Message from the President

"Legacy"

'Tis the season for flowers, courtship, nest-building, rain, brilliant green foliage, graduations, and VERY busy schedules! My apologies for the dearth of news from our little corner of Colorado last month. Peter and I were both traveling, and I took four trips over the span of about six weeks, something I've never done before. Somewhere in the middle of Trip #4 (Tucson, for my parent's 60th wedding anniversary!), I realized that there seemed to be a a subtle, but profound theme to each of my trips: Legacy, both leaving a legacy, and bathing with joy in the legacies left by others.

Visiting family always invites connections, memories and stirs up old feelings, both good and bad. As everyone knows, or will know, watching parents and beloved relatives age over the decades is terribly hard, and it's so important to "be present" and in person, whenever possible. In April I had a chance to meet my five-month grand-niece for the first time in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as attend my high school reunion (I won't say which one!). I also visited with relatives and friends in their 80s, people who have known me since I was a toddler. Keeping these connections going keeps me whole and makes me truly grateful for the legacy of my time growing up in the Bay Area, the friendships I forged there which sustain me to this day, and powerful memories of the first raptors that I saw flying over and around my home...including the ones at the very bottom of this newsletter.

Between California and Tucson, I crossed a major item off my bucket list when I traveled to Boise to attend a gathering at The Archives of Falconry, arriving early to spend a day at the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. I've been dreaming of going to the Snake River since I was twelve years old; it was everything I hoped it would be, and more. The number of raptors we saw was phenomenal, with 90% of the Swainson's hawks being dark morphs. Biologists also estimate that approximately 5% of all the world's breeding prairie falcons occur within this National Conservation Area (NCA). I was fortunate enough to see Morley Nelson speak back in 1986; his strong and influential advocacy for raptor protection and habitat conservation lead to the renaming of the the Snake River NCA in his honor in 2009. It was Morley Nelson, a decorated WWII veteran and filmmaker, who discovered that power lines were electrocuting raptors, particularly in the West. His legacy of raptor conservation cannot be overstated and to this day he remains a seminal figure in the raptor world.

On March 14th we returned to Parmalee Elementary in Indian Hills, Colorado, this time bringing our golden eagle and three other birds. A few weeks later, our contact there and a school parent, Ranger Billy, sent us photos of a few of the letters he received from the students.This one continues to impress and delight me to no end!

This drawing was made by a very observant 3rd grader. No, I was not wearing elf shoes, but I was wearing ankle-height boots, a green shirt, and a pony tail with a pink-ish hair tie. I love that the eagle and "prson" are both labeled, just in case there was any confusion. Apparently I must have been laughing quite a bit, though I can guarantee that our 25-year old male golden eagle was not tweeting like a canary!

It serves as a perfect reminder that our children are watching us carefully. It gives me pause to contemplate what legacy I'm leaving to the legions of children I've lectured in front of. Thank you to those kids (and adults) for keeping me on my toes, and I wish everyone a safe and reflective Memorial Day. Be sure to find a few moments to be in YOUR happy place! ~Anne Price, President

Denver's Downtown Peregrines Return

They're back, and thanks to The Considine Family Foundation, we've been able to acquire and install an amazing camera along with the supporting technology to see what's going on in their penthouse premises at 1875 Lawrence Street. Based on last year's nesting and fledging success (two peregrines fledged) our camera's location should be able to document much of the activity of this year's family. The videos published so far are captured from the 4K camera's local server which records ten days of video. We believe it will be a fantastic view into the private lives of Denver's first documented peregrines.

UPDATE May 22, 2025: Since we installed the new camera and began seeing some of the stunning moments shared on our YouTube channel, a lot has changed. The peregrines have vanished from 1875 Lawrence. Initially, Peter thought they may have moved back to their previous 2023 location at the Salesforce building, but after being allowed to inspect that location, he found no evidence of peregrines nesting there either. We'll continue searching for another month. Based on the copulation date we captured in one of the videos shown below, eggs should be hatching around the first week of June. Fledging usually occurs about six weeks later. We have several monitors who work downtown and we hope their regular presence might yield some useful news about where the peregrines have moved to.

A Few REF History Links

 White House Visit, Colorado’s First Environmental License Plates, Best Raptor Book Ever,  Our Raptors Cruise to Alaska, Consulting on National Memorial Sculpture, US Naval War College Special Program, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Birds of Prey International Skiing Championships, International Falconry Festival, National Geographic, State & County Fairs,  Natural Solutions Consulting Services

Three Bald Eagle Nest Updates

USFWS Hiding Data About Eagles Killed; the French Defend Golden Eagles and more

Are golden eagles on the path to extinction in the American west? "“Is it fair to suggest that the golden eagle might be on a wind turbine-induced glide path to extinction in its western US habitat, and potentially other areas of the world that are blighted by massive nature-destroying turbines? The answer is yes, the threat is real, it is undoubtedly growing, and it is ignored by mainstream media and political discourse." The reality of this statement should be explored here.

Golden eagles cannot survive more wind turbines being installed. Their populations are already feeling the impact of the vast killing fields spread over the western states, as reported by two new extensive studies seen below. In France however, they have a message to those promoting unreliable energy schemes that kill eagles. I never thought I would be saying this, but it is time to listen to the French.

From journalist David Wojick:

"Imagine there is an industry product that is killing thousands a year and the number is growing. The government is tracking it closely, while keeping the data secret in order to protect the product. Outrageous, right? But that is exactly the case with wind power killing eagles. Every wind-killed eagle found at an industrial wind site is quickly reported to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Every year each site also submits an annual kill report to USFWS. None of this data is publicly available.

The USFWS eagle kill data is all a big government secret designed to protect the wind industry from public outrage. This has to stop."

Anybody outraged?

Mike Lockhart, a former U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist, has been using satellite tags to track eagles since 2014. According to the petition against "Rail Tie", an approximately 160-turbine project planned for southeastern Albany County in Wyoming, Lockhart’s research found that 82% of the documented eagle deaths were human caused and 43.5% of the known deaths of tagged eagles were caused by wind turbines. This is more than vehicle collisions, hunting and electrocutions combined. The entire story can be read here.

We have been officially against killer wind energy since 1993 when the "science" promoting the logic of industrial scale alternative energies was starting to seduce scientists with forever subsidies. Our Stop Conflict Energy Stickers, were part of a small effort to bring attention to this expensive, unreliable, and tragic system for killing wildlife and wild spaces based on faulty science. It is time to lift the green veil on killing eagles, and ask yourself why an entity like the Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds favors these avian assassins?~Peter Reshetniak, Director of Special Projects

Wildcat Mountain Golden Eagle Update: First Glimpse

After leaving their eyrie early in the nesting cycle last year, the Wildcat Mountain golden eagle pair returned early this year and appear to have made up for their skipped season. They've re-built their nest on the cliff face so much that it's more than double the height of previous years and almost resembles a beaver lodge! The "walls" are so high, it's nearly impossible for Peter to film what's going inside, but on May 17 he was able to confirm that Mom is feeding at least one eaglet, and possibly two.

The goldens laid their eggs about a full month later than they did in 2023, perhaps because they were still determined to make the nest as "Colorado proof" as possible. Fingers crossed that we'll see little white heads poking up over that high wall of sticks in the coming weeks!

Flocks of Other Ways to Help!

A Special Anniversary Offer on All Three of Our Books!

Celebrate our 45th anniversary by purchasing our

three books at this special price!

Just click

AWARD WINNER

Help Our Book Fly Higher:

Order Today!

Winner of the 2020 Skipping Stones Honor Award for Nature and Ecology Books

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

“Beautiful, educational coloring book.”–Katie L.Burke, American Scientist

“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

Orders Here! Or you may order on Amazon. Peek Inside

Read more about the author and the illustrator.

New Earrings Arrive!

Presenting: Falco mexicanus!

We are VERY excited about Jabebo's newest earring design, the hardy and beautiful prairie falcon. This large falcon, about the same size as a peregrine, is found only in the dry, Great Basin of North America. Surviving in landscapes tested by drought, wind and snow, this versatile falcon will hunt mammals, as well as birds. Get yours here!

Special thanks to The Kroenke Group & THF Realty for extending our lease at very affordable rates for the next 5 years. 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!

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

Previous Issues Archived Here

Just in case you've missed any issues, we currently have issues dating back to January 2020.

Baby Bubos Are Back!

Returning to the Link Family property to see their great horned owl nest on April 8th, Perter was greeted with lots of activity below Mom. She was adjusting as well as she could, but it will only get harder from here as the owlets grow rapidly beneath her.

Stay tuned, thanks for watching, and please "like" our videos and send comments so we know what you find interesting and fun to watch.Thank you!

Join the 87 Families Helping Our Raptor Sanctuary

Help Us Reach 100 Supporting Families!

Colorado Parks & Wildlife Raptor Monitors Meeting

Due to an early and strong snowstorm last November, our annual appearance at the meeting of Colorado Parks & Wildlife raptor monitors had to be postponed until March 22nd. This is one of Anne's favorite programs; so many of the attendees are friends and familiar faces, and all are devoted to raptors and preservation of their habitats. Above, Senior Docent Beverly Rice holds our 17 year-old black morph female gyrfalcon, sublimely mottled with brown feathers after a summer in Colorado's sun.

Below, Anne concluded her program with another appearance by our three-year old female golden eagle. Our big girl made her very first program debut back in November 2023 at this same gathering, and as with all things eagle, training has been taking a long time, but we're making steady progress. One audience member was heard whispering, "I could stare at her all day....you forget how REALLY big they are."

Thank you to Jeff Wang and Donovan Spaulding for the coordination, and to all the CPW Volunteer Raptor Monitors for

their hard work in Colorado's State Parks!

What are these birds, and what are they doing? The answer (and more stunning photos) in our next edition of Raptor Chronicles!

In addition to the United States of America, our Facebook followers are found in the following countries:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama,

Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

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 all!

REF Staff: Anne Price, President & Curator; Peter Reshetniak, Founder & Director of Special Projects; Savannah Grout, Mews Manager

Docents & Volunteers: Kristy Bortz, Clarissa Cigrand, Megan Considine, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Denis Murray, Karen Ogle, May Ann Ottinger, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz

Docents in Training: Robert Mitchell, and Peggy Plaus