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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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Right on schedule, I saw my first pair of Swainson's hawks on April 15. They seem to have an uncanny ability to always arrive in the greater Denver Metro area by that auspicious date. The miracle that is migration, is in full swing here in Colorado and impressive numbers of American kestrels are being reported at the Dinosaur Ridge Hawk Watch site on the west side of Denver.
I cross the South Platte River several times during my commute to Brighton, the first time just ten minutes from my house, and about two weeks ago I enjoyed seeing an osprey laboring for altitude as I cruised over the bridge, and he cruised over my car.
There is something deeply comforting about the change of seasons, and the return of our summer birds. I joke that the goal of a Swainson's hawk is to never see snow, but nonetheless they arrive in Colorado, pair up and begin nest construction with remarkable speed, regardless of weather. In the non-raptor department, it's almost as if someone flipped a switch or opened a headgate, because overnight legions of common grackles, double-crested cormorants and great blue herons have appeared. Be sure to read more on herons, skilled "birds of prey", below!
Don't forget to register for our Open House, which is just a couple of weeks away on May 4th. The next event you won't want to miss is our annual Raptor Day at Denver Botanic Gardens on Friday, June 7th. We are very pleased to partner with them once again, and this year admission to our presentations and special film, "Colorado's Eagles" is free with admission to the Gardens.
See everybody on Star Wars Day! ;-)
~Anne Price, President and Eternal Science Fiction Nerd
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Open House is Free...PLEASE register and visit us!
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New Turkey Vulture Arrives |
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On April 11, a HUGE hole in our hearts was filled with the arrival of only the second vulture (of any species!) in REF history. Our previous male passed away in summer 2021 at twenty years of age, and we've been searching for the right candidate to fill his rather large "shoes", so to speak. The only vulture species native to Colorado, this highly intelligent raptor has a very well-developed sense of smell which it uses to detect carrion, sometimes from miles away. Adults with wing injuries do not usually adapt easily to educational settings, which means we've been waiting for a young vulture that had lost its natural parents for whatever reason.
Auburn University Raptor Center admitted this bird and a sibling last summer as fully grown birds, but completely imprinted to people. The details are somewhat unclear, but it appears that the two nestlings were found, and then turned over to a woman who raised them for approximately six weeks in a bathtub until they became too large. Situations like this are most unfortunate; if people who are well-intentioned follow the law, young orphaned raptors can be properly raised and rehabilitated, often with their own species. Both vultures were far too acclimated to people to be released, and we are grateful to AURC for sending us this young female(?). Turkey vultures, as well as both species of condors, are members of the family Cathartidae, the only raptor family where the males are reliably LARGER than the females. Our new family member is much smaller than our previous male, so we'll be DNA-sexing "her" soon and we look forward to updating you on her training progress!
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Snack Stop on Highway Two |
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Peter regularly commutes to the office along Highway 2 that runs along the west side of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. In winter months, spotting bald eagles is not a challenge...they're everywhere!
Although this was filmed after most of Colorado's northern migrant eagles had already left to return to their breeding territories, bald eagles are still around, even in atypical places. This female (guessing) is close to four years old and Peter spotted her laboring with cargo and attempting to land in heavy traffic. He was about half a mile north of 104th Avenue and able to park and get camera gear set up. Eighteen wheelers and more were rolling by as she attempted to have her roadside snack, and she just watched them. Look at the top of the light; it's obvious other birds have made that a favorite spot as well.
Peter noted that she was never comfortable on that slippery surface, which is what prompted her to fly off. He followed her as best he could, observed a local red-tailed hawk harass her off another perch, and then magpies chase her further south. He couldn't get close enough for any more decent video, so he watched her finish her fish and then fly off to rest. He's seeing her regularly near the Commerce City bald eagle nest, which is located about one mile east of her snacking stop.
Be sure to watch the video below for an update on that nest of bald eagles too!
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Vaccination Season...We're ALMOST There! |
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Our female Eurasian kestrel doesn’t seem very happy at the prospect of receiving an injection, but part of the annual health management for all of our raptors requires vaccination against the perpetual threat of West Nile virus. The mosquito season is fast approaching, and the only vaccinations available for birds, 25 years after the virus’ first appearance in the US, are those meant for horses. Ongoing studies and trials confirm that vaccinating does confer some immunity to raptors, however, the level of protection varies widely among species and ages of birds.
The cost of our vaccinations this year is $600. As of 4/17/24, we are short $200. We would be very grateful for contributions towards this expense. Use the link below to get to our payment page or call our office at 303-680-8500 with your credit card if you wish. Checks may be sent to: REF, PO Box 200400, Denver, Colorado 80220. On your check, please indicate the funds are for 2024 vaccinations. If you don't wish your name to be listed, please indicate that on your payment. If you have donated towards this campaign and your name is not listed below, please let us know and we'll correct the credits in our next newsletter...THANK YOU!
Thanks very much to our current contributors: L. Farrington, C. Robinson, D. Carr, J. Reisert, J. Mastra,
K. Metz.
Thanks to Dr. Alison Hazel, DVM once again, for donating her veterinary services to ensure all of our birds are properly immunized. And thanks to everyone for helping to keep our birds healthy and happy!
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Peter and Marie had another visit to the Knolle Farm & Ranch just outside of Corpus Christi, Texas. They spent last year's fall migration at the ranch watching thousands of raptors flying south, so this time they were there for spring activities, which corresponded nicely with the solar eclipse. The latter, however, was hidden behind heavy cloud cover, but their birding was very successful.
Peter brought along a camera trap, which captured a young great-horned owl happily and goofily hunting a variety of bugs just a few yards from the little ranch house Peter and Marie were staying in. The spring birdlife was fantastic! Turkeys, roseate spoonbills, black-bellied whistling ducks, cardinals, white-tailed hawks, northern caracaras, American kestrels, barred owls, herons of many varieties, and an interesting encounter with a stunning green jay, locally known as the Rio Grande jay, that Marie won't soon forget.
In its previous life, the ranch was a dairy farm with the largest herd of Jersey cows in North America. At one point over 1,000 people were employed, but since the death of the founder, the milk production has ceased and the ranch has been split up amongst descendants into smaller parcels. Beth Knolle and her husband Steve now operate their part of the ranch as a destination site for weddings, hunting, and other activities. Birding has simply evolved because of the great habitat that Steve and Beth work at making wildlife-friendly. The ranch has been featured in the book, Birding in Corpus Christi. If you can book a stay, Beth is a fabulous cook on top of everything else she does!
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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 44th anniversary by purchasing our
three books at this special price!
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Our Online Store is Open!
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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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The newest Jabebo earrings are here! Jabebo received requests for this species from several nature centers in Florida, and by coincidence, our photographer friend Jeff Wang spent a few days chasing two species of kites, including the fascinating snail kite. The two designs are taken directly from Jeff's photos with very little editing; the male is on the left and the female, carrying a freshly-caught snail, is on the right.
Feeding almost exclusively on apple snails, this unusual raptor frequently practices ambisexual mate desertion, a reproductive strategy designed to maximize the number of young that survive to fledgling. Thank you, Jeff and Kevin Abbott, founder of Jabebo!
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Raptor Day at Denver Botanic Gardens
Be sure to visit us at the Denver Botanic Gardens on June 7th for our annual Raptor Day! Admission is included with your daily admission ticket to the Gardens at the 1007 York Street location.
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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 2024! 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 street names!
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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
Just in case you've missed any issues, we currently have issues dating back to January 2020.
REF Event Bulletin Board
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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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Bubo Baby Trio Getting Closer to Fledging |
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Matthew Link continues to allow REF access onto his land where the owl nest is productive once again. Last year they had three and this year, as you can see in this video and the previous issue's video, the trio is about a week or so from fledging. What a wonderful opportunity to watch them grow, and pretty soon, they will be jumping around in someone's back yard chasing bugs and anything else that looks edible. Baby owls are just too much fun! Thanks to Matthew for letting us get a close up look at these budding predators!
Since things change quickly, our YouTube channel and/or our Facebook page may have video updates that are published sooner than our monthly newsletter. Please make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and help us build our online presence and expand our raptor impact!
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Join the 73 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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Star K Ranch Nest Eaglet Growing Fast! |
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As reported in our previous issue of Raptor Chronicles, the Star K Ranch/Morrison Nature Center nest is a success! Only one eaglet has been produced, and it's growing quickly. The parents are very attentive, and Peter has seen the female fly off from the nest and return within twenty minutes with lunch. So far, it's been prairie dogs and cottontail rabbits that he's seen delivered to the nest. We'll keep our camera at the ready so our readers can follow the eaglet's progress. Remember, our YouTube channel and/or Facebook page may have updates that are published sooner that our monthly newsletter.
The Commerce City nest appears to have had a false start. They do have one eaglet, but it's about one month behind the Star K Ranch nest in development. We'll post a video our social media sites in about one week...stay tuned!
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Not a Raptor, But Still a Stunning Bird of Prey |
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If you are new to our world of raptors, you know we are sticklers about using the term raptor correctly. Many people use the term "bird of prey" interchangeably with the word "raptor". Technically, this is imprecise. This video illustrates a heron hunting prey, but with a long, dagger-like beak. Raptors have hooked beaks because they hunt with powerful feet, tipped with sharp, gripping talons.
This tricolored heron, Egretta tricolor, (previously known as the Louisiana heron) is in beautiful breeding plumage and colors. The cobalt beak just radiates readiness to create a family. Enjoy the footage of this bird of prey skillfully catching live food even in very stormy conditions and murky water.
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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, Ukraine, Russia, New Zealand,
Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Panama, 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: Kristy Bortz, Megan Considine, Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Denis Murray, Karen Ogle, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Clarissa Cigrand, Robert Mitchell, and Mila Ringo
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