by Gail Garber,
Executive Director
What happens when you bring together 25 photographers, thirteen different species of birds of prey, four photography experts, and six raptor handlers? We found that out the final weekend in October, when we held our Third Annual Birds of Prey Photo Shoot. Participants have flooded the internet with incredible photos of our educational animals, and shared their unique stories, like our most recently acquired ambassador, Beauty, the Turkey Vulture.
Kathleen Covalt had this to say about her:
“I
sn't she lovely, isn't she wonderful? ... Beauty is a Turkey Vulture that was found as a nestling and kept as a pet. Earlier this year she was confiscated and brought to Hawks Aloft where she is now one of the very special Avian Ambassadors. Because she is imprinted on humans, she is unable to live in the wild."
We thank our experts who volunteered their time for this event for the third year in a row. Being an “expert” means far more than just showing up and offering advice. It also means finding the right location for the photo shoot–thank you Kristin Brown and Albuquerque Academy, gathering assorted natural perches that might, or might not, be deemed worthy of use on that day, arriving early to figure out how and where to set up everything, helping to figure out parking logistics, graciously offering assistance with camera settings and other techniques and, finally, after all the photographers had departed, picking up all the equipment and perches and various wires, and forgotten items and hauling it all home again.
We thank Keith Bauer, Carol Bauer (for the people shots), Doug Brown, Kristin Brown, and Larry Rimer. We could not do this event without you.
Please check out their websites, Doug, Keith and Kristin offer a variety of workshop in New Mexico as well as further afield, in exotic locales such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Chile!
Photos in the above collage were take by Keith and Carol Bauer and Kristin Brown. The tired Northern Saw-whet Owl, Aspen, shows off his feathered eyelids. Image by Keith Bauer.
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October Adventures, by Katrina Hucks, Raptor Rescue Coordinator
Finally, we are getting a breath of fresh air after a long rescue season! We are currently sitting at 175 intakes for the year, more than double the intakes in the first year of the Raptor Rescue Hotline. I am so thankful for Arlette Miller, hotline dispatcher, and the many dedicated volunteers that helped us throughout this year in multiple ways.
With the changing of the seasons, I was able to take some time out of “office season” to glean some more rescue and rehabilitation training. I was given the fantastic opportunity to shadow Drs. Sammie Uhrig, Audra Blasi, and the exceptional staff and volunteers of Desert Willow Veterinary Services and Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carlsbad, NM. This practice provides veterinary care for pets like dogs and cats, as well as livestock like horses and cattle. It also provides care for wildlife from all over the state of New Mexico, from teeny pallid bats to Golden Eagles.
I participated in feeding and weighing a variety of raptor species, as well as learned about husbandry in the world of mammal rehabilitation. The rehab center had a few young mammals in their care, including deer fawns, baby squirrels, and bobcat kittens! I observed their intake processes, feeding schedules, and even got to watch some procedures on the veterinary clinic side of the practice! I was also able to attend a training for waterfowl rescuers on the local potash mine, learning about salt toxicity in waterfowl that stopover on the salt lakes in the area. It was an extremely valuable experience that I am so thankful for.
The large circular flight cage at Desert Willow Rehab. Image by Katrina Hucks.
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Festival of the Cranes
at
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
November 14-17, 2018
- Hawks Aloft will participate in the 31st annual festival on Friday and Saturday, November 16 and 17.
- On Friday, Gail and team will lead a Raptor ID bus tour from 8:00 am-11:00 am. This is a great way to get real-world experience identifying raptors while an expert points out key-identifying features.
- After the bus tour, join us for the Raptor ID seminar from 1:00 pm-2:00 pm at the biology building of the visitor’s center. This talk features exquisite photography by Doug Brown, Kristin Brown, Keith Bauer, Larry Rimer, and David Powell, as well as a live raptor demonstration to showcase topics discussed during the presentation.
- On Saturday, visit Hawks Aloft staff and volunteers on the main flight deck, where spotting scopes will be available for viewing wildlife. Also visit our outreach booth with both indoor and outdoor areas, located at he biology building. We will merchandise, including our new "Owls of New Mexico" tshirts, fun activities, and, of course, a chance to view some of our amazing avian ambassadors including Flame (Flammulated Owl), Celeste (Barn Owl), Shadow (Western Screech-Owl), Lady Kiki (Merlin), Lilla (Red-tailed Hawk), Harlan (Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk), Jemez (Mexican Spotted Owl), Miss Tori (Female American Kestrel), Waldo (Male American Kestrel), Sunny (Prairie Falcon), Dulcita (Great Horned Owl), and Beauty (Turkey Vulture).
- For more information about Festival of the Cranes and many of the other fun activities they are hosting check out their website (http://www.friendsofbosquedelapache.org/festival-of-the-cranes.aspx).
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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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Middle School Madness, by Ellie Althoff, Education Coordinator
If you randomly select a day on my calendar, there is a 95% chance that I am participating in a Living with the Landscape (LWL) program. LWL is a year-long, granted funded program that serves Title 1 elementary schools. Consequently, most of my days are spent with giggling kindergartners, anxious murmurs of second graders, or the continuous questions of fifth grade students. However, this was not the case on October 26
th
. On that Friday morning, Amanda Schluter (HAI Avian Biologist) and I were met with two classrooms of 6
th
-8
th
grade students keen on learning about ecosystems at the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy.
Amanda began by showing off two of our educational ambassadors: Jemez, a Mexican spotted owl, and Kiki, a Merlin. These students seemed to be just as curious as our grade school students, although they were more interested about egg size, color, and incubation period rather than just if the bird was a boy or girl. While in Amanda’s class they were demonstrating their curiosity, in my classroom just a jog down the hallway, we were testing the students' creativity. They were tasked with creating a creature that was adapted to one of four ecosystems that each group was randomly given. By the end of this section, we had teleporting dragons with waterproof scales, a flying horse that had three layers of feathers, and an octopus with eight eyes. While this age group does not consist of the majority of our programs, it was extremely rewarding to see older students eagerly interacting with environmental topics.
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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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Another Successful Docent Training, by Amanda Schluter, Biologist
With the lack of field work in the fall and winter months, I am able to assist with other activities at the Hawks Aloft, including the most recent docent training held on October 20th. Hawks Aloft hosts an orientation to welcome a new group of volunteers. The docent training provides an overview of the various avenues for volunteering at Hawks Aloft. Whether an individual is interested in
research, bird husbandry, educational and outreach programs, or raptor rescue, there is an opportunity at Hawks Aloft to meet their volunteer needs.
This fall’s docent training was a success, with about a dozen people attending the orientation. New volunteers sipped on coffee and snacked on pastries, while listening to Hawks Aloft employees Katrina, Ellie, and Amanda present different volunteer opportunities. The morning concluded with a mock education demonstration with Avian Ambassadors Beauty (Turkey Vulture), Jemez (Spotted Owl), and Lady Kiki (Merlin). The volunteers then signed up for the areas that interested them. Further training in
raptor rescue and research will be scheduled to help educate the new volunteers on Hawks Aloft protocols. We are looking incorporating this new team of volunteers into our many activities at Hawks Aloft!
Lady Kiki, the Merlin. Image by Doug Brown.
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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 - Doug Brown
This month, we feature the images of Doug Brown, an internationally recognized photographer, and a long-time contributor to Hawks Aloft.
When not knocking people out (he's a cardiac anesthesiologist by day), Doug Brown is a BBC prizewinning photographer best known for images of birds in flight. Doug is a moderator at BirdPhotographers.net in the Avian: Image Critique forum. You can see his photos in the smartphone application iBird. His work has been published in 'New Mexico Magazine,' 'Western Birds' and 'Aloft' and his photos are utilized extensively in 'A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque' and the new book 'Raptors of New Mexico.' Doug enjoys leading photo tours in the US, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. All of his upcoming workshops are currently sold out; however he will post new opportunities in early 2019.
- Young male Northern Harrier, in intermediate plumage between juvenile and adult.
- Greater Prairie Chickens at a lek site
- Male Belted Kingfisher
- Adult female Northern Harrier
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Thank You to our October Donors!
Charles Brandt
Tracy Brooks
Doug & Kristen Brown
Niels Chapman
Gloria Gallegos
Kelly Haller
Jean & Robert Hansel
Jan Henderson
Tenacity Kendig
Jerome Levine
Sue Lyons
Dave Parsons
Jo Richert
Rhonda Rivera
Janet Ruth
Allison Schacht
Thomas Stewart
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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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October Intakes
Red-tailed Hawk – sprayed by a skunk
Great Horned Owl – eye injury
Cooper’s Hawk – broken leg
Common Poorwill – broken wing
Cooper’s Hawk – eye injury
Common Raven – broken leg
Cooper’s Hawk – broken wing
Red-tailed Hawk – electrocution
Flammulated Owl – head trauma
American Kestrel – broken wing
Sharp-shinned Hawk – unable to fly
Red-tailed Hawk – electrocution
Great Horned Owl – shot in wing
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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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