chance to speak about avian disease, the challenges faced by wild raptors (particularly bald eagles), and heightened the awareness and concern among our citizens of the inextricable link between ecosystem health and everyday human lives...witness the cost of a dozen eggs in your local market.
There many motivational mugs, posters, etc., that offer "advice from an eagle". The ability to soar above all the trouble and see things from a grander perspective is frequently mentioned. But eagles, and all raptors, for that matter, don't just see "trouble"--they see opportunity, whether it be food, shelter, a mate, or a place to hunt and raise young. Seeing things from another's perspective is sometimes very difficult, and requires moving out of one's comfort zone. Sometimes it also entails risk, but I find that more often than not, the rewards are worth it.
Here's to fresh and new perspectives in 2023!~Anne Price, President
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Less than a year ago, we attended the International Sportsmen's Exposition in Denver, with the show shifted to March 2022 to accommodate the renovation and construction schedule at the Colorado Convention Center. We're back to the typical January schedule and attended this year from January 12-15 in the Colorado Outdoors Pavilion. Working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, we had large crowds and really engages audiences, including many children, over the course of four days.
As we've said for 43 years, "Their faces tell our story". Enjoy!
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Cara Cara Oranges are a cousin to Blood Oranges and are a result of the cross-pollination of a Washington Navel Orange and a Brazilian Bahia Navel Orange. The fruit is a medium-sized, seedless orange with red to pink flesh and a very sweet citrus flavor.
The crested caracara (Caracara plancus), recently reclassified yet again into one species from two, is an indisputably spicy blend of hawk, falcon and vulture. They also feature lovely colors of pink, red, yellow and orange! They are a member of the falcon family, Falconidae. However, they also scavenge like vultures, stalk through tall grasses like the secretary bird of Africa, and actively hunt like hawks. These birds are extremely clever, observant, and use their beaks to explore and manipulate their environment more than any other member of the falcon family. They're also highly social, and have been observed hanging out with black vultures, and even bowing their heads, inviting their fellow scavengers to preen them. Peter shot this quick, candid video of a caracara clearly planning something, in Mexico last month. Enjoy!
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Lots of Other Ways to Help! |
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A Special Anniversary Offer on All Three of Our Books!
Celebrate our 43nd anniversary by purchasing our
three books at this special price!
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Our Online Store is Open!
A new look...click on the image below.
SORRY...OWL PURSES SOLD OUT
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Help Our Book Fly Higher:
Order Today!
Reviews
“A unique book aimed at introducing young and beginning birders to the world of raptors. . . . Creative for certain! Helpful, too.”–Jim Williams, Wingnut Blog, Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A very cool new book.”–Doc Kirby, On The Bookshelf
“Bird enthusiasts of all ages will find this book full of educational fun.”–Skipping Stones
“All the essays were well-written and provided lots of easy-to-understand information, which allows the reader to identify many different types of raptors. I also really enjoyed the further reading at the back of the book about the kestrel box. The instructions were clear-cut, and the activity was easy and fun to do.”–Hannah, age thirteen, Kids’ BookBuzz
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As promised, here are the first earrings for 2023! The iconic, secretive and beautiful northern goshawk is the largest of the three North American accipiter species, and all three are found here in Colorado! With their deep red eyes, misty gray bellies, and long tails, these birds are occasionally seen during the fall and winter in Denver, but they prefer to hunt in coniferous forests. The model for the left-hand earring was the female we had for 17 years, donated to us by a falconer after fracturing her left wing. Thanks again to our wonderful partners at Jabebo. Buy them here!
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Until Robert Bryce attended one of our programs a few years ago, I was not acquainted with his work. After that meeting, I realized here was a writer, reporter, producer that was doing more for raptor preservation than most of the pro-birding or pro-raptor community. How? By delivering facts and figures about the solar and wind industrial complex that few other writers are. This story illustrates exactly what I'm referring to. Peter Reshetniak, Founder
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Help us put another 1,000 eagles on the streets of our great state. Qualified members of REF are entitled to display them on their cars. Put Colorado's first and best environmental plates on YOUR vehicle!
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One of our members sent us this picture of his Cobra with our license plates. Anyone else out there with a classic car wearing our eagle? Send us your image! |
Special thanks to The Kroenke Group & THF Realty for extending our lease and keeping the fee at zero dollars though 2023! Support like this ensures we will make it through these challenging times.
Thanks to our past and future partners, THF Prairie Center Development, L.L.C., THF Prairie Center Investors, L.L.C. and the City of Brighton, for creating the best intersection in Colorado just a minute or two north of our headquarters!
As the new villages grow at Prairie Center, so do the streets with cool names! Check out some of the newest intersections as of October 2021.
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WISH LIST
We're still looking for a gently-used, 20-25 foot RV (Class C) that would serve as a mobile office for traveling programs around Colorado and farther away. Or maybe you have an SUV or pickup truck you would like to donate? We can put it to good use! Please give our office a call if you have a vehicle you think we could use!
(303) 680-8500
Thank you!
Raptor Chronicles
in case you missed any issues, we currently have 43 issues dating back to January 2020!
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Limited Edition Eagle Pin |
An exclusive creation for us, this fine pewter pin has been hand painted to let everyone know what you think of America's living national symbol. Available in a very limited edition, while they last. This beautiful pin measures 1 1/8" by 1 1/2". Two clasps keep it firmly attached. $50 each includes shipping. Discounts for multiple purchases. Click here to order.
If you don't wish to use PayPal, then please click here.
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A Prairie Falcon Essay
Photos by Jeff Wang
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The prairie falcon is the under-appreciated, truly unique falcon of the North American West. Roughly the same size as the ubiquitous peregrine, they are found only in the Great Basin of North America. In addition to hunting birds ranging from horned larks to geese, the prairie falcon also feeds on a mammals such as the Wyoming ground squirrel, cottontail rabbits, and (for females) jack rabbits.
During the winter months, prairies sometimes venture into the Denver suburbs and even downtown, to spend cold nights in the warmer city, hiding from the wind behind air conditioning units high rises, or even sheltering in the pine of a neighborhood park to stay warm.
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Directly above, Jeff captured two prairie falcons possibly squabbling over food. In the background, a nervous (?) prairie dog seems to be on full alert. Above that photo, a well-fed prairie takes off from a fence post, displaying a full crop of food. The crop is the bulge at the bottom of the throat/esophagus for the temporary storage of food. It helps to balance out the falcon for flight, and rests on wishbone or furcula. Enjoy the short, slow-motion video below. |
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Join the 56 Families Supporting Our Raptor Sanctuary
Help Us Reach 100 Supporting Families!
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Have you signed up for the King Soopers Community Rewards Program yet? Do you have a Loyalty Card and digital account? Just visit https://www.kingsoopers.com/o/store-services/community-rewards , log in and enroll to have REF receive donated funds from King Soopers and Kroger! We'd love to increase the number of families supporting us...please share with your friends and family!
OUR COMMUNITY REWARDS NUMBER IS TF405. Simply log into your account, look for "Community Rewards" on the left hand side, and enter TF405. Our name will appear, and you can link your card to REF. You save on groceries, earn fuel points, and we'll receive a quarterly donation from King Soopers.
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Peter's first visit this year to the Commerce City eagle's nest near 112th and Chambers road was fortuitous. He's been monitoring this nest for many years and documenting the activity via video. Those of you following the saga, know this nest has failed for as many years as he's been checking on it. We think the male is infertile, and last year Peter caught a new male hanging out after the breeding season.
This is not the same "new" male from the post-breeding months in 2022, shown here in the early part of this video. There is also no way to know with certainty if in fact, if this is the same pair from the previous years. We'll just have to see what happens this year. Peter will be watching this nest closely, so stay tuned as winter turns to spring and mating season gets underway!
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In addition to America, our Facebook followers are found in the following countries:
United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Pakistan, Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Australia and France!
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Automatic Monthly Donations: Thanks to everyone who has set up a monthly donation via PayPal. We have people from both coasts, a few states in the middle, and in Colorado contributing automatic monthly pledges...thank you!!
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REF Staff: Anne Price, President & Curator; Peter Reshetniak, Founder & Director of Special Projects; Savannah Grout, Mews Manager
Docents & Volunteers: Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Zachary Nastri, Karen Ogle, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Kristy Bortz and Robert Mitchell
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