Looking in Both Directions
by Gail Garber, Executive Director
As I look back on 2018, one thing stands out beyond all others, the dedication of YOU, the Hawks Aloft member. Your generosity is unparalleled in scope, both in direct donations and also volunteer and in-kind contributions.
Without you, there would be no Raptor Driving Surveys in the Rio Grande and Estancia Valleys; much of the raptor nest monitoring in the Rio Grande bosque would not occur; and raptor rescue calls would be largely unanswered. It takes a community to make these efforts possible, and you are an important member of the Hawks Aloft family.
Federal funding peaked in 2017, thanks to multi-year contracts already in place, and has now taken a decided downward turn. Most federal government agencies no longer have budgets for environmental studies; indeed, their staff are scrambling to keep even existing projects alive, let alone consider new studies. We anticipate a continued decline in federal funding until and unless environmental studies become a priority, possibly with the next administration.
Educational foundation funding has been in decline since 2015 with little sign that it might improve. Our education program, Living with the Landscape, relies on foundation funding to implement this program, offered to the poorest schools in our community. We thank PNM Resources for continued funding for this program for the past 16 years! However, other foundations that previously also funded the program have turned their focus to economic self-sustainability. While a worthy endeavor, it mostly eliminates elementary school-level environmental education from consideration.
We are grateful to the corporations that continue to support Hawks Aloft through direct donations, particularly PNM Resources for funding the second year of a study to determine the impacts of nesting raptors on transmission line reliability, and also Peabody Natural Resources Company that has funded a study since 2006 to measure raptor population trends and potential impacts from mining operations at El Segundo Coal Mine near Grants, NM.
We are especially grateful to YOU! Since 2014, while other funding has declined, direct donations from individuals and corporations have steadily increased! Just a few of the 2018 highlights were your contributions to our GoFundMe drive to raise funds for cataract surgery for Malary, our female Prairie Falcon. We far exceeded the expectation and were also able to cover the surgical costs to remove a tumor from Tori, the American Kestrel’s wing. Both of these birds were incapacitated and unable to be used in programs until their remarkable recoveries. We also thank the veterinarians that steeply discounted the costs associated with the surgeries.
In 2018, we held the first ever statewide conference for wildlife rehabilitators and set up the NM Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, building capacity among all who do this work and for callers who have found an injured hawk, owl, falcon, roadrunner, or raven. Please see Katrina Hucks’ article about the huge increase in rescued birds. We hope to hold another conference in 2020 to provide continuing education to all in this field.
As we look forward to 2019, we will again look to YOU to help us fill the gaps in research, education, bird care, and raptor rescue. If you are new to the organization and would like to learn more about how to get involved, please contact me, or any of the staff at Hawks Aloft.
Please also consider making a small monthly contribution – these are a tremendous help as our budget is stretched every thinner: Even $5 - $10 per month is a huge help – that much would feed a kestrel, hawk, or owl for up to a week, and we now have 30 hungry Avian Ambassadors!
Above: Larry Rimer, volunteer, and Beauty, our educational Turkey Vulture, educate visitors to Festival of the Cranes at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Image by Gail Garber.
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Name That Elf Owl
Thank you all for your suggestions for a name for our newest Avian Ambassador, the diminutive Elf Owl! We all were thrilled with the breadth of names and the research behind many of them. Some names were suggested by several different people. If one of those is the top vote getter, then the first person to suggest that name will win the “Owls of New Mexico" T-shirt.
The top names suggested are:
- El Duende – Spanish for elf, goblin, or magical creature
- Whitney – For the scientific name Micrathene whitneyi
- Ne Eshjaa – Navajo for owl as the owl is the envoy of the supernatural world
- Micro – because the Elf Owl is the smallest species of owl in the world
- Cricket – because crickets are one of their most dominant food sources
- Mort Thanatos -- because Elf Owls will play dead when threatened. Mort means "death" in French. Thanatosis is the scientific term for playing dead
Several of you suggested variations of Tulie/Tuli/Tully because he was found in Tularosa, NM, far from the known range for the species. While this is a terrific suggestion, another of our new educational birds, the imprinted American Kestrel, is called Tula as she also came from Tularosa.
Some of the other suggestions are Mycroft, Elfie, Buddy, Woody, Bruiser, Gandalf, Poco, and Lefty.
Image of Elf Owl by Larry Rimer
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Owls of New Mexico!
We are pleased to introduce our brand new T-shirt, featuring images of our avian ambassadors and nearly every single species of owl that might be found in our state. Designed by Scott Lowry, this unique T-shirt is the perfect gift for a loved one during the holidays. After all,
whoooo doesn't love owls?!
The shirt comes in both long and short sleeves. All shirts are $30 and can be ordered on our website or can be picked up at the office. Ladies sizes are available in short sleeves; all long-sleeved shirts are unisex, and we also have youth sizes in short sleeves.
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Rescue, Rehabilitate, Release! It Takes a Village!
The best sort of outcome, and one that rarely happens as quickly! On November 30, 2018, Arlette Miller, raptor rescue dispatcher, received a call about an injured Great Horned Owl from Priscilla Stevens, who lives in Albuquerque's North Valley. Volunteer, Eliane Notah, rescued the bird and delivered it to Lisa Morgan, wildlife rehabilitator extraordinaire, where she discovered the owl had severe head trauma as evidenced by the unequal pupils in his eyes. She delivered medications and fluids until he was stabilized, when Mary Bruesch, volunteer, drove him up to Espanola to the care of Dr. Kathleen Ramsay and Cottonwood Rehab. She continued to care for the bird until he was stable enough to be outdoors in the cold weather, where he began flying back and forth in a 50' flight cage, surpassing all expectations! Doc, as we affectionately call her, began to suggest release should happen soon. So it was that we contacted Heather McCurdy, Park Superintendent of Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, and Christy Tafoya, NM State Parks Acting Director, who contacted Sarah Cottrell Propst, EMNRD Secretary to see if she would like to release the rehabilitated owl. She said YES! We all gathered at 2:45 on Saturday, January 5 at the Rio Grande Nature Center along with about 100 members of the public to set this very special owl free, in the immediate vicinity of his rescue. It is our hope that he might raise a family there this year!
Click Here to view the release video created by Becky Hansis O'Neill.
As you can see, it takes an army of individuals and organizations to make these rescues possible, from Albuquerque area volunteers to rescuers from Grants, NM and finally Espanola, NM. Would you like to be a rescuer? Please
contact Katrina to find out how to join our team.
All images above by Larry Rimer.
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And the winner of the 2018 raffle quilt is ...
Carla of Albuquerque!
Carla purchased five tickets at the Festival of the Cranes last year, and saw a huge return on her investment when she brought home our wonderful 2018 raffle quilt! The drawing for the quilt was held at our annual holiday party in December.
Congratulations, Carla!
Keep an eye out for our 2019 raffle quilt, debuting soon!
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Raptor Rescue Review: A Look Back on 2018 by Katrina Hucks, Raptor Rescue Coordinator
Many of you may have seen the rescue statistics published in
Aloft magazine, however, I wanted to give a year in review of Raptor Rescue. With 204 rescues, 2018 has been an extremely busy year, blowing previous rescue records out of the water!
Not only did we have 204 intakes, but 400 calls were made to our Raptor Rescue Hotline. This amounts to 1.1 calls per day, answered mostly by Raptor Rescue Dispatcher, Arlette Miller, or other amazing volunteers and staff. Not only alternating answering the phone, the following incredible individuals have worked diligently to overnight, transport, and otherwise care for New Mexico’s raptors: Arlette Miller, Mary Bruesch, Evelyn McGarry, Bruce & Anita Sisk, Chellye Porter, Eliane Notah, Larry Rimer, Jeannine Kinzer, Tony and Davedda Thomas, and Dean Klassy. We are so grateful for all these individuals. Your hard work is so appreciated! Additionally, we thank some superstar volunteers and collaborators in the southern part of the state: Julie Morales, Frank Wilson, Terry and Cindy Buttram, Joanne Dahringer, and Bill and Laura McCammon. We also thank the rest of the rescue team for their hard work!
Of course, we always need to acknowledge our rescue and transport collaborators: Alameda Park Zoo, Coronado Pet Hospital, Cottonwood Rehab, Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, El Paso Zoo, Eye Care for Animals, Gila Wildlife Rescue, Lisa Morgan, Navajo Nation Zoo, NM Department of Game and Fish, New Mexico Wildlife Center, Petroglyph Animal Hospital, Santa Fe Raptor Center, Southwest Veterinary Animal Center, Stick House Sanctuary, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventana Animal Clinic, and Wildlife Rescue, Inc. of New Mexico.
Dispositions for 2018
Released: 11 (5.4%)
Transferred: 110 (54%)
Pending: 1 (0.4%)
Euthanized: 48 (23.5%)
Died: 19 (9.3%)
DOA: 15 (7.4%)
Total intakes: 204
We couldn’t do it without these awesome volunteers and organizations! Thanks for all your hard work in 2018, and we look forward to working with you in 2019!
In the image above: A rehabilitated Red-tailed Hawk is released near Rio Rancho. Photo by Larry Rimer.
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Looking Forward
by Ellie Althoff, Education Coordinator
With 228 programs completed and 26,308 people reached in 2018, Hawks Aloft is wrapping up yet another successful year of programs. As the new year begins, we reaffirm our mission to provide high-quality environmental education programs to low income communities and expect both a full calendar and sustained growth in the
education department.
This goal begins with Living with the Landscape as it will continue to receive the majority of our focus for the next few months. The 4th and 5th grade students will shift from classroom presentations to conservation projects and field trips that will synthesize the information they have learned throughout the year.
Large events, such as the Monte Vista Crane Festival and Gathering of Nations in March and April, will be here very soon. In the meantime, smaller presentations at the Winter Festival at Rio Grande Nature Center, Wild Birds Unlimited in Albuquerque, and more, will keep our 31 Avian Ambassadors happily engaged.
With a supportive volunteer base, strong curriculum, and experienced educators, we are confident that the environmental education we offer will just get better in 2019!
Photo by Gail Garber
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Eagle Excitement!
by Katrina Hucks, Raptor Rescue Coordinator
The Harpy Eagle is one of the largest raptors in the world. It is a formidable species that uses its broad wings and long tail to soar beneath the rainforest canopy, snatching up sloths and monkeys with their huge talons! Think of them as over-sized Cooper’s Hawks, using the same agile techniques to maneuver deftly through dense forests.
During our November 9-18 trip to Canopy Camp - Darién, we will be scoping the trees for Panama’s national bird. A nest site in that area produced one eaglet in 2018, and two NEW nest sites have been located within close radius to the Canopy Camp. While seeing a Harpy Eagle is never guaranteed, chances are good that we will get to see the largest eagle in the Western Hemisphere!
We also have a chance to see a newly located Crested Eagle nest! One of the adults at this nest is a dark-morph, even rarer than the Harpy Eagle. Young of both of these species require several months of care before fledging, as can remain at the nest site for up to a year, so chances are good that these birds may still be around if the nests are successful in 2019. Maybe this is your year to see these two powerful, beautiful Neotropical raptors!
Harpy Eagle photographed by David Tipling
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Discover the Darien
& Canal Zone of Panama
with Hawks Aloft and Canopy Family!
November 9-18, 2019
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We are excited to offer our newest adventure destination tour – Discover the Darien region of Panama! Mark your calendars for November 2019.
Panama, a biologically and culturally diverse country connects North and South America. It is a haven for wildlife watchers of all kinds, especially birders. The Canopy Family has operated ecotourism lodges in Panama since 1999. Their mission is “to share the nature, history and culture of the Republic of Panamá with passion and enthusiasm, focused on customer satisfaction and guided by the principles of conservation and social responsibility.”
This trip will be lead by Gail Garber, Executive Director, and Katrina Hucks, Avian Biologist. Katrina worked as a hawk migration counter at Canopy Tower in Panama prior to beginning work at Hawks Aloft.
Trip Highlights
- Look for Harpy Eagles! (as of this writing a new nest has been found with indications that the pair is incubating eggs)
- Visit the Darién region of Panama, a vast area of the eastern part of the country with no
roads and diverse wildlife. Stay at the Canopy Family’s Canopy Camp
- Explore local culture, including a native Embera village
- Take time to photograph the amazing wildlife that includes not only birds, but a vast array of other wildlife from butterflies to monkeys and reptiles
- Relax and enjoy rainforest-level views from the famous Canopy Tower.
Hawks Aloft has offered trips to Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, and other international destinations at least once a year to experience diverse wildlife and new cultures. Join Hawks Aloft and the Canopy Family on the trip of a lifetime!
Trip limited to 12 participants with three trip leaders. (Only 8 spots remain)
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Help support our non-releasable raptors through our Adopt-a-Raptor program. Hawks Aloft houses and cares for 25 permanently disabled raptors (and one corvid!). Our Avian Ambassadors travel throughout the Southwest, helping us to educate the public about how to help protect these beautiful animals. We provide them with top-quality housing, food, and medical care for their entire lives. It costs an average of $2000/mo. just for their food. When you adopt a raptor, you help feed our birds, make home improvements, and provide veterinary care for one avian ambassador of your choice. Prices range from $35-$100 depending on the species.
Click here to Adopt a Raptor
such as Flame, our very tiny Flammulated Owl, photographed here by Larry Rimer. When you adopt a Hawks Aloft raptor you will receive:
- A one-year Hawks Aloft membership
- An Adoption Certificate
- An information sheet about the individual bird you have adopted
- Exclusive access to video updates about your bird
- Your choice of:
A professional 8×10 photo of your bird, or
A stuffed Audubon Bird with realistic vocalizations
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Holiday Party!
by Angela Green, Office Manager
The 2018 holiday party was an enjoyable end to another fantastic year at Hawks Aloft (my second with the organization!). There were over 50 people in attendance, each of whom brought a delicious dish to share with everyone. We listened to music, played charades, and answered trivia questions. It was wonderful to see so many people associated with our organization together in one place We hold this party every year to thank the people who make it possible for Hawks Aloft to exist. We couldn’t do it without you!
Another exciting event at the party was presenting the Volunteer of the Year award to Arlette Miller! She has been a blessing to the Raptor Rescue Program, and we don’t know what we would do without her. Thank you, Arlette!
As you look forward into the new year, please keep Hawks Aloft and our mission in your thoughts. And have a very happy 2019!
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Support Hawks Aloft by Shopping at Smith's!
Many of you have long been Hawks Aloft supporters, and a good number of you have also been longtime Smith’s shoppers. For those not in the know, the grocery chain has a program that provides a small kick-back quarterly to nonprofits when their supporters link their shopper’s cards to the organization.
The company recently changed their policies regarding the program—so even if you’ve signed up in the past, you may need to do it again! The good news is that it is easy to do.
2)
Either create an account or sign-in to an existing one
3)
Once logged in, click on “Account Summary” on the left sidebar
4)
From there, scroll down to “Inspiring Donations Program” and click “Enroll”
5)
A searchable list will come up, you can either search for “Hawks Aloft” or enter our ID number for the program, GL430
6)
Shop using your card and now that every time you do so, you help out Hawks Aloft!
We appreciate your ongoing support in this, and so many other capacities!
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*Check out intakes and thank-you's after the Photographer's Gallery*
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Photographers Monthly Gallery - Alan Murphy
Alan Murphy is an award winning photographer with numerous publications (
over 70 magazine covers
), a
Nikon Professional Service
member, a
Wimberely Professional Service
member and author of many
eBooks
and
Videos
that teach bird photography. Alan leads highly sought after bird photography
workshops
throughout the year. I highly recommend that you sign up for his monthly
newsletter
to keep up with all that's new in bird photography. To view more of Alan's work click
Here
. Alan lives in Spring, Texas with his wife Kim and children.
- Greater Roadrunner.
- Atlantic Puffin.
- Common Loon
- Crested Caracara
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Thank You to our December Donors!
Joseph Alcorn
Nancy Bowsher
Charles Brandt
William & Lucie Brennan
George Budd
Niels Chapman
Paul Gary Conover
Charles Cummings
Frank Dobrushken
Farmers Electric Cooperative
Karen Garcia
Dana & Marion Gebel
Sajit Greene
Roger Grimshaw
Michael Hartshorne & Lida Crooks
Joan & Fred Hashimoto
Ann King
Rebecca Kraimer
Sandy & Bill Kroll
Laura Kuster
Nelson Leonard & Linda Rodgers
Bonnie Long
Anthony Lopez
Sue Lyons
Molly & Richard Madden
Brandt Magic
Sally McGrath
Martha & Doug McNaul
Jo & Alan Mickelson
Tony Mistretta
William Musser
Nichols Ranch
Dave Parsons
Don & Cookie Pascale
Nicholas Peterson
Eric Purington
Beverly Quinlan
Brad Raisher
Rhonda Rivera
James Robinson
Sam Sanborn
Schmick, Leslie
Marie Southworth
Brad Stamm
Priscilla Stevens
Virginia Sunderland
Daisan Taylor-Glass
Tony & Davedda Thomas
K. Trujillo
Gene & Gayle Vance
Ronald Villiotti
Gary & Karen Walker
Maurcena Wells
Wayne Welty
Ivan White
Tedi Witt
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Our Veterinarians and Rehabilitators
Kariana Atkinson, DVM
Mary & Ed Chappelle
Linda Contos, DVM
Cottonwood Rehabilitation Center
Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Eye Care for Animals
Ray Hudgell, DVM
Gavin Kennard, DVM, DACVO
Daniel Levenson, DVM
Mike Melloy, DVM
Lisa Morgan
New Mexico Wildlife Center
Bob Peiffer, DVM, PhD
Petroglyph Animal Hospital
Kathleen Ramsay, DVM
Santa Fe Raptor Center
Southwest Veterinary Medical Center
Samantha Uhrig, DVM
Ventana Animal Clinic
Wildlife Rescue of New Mexico
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December Intakes
American Crow – spinal cord injury
Cooper’s Hawk – broken wing
Great Horned Owl – electrocuted
Sharp-shinned Hawk – gunshot
Cooper’s Hawk – broken wing
Rock Pigeon – unable to fly
Great Horned Owl – broken wing
Red-tailed Hawk – gunshot
Red-tailed Hawk – unable to fly
Sharp-shinned Hawk – gunshot
Sharp-shinned Hawk – gunshot
Merlin – gunshot
Ferruginous Hawk – severe head wound
Great Horned Owl – head trauma
Rock Pigeon – broken wing
Red-tailed Hawk – broken wing
Great Horned Owl – broken wing
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And thank you to our corporate donors:
Amazon Smile Foundation
Avangrid Renewables
Binky Foundation
Central New Mexico Audubon Society
Charles Schwab
Coca-Cola Foundation
Farmers Electric Cooperative
Four Corners Bird Club
Gathering of Nations
Intel Corporation
Kroger Company
Land of Enchantment Wildlife Foundation
McFarland Cascade
Nichols Ranch
PNM Resources Foundation
Peabody Natural Resources Company
Sonepar USA
Summit Construction
Summit Line Construction
Tetra Tech
The Verdes Foundation
Wild Birds Unlimited
Wildside Nature Tours
Womack Wealth Management
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Raptor Rescue Team
Nirankar Ambriz
Victoria Ambriz
Daniel Archuleta
Mary Bruesch
Ed Chappelle
Mary Chappelle
Joanne Dahringer
Shannon Harrison
Ty Horak
Denise Inight
Jeannine Kinzer
Arlette Miller
Laura McCammon
Bill McCammon
Evelyn McGarry
Julie Morales
Eliane Notah
Chellye Porter
Amanda Rael
Larry Rimer
James Robinson
Anita Sisk
Bruce Sisk
Davedda Thomas
Tony Thomas
Frank Wilson
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Field Survey Teams
Chuck Brandt
Wendy Brown
Mary Bruesch
Ed Chappelle
Gill Clarke
Ed Clark
Charles Cummings
Vicki Dern
Roger Grimshaw
Fred Hashimoto
Joan Hashimoto
Jerry Hobart
Kay Jackson
Bob Kipp
Maurice Mackey
David Meyerson
Arlette Miller
Glenda Moore
Natalie Nunez
Bonnie Long
Dave Parson
Chellye Porter
Donna Royer
Susan Russo
Renee Robillard
Sam Sanborn
Allison Schacht
Martin Schelble
Dianne Schlies
Lisa Schluter
Mary Smith
Mary Walsh
Christie Wilcox
Steve Youtsey
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Education and Outreach
Chuck Brandt
Mary Bruesch
Ed Chappelle
Mary Chappelle
Rebecca Ezechukwu
Evelyn McGarry
Arlette Miller
Chellye Porter
Elizabeth Roberts
Allison Schacht
Anita Sisk
Bruce Sisk
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6715 Eagle Rock Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM 87113
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Who We Are
Gail Garber,
Executive Director
Trevor Fetz,
Lead Avian Biologist
Ellie Althoff,
Education Coordinator
Angela Green,
Office Manager
Maggie Grimason,
Senior Editor
Katrina Hucks,
Avian
Biologist and Raptor Rescue Coordinator
Amanda Schluter,
Biologist
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Our Board of Directors
Carter Cherry,
Chair
Mary Chappelle, Treasurer
Terry Edwards,
Director
Alwyn VanDerwalt
, Director
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