President's Message

It’s Nesting Time!

 As winter wanes and daylight lengthens, raptors shift from winter survival to reproductive readiness. Late winter is a critical, sensitive time: pairs begin courtship flights, nest-site maintenance, and the earliest stages of egg-laying preparations. This is especially true of both eagle species. Here is Colorado, some bald eagles lay as early as Valentine's Day.

For photographers, hikers, and neighbors, understanding what’s happening at this stage, and why minimal disturbance is essential, will help increase nesting success. If you're out raptor watching right now, you're likely to observe (or will shortly) pair bonding and courtship, including aerial flight displays, food exchanges, and perched vocalizing, sometimes called "duetting" to reinforce the pair bonds between male and female. The birds may be viewed sitting together in a tree, on or near last year's nest. Often the female will be rearranging sticks and doing a bit of refurbishing, while the male is off seeking just the right stick or branch to bring back to the tree for her approval.

Here is some practical guidance for acting responsibly around wild raptors, nesting or otherwise. I like the common-sense approach to these suggestions, and in many states, including Colorado, there are viewing guidelines with recommended buffer distances to use between yourself and nesting or roosting raptors. It's always best to observe from a distance, using binoculars, zoom lenses or a spotting scope. Keep dogs under control, or better yet, leave them home if your outing is specifically for raptor viewing. Quiet voices and limited noise also minimizes disturbance. Respecting seasonal closures and heeding signs restricting access is also important, and in some cases, federally-mandated.

The fidelity that nesting raptors have to their breeding territories is remarkable...I have to thank one of our directors for recently informing me about the world's oldest known osprey, nicknamed "Iris". At 29 years of age, this remarkable female has been a fixture in Montana along the Clark Fork River for decades. Ospreys have a huge distribution around the world, utilizing all kinds of water ecosystems for survival. Not long ago, an osprey banded in Scotland was sighted in Barbados...sounds like a great place to warm up during winter!

Speaking of winter, I must remember that not all of our members have been experiencing the unusually-balmy temperatures of Denver's Front Range this season. I hope you enjoy this virtual getaway to the tropical jungles of Mexico, and enjoy the beautiful raptor denizens which Peter filmed in December and January.

Until "nest" time,

~Anne Price, President

Eagle Nest Updates for the 2026 Season

Peter has visited the Second Creek nest and our Prairie Center's Eagle Boulevard nest at Barr Lake State Park. Both nests are active! The Second Creek nest has been substantially expanded, as has the Eagle Boulevard nest. Peter will be monitoring these nests and reporting on all developments...stay tuned to our YouTube Raptor Channel!

Love is in the Air at Star K Ranch

Last year, the pair at the Star K Ranch, Morrison Nature Center in Aurora was incubating by February 11th. This year Peter visited on February 8th and recorded incubation already underway. When he arrived at about 3:30, the afternoon temperature was at least 65 degrees and after setting up his camera he could see what he thought was the female on the nest, but as he sat and watched, the behavior of the female suddenly changed. The eagle was responding to something or someone behind him that he couldn't see and then took flight

The rest is history as they say, and it's a very good omen as Valentine's Day approaches. Let’s hope they fledge a couple of young eagles this year! Keep your talons crossed, and thanks for visiting our raptor channel.

ISE Success

A quick shout-out to our partners at Colorado Parks & Wildlife for another successful event at the International Sportsmen's Expo last month. We love chatting with our fellow outdoor enthusiasts, and thanks to the coordination of the folks at the Kid's Fishing Pond and biologists with the hatchery program, we were able to once again recycle trout into bald eagle food at the conclusion of the show. We now have enough fish to last us the rest of the year!

Above, senior docent Jennifer Redmond is pictured with our female bald eagle. Thanks to Mary Ann Ottinger for the photo, and another special thank you to Debbie Lininger of CPW for all the logistical help and snacks!

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

Flocks of Other Ways to Help!

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“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

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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!

University of Minnesota Wind Farm Kills Bald Eagle.

The Obama administration's massive dump of dollars to promote alternative energy schemes kills America's National Bird. Warning, pictures are horrific! Thanks to Laura C for the tip.

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

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Crane Hawk's Casting Call

The crane hawk (Geranospiza caerulescens) has a diverse and opportunistic diet that includes rodents, lizards, snakes, frogs, bats, small birds (especially nestlings), plus large insects and snails.

This is why the casting process you just witnessed was so slimy and "yucky". Many of those creatures just listed digest into slimy remnants…especially if they were swallowed whole.

The casting process is when a raptor, among other bird species, regurgitates all the undigested matter, like scales, fur, bones, feathers and the like from their gizzard. Depending on the species, this occurs on average about 8-12 hours after eating. This is a normal, healthy process and occurs before the bird consumes more food.

After taking care of internal hygiene by casting, the hawk then begins external hygiene by preening: cleaning and smoothing its feathers for the upcoming hunt for food.

This species uses its unique double-jointed bright red legs to extract prey from tree cavities and bromeliads. They hunt by perching and probing, walking branches, or soaring low to find food in forests and swamps, and by taking nocturnal creatures from daytime hiding spots. This was filmed at a considerable distance zoomed out to about 1200mm on a Canon Powershot SX60 HS, so the resolution isn’t the best. However, the behavior recorded is still important for learning about raptors and their remarkable adaptations as hunters.

Thank you for watching our videos...please Like and Subscribe!

Bat Falcon Hunting Dragonflies

Peter's first video in 2026 from the volcanic ridges above Yelapa, Mexico shows of the beautiful little bat falcon (Falco rufigularis) hunting for dragonflies off of a communication tower set against the jungle below. This was filmed about 500 meters down the ridge road from where Peter encountered the stunning black hawk eagle...see below!

We hope you're enjoying this lovely escape to tropical Mexico!

The Black Hawk Eagle

Peter has tried on several occasions to find and film one of Mexico's beautiful hawk eagles. Two years ago with the help of professional guide Fernando Romo, he filmed the stunning black and white hawk eagle. This gorgeous raptor can be seen on our YouTube channel and was featured in an earlier edition of Raptor Chronicles. Last year he got very close to filming the black hawk eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus and also known as the tyrant hawk eagle) located in the same area, but the bird proved elusive.


This year, his luck changed for the better. Enjoy, and please Like and Subscribe!

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

Docents & Volunteers: Kristy Bortz, Clarissa Cigrand, Megan Considine, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jackson Lincoln, Jennifer McAllister, Robert Mitchell, Karen Ogle, Mary Ann Ottinger, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner, Ann Stanz and Jamie Ziegler

Docents in Training: Heather Allen