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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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Message from the President
Fall continues to weave its magic around us, and here in Denver, the colors have been simply glorious. The first snows are hitting the mountains just about now, and our extreme days of driving with the heater on in the morning, and the air conditioner in the afternoon, are in full swing. With the approach of Halloween, our owls are in high demand for presentations and I invite you to make sure you watch the twilight video that Peter expertly shot over the summer of a parent great-horned owl and his/her fledged youngster...scroll down for an entertaining look at the often-hidden world of urban wildlife!
We're scheduled to complete the repair of the west wall of our Buteo enclosure this week, and I'd like to thank everyone who contributed so generously to this project. We're going to be playing "musical pens" for a few days while the posts are reset, and the fence sections are re-adhered to said posts. Our two Swainson's hawks will visiting Camp Anne during the work, while our Harlan's hawk and rough-legged take a short trip to the enclosure which previously housed Blondie, our female golden eagle. We'll add a perch or two and an additional shelter, just to make sure they feel right at home. Look for the photos next month!
"There’s nothing so good for the inside of a man as the outside of a horse.” Sir Winston Churchill is alleged to have written those words, but it turns out they appeared in the 19th century, and may have been penned by British statesman Lord Palmerston prior to 1879. In any case, horse lovers understand the sentiment, and I would amend it slightly to read: There's nothing so good for the inside of a person as sight of a hawk". I mean "sight" both ways; hawks and other raptors usually see what's going on around them before we do, and if we only watch them, they'll lead us to other worlds, to creatures that we might miss. I've just started flying my falcon for the season, and each year about this time, I am so grateful for his company, and amazed at what he shows me. A brief cock of his head to the sky reveals a migrating eagle; a two-second glance on his part at the horizon results in me searching (with binoculars) to see a flock of ducks zipping in front of the distant peaks of Colorado's Front Range mountains.
Many times of course, I have NO idea what he's seen, or all I can discern is a distant buteo cruising through a pale blue-gray sky in bad light. To that end, we're conducting two ID/natural history classes next month, and we're very excited about the new venue of Barr Lake State Park for our Wings of Winter class with co-presenter Karen Metz on November 12th. Denver has an enthusiastic and diverse community of raptor-lovers, so if you've been wanting to brush up on your identification skills, this is the class for you!
Birds, and all animals, are good for your soul. Numerous scientific studies are now providing proof of what mankind has always known. About a month ago in Wyoming, at the end of a long day that began well before dawn, I watched a female golden eagle teaching her fledgling of the year how to soar. She hung in the sky, hardly moving at all, perhaps a few hundred feet off a low bluff. Other than small adjustments to her tail, her only motion was the occasional turn of her head, looking down, and slightly behind her, to watch her child. He mimicked her motions as much as possible, but his inexperience in the fierce Wyoming wind was evident as he wobbled back and forth. Through my binoculars, I could see him periodically looking up at his mother, as if for reassurance. It was pure magic...more, PLEASE!
~Anne Price, President
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The Wings of Winter
The Best Raptor ID Class in Colorado Returns on November 12th!
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After a three-year hiatus due to Covid, we're pleased to present a raptor identification class that you're not going to want to miss! Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) Senior Raptor Volunteer Raptor Monitor Karen Metz and Anne are teaming up once again in a brand-new class that will feature winter migrants in Colorado. The class will be held at the Barr Lake State Park Nature Center on Saturday, November 12th from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Karen's outstanding slides will be accompanied by nine of our raptors for up-close viewing, comparisons and photos. Participants 14 and older are welcome. Coffee, tea and other morning refreshments will be provided.
Registration Closes on November 7 at 5:00pm
The class fee is $60 for current REF members, and $70 for the general public. Please note that the class will be limited to 40 participants, so don't wait to register.
Special thanks to Park Manager Michelle Seubert for helping to arrange use of the
wonderful Barr Lake facilities!
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Desert Storm War Memorial Development |
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We hope you enjoy another video about the development of the National Desert Storm War Memorial, featuring sculptor Robert Eccleston's insight into the significance of the two raptors at the heart of the work: the bald eagle and the saker falcon, the national bird of Kuwait. Video courtesy of the Dodge Media Group
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Check out the "fabulous falcons" featured in another excerpt from our July 2022 Denver Botanic Gardens video. The American kestrel and peregrine falcon have very different lifestyles and ranges: peregrines are found world-wide and the American kestrel, one of the very smallest kestrel species in the world, is found throughout North and South America. Though the peregrine falcon is legendary for being the fastest bird in the world, hunting at up to 150 mph in a dive, the tiny kestrel is a master at hovering in the air, and doesn't need a stiff headwind to do so. Both skills are critical for keeping a growing family of falcons fed throughout the breeding season. 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 42nd 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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Listen for us the first Saturday of the month at
12:00 Noon for five minutes of "raptorous"
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Presenting the newest Jabebo raptor earrings! Kevin and Anne's latest collaboration is the broad-winged hawk, the smallest member of the Buteo genus in North America. Weighing as few as 10 ounces, these hardy hawks migrate all the way to South America each year, and are common in the eastern half of the US.
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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 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 34 editions dating back to June 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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The classic avian ghost of the Halloween season is the great-horned owl. The most common owl in the United States, they are frequently-sighted residents of cities and suburbs. The Denver owls featured in the video above have clearly figured out that neighborhoods provide plenty of food for growing children! These adaptable raptors actually range from Alaska south to the Amazon ecosystem and hunt everything from insects to porcupines. Start listening for their courtship hooting and calling back and forth, right after Thanksgiving, depending on where you live. |
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Join the 55 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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In addition to the USA, our Facebook followers are found in the following countries:
United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Pakistan, Netherlands, 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: Phil Carter, Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Zachary Nastri, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Kristy Bortz and Karen Ogle
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