|
|
Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
|
|
|
Message from the President
As I write this, Denver's just broken another temperature record for early September, busting through 95F and hitting 98F. Our friends to the north in Billings, Montana, hit 103F. Only a month ago, we endured an intense rain and wind storm that left some damage to one of our pens (more on that, below!) and caused the weeds to explode, as if it were May.
It doesn't feel like fall, for sure, but our birds can certainly tell. The nights are slightly cooler, and the days and nights have begun their subtle tango towards the equinox. Elk have begun bugling in the high country, and many raptors are on the move.
If you've missed our in-person raptor ID classes, be sure to check out our announcement below for the "Wings of Winter", which we're holding at Barr Lake State Park on November 12th. It's been three long years since we had coffee, carbs, slides and birds all in the same room, and we're very excited about our new venue.
As the wife of an Air Force Gulf War Era veteran, I'm particularly proud of our continuing work with sculptor Robert Eccleston as he refines and perfects his design on the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial. His attention to detail is best described as "intense" and it's making me up my game, as we discuss the differences in mandible and infraorbital sinus structure between eagles and falcons. I promise you, this memorial will be jaw-dropping.
I'm ready for it to snow...or at least for a good cold front to bring down ducks, merlins and rough-legged hawks!~Anne Price, President
|
|
National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial Update |
|
Sculptor Robert Eccleston, left, with Scott Stump, President & CEO of the National Desert Storm War Memorial. The life-size sculpture is shown behind Scott
as the design takes form. This will be scaled up to twice life size, or an eagle with a 12-foot wing span. The final piece will be cast in stainless steel.
|
|
For our second visit to Robert Eccleston's studio on August 30, we brought our seven year-old female bald eagle for Robert to reference as he continues work on the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial. Representing the heroic efforts of the coalition forces which liberated the nation of Kuwait in 1991, the centerpiece of the memorial features the national birds of the United States and Kuwait flying out of the desert.
Previously we brought our peregrine falcon, which enabled Robert to carefully view the sharp lines of falcon primary feathers, as well as the unique features of a falcon's face. Kuwait's national bird is the saker falcon (Falco cherrug), one of the largest falcons in the world with a large range across North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The bald eagle of America is not only a much larger raptor, it's also in a completely separate order of birds, with a unique "sea eagle" beak. Over the course of our two-hour visit, the fine lines of the eagle's face and jaw line were carefully examined, as well as the shape of her tail and the caudal vertebrae.
For an in-depth look at the memorial's origins, stages of development and all the groups who have come together for this international collaboration, click here. One of the videos shows the memorial's placement on the mall along with an interview with the project's architect. We are very proud to have a small role supporting the creation of this important tribute to the warriors who liberated Kuwait. We love working with eagles of all shapes, sizes and ranks!
~Peter Reshetniak, Director of Special Projects
|
|
Scott gave Anne and Peter one of the coins commemorating the groundbreaking ceremony in July of this year. |
|
August Monsoon Damage: Help Requested! |
|
The storm which blew in on August 6th was so sudden and violent that Anne feared the shade netting would rip off, taking part of the soffit with it, as she filmed inside of Peter's office. You can see the deluge of water on the ground along with the wind hitting the facility. The massive downpour along with the extreme winds caused about $6,000 of damage to our Buteo enclosure, which houses our two Swainson's hawks, rough-legged hawk and Harlan's red-tailed hawk.
It turns out that the heavy clay below our pea gravel substrate softened with all the water saturating the ground. This, coupled with very violent winds, actually pushed the top part of the fence wall ten inches into the enclosure. Below the ground, the cement footing was displaced in the opposite direction by at least the same distance. With the entire southwest wall doing a leaning Tower of Pisa impression, we're hoping we can get it repaired before the next severe weather event makes things even worse. Our prairie facility experiences VERY dramatic weather, which is part of life on this arid landscape. Although our insurance policy will cover a majority of the costs, we still have to raise our $500 deductible, which is why we're asking for your help.
Please donate here and THANK YOU for your help!
|
|
Lots of Other Ways to Help! |
|
A Special Anniversary Offer on All Three of Our Books!
Celebrate our 42nd anniversary by purchasing our
three books at this special price!
|
Our Online Store is Open!
A new look...click on the image below.
SORRY...OWL PURSES SOLD OUT
|
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
|
Listen for us the first Saturday of the month at
12:00 Noon for five minutes of "raptorous"
delight with the BirdTalk Guys,
|
At long last, our friends at Jabebo have given raptorphiles what we want: the most ubiquitous hawk working with humans around the world! The new Harris' hawk design took a bit longer than expected; getting the dark eyes to stand out against dark plumage turned out to be harder than Anne or Kevin expected, but we're thrilled with the results! Get yours here!
|
|
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!
|
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.
|
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!
in case you missed it!
|
The Diel Migration
It's the largest migration by number and mass in the world, occurring every 24 hours, and most people know nothing about it. It's also one of the largest examples of naturally occurring carbon dioxide sequestration. Read more about the DVM.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
A Most Successful Urban Resident: The Cooper's Hawk |
The next video in the series of voice overs from our Denver Botanic Gardens appearance features the Cooper's hawk. These stealthy, yet bold urban raptors absolutely thrive in neighborhoods with tall, dense trees and backyard bird feeders. Primarily bird hunters, they'll also take very young cottontail rabbits, especially when feeding their young in early summer. Enjoy! |
|
Presenting: The Wings of Winter
The Best Raptor ID Class in Colorado Returns on November 12th!
|
|
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. Coffee, tea and other morning refreshments will be provided.
Early Bird Pricing Valid to October 9th, 2022.
The class fee is $50 for current REF members, and $60 for the general public. Please note that the class will be limited to 40 participants, so don't wait to register. October 10th prices increase.
Special thanks to Park Manager Michelle Seubert for helping to arrange use of the
wonderful Barr Lake facilities!
|
|
Golden Gate Canyon State Park Visit |
|
Thanks to Jenna, Tanya, Brenna and all the volunteers that helped us present our Raptor Roundup program at Golden Gate Canyon State Park on August 27th. We had lovely weather and a really enthusiastic crowd of campers and guests. A turkey vulture even made a perfect-fly by at the end of Anne's talk. There's nothing like a trip from the prairie up to about 9,000 ft and then back again in one day to get your heart pumping!
|
|
Join the 55 Families Supporting Our Raptor Sanctuary
Help Us Reach 100 Supporting Families!
|
|
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.
|
|
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!!
|
|
REF Staff: Anne Price, President & Curator; Peter Reshetniak, Founder & Director of Special Projects; Savannah Grout, Mews Manager
Docents & Volunteers: Elise Bales, Phil Carter, Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Bernhard Hafner, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner, Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Kristy Bortz and Karen Ogle
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
