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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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President's Message
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wohoo, the holidays are here! October tried to fool us, with record high temps one week, and snow just seven days later. Every child who grew up in Denver remembers at least one Halloween where a coat over one's costume was mandatory, and this year was right in line with Ghosts of Halloween Past. I hope everyone had a delicious, warm and enjoyable time with those you love on Thanksgiving Day.
Winter has arrived here in Colorado, so as we clean out fans and haul out heaters, last week I found myself assisting our intrepid and talented electrical team "pull wire" as they worked to reach a good stopping point well after dark. I felt like a little kid getting to assist the grown ups on an ACTUAL construction project! I am totally a fish out of water when it comes to electrical work, but I learned a few new skills that evening while watching the real experts work. As you'll read below, we've undertaken a major electrical upgrade to keep the long nights brighter, and all the power going exactly where it needs to go.
Chilly nights, with comfort food and the company of loved ones is a true gift. I'm also deeply thankful for all of YOU who contribute to our work, especially to the welfare and safety of our birds and our highly-dedicated docents who work so hard each and every day...THANK YOU!~Anne Price, President
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A special video tribute to America's Thanksgiving Bird: Click here!
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A River of Raptors in Texas |
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At the end of September, Peter and his wife Marie, spent a week in Corpus Christi, Texas. They were there to visit a long time friend of Peter's, Kent Ullberg, an internationally known wildlife sculptor whose many monumental bronze installations in Corpus Christi are responsible for the ground sinking into the Gulf of Mexico. Climate change has nothing to do with the Gulf waters rising here!
Peter and Marie were also there to spend several days at the Hawk Watch International census point located in Hazel Bazemore Park, just on the outskirts of Corpus Christi. The largest North American raptor migration by species and numbers is called the "River of Raptors" and is found in Veracruz, Mexico. This Texas site is the location of America's "River of Raptors." It is absolutely amazing, but not what Peter and Marie expected. The migrating raptors are thousands of feet in the air. They appear instantly and vanish just as quickly as their angles to the sun change ever so slightly. Even with good scopes or binoculars, they are just specks in the sky. If you get lucky you can find a kettle of them rising through the air, hidden by clouds, and then abruptly breaking out and streaming southward out of the kettle in a river-like formation. Sometimes they hold their pattern tightly or they form a stream, dozens wide, moving quickly and disappearing into the clouds around them.
Professional and practiced raptor monitors (four of them) contracted by Hawk Watch International, divided the sky up into segments and used mechanical counters to quantify what they identified in the heavens. Those numbers are recorded by other people who tally the numbers each day and post them on the bulletin boards. Broad-winged hawks were setting records when Peter and Marie were there. Quantities of 95,000 per day and more for these little buteos were posted on the charts. Swainson's hawks had not yet started their flights down to Argentina, but a wide variety of other raptors were being recorded each day. The counting starts in mid-August and goes through November. Tallies are available from Hawk Watch International as well as from the local Audubon chapter in Corpus Christi. The latter had a weekend festival at the park, which is when Peter captured the rare aplomado falcon that was on display, with other birds brought in by a group featuring a few raptors, an African white-necked raven, and a Kookaburra.
Perhaps the best part of straining their neck muscles all day gazing into the wild blue yonder was when Peter and Marie retired to the Knolle Farm Ranch B & B. This historic dairy, no longer operational as such, is a fantastic birding place on its own. Especially since you can see a large variety of birds without wrenching your neck. A pair of red-shouldered hawks hunted both morning and afternoon close to where Peter and Marie spent their evenings. A large, shallow pond harbored water birds of all types and later in the season Beth, the owner of the ranch, reported the pond and surrounding grasses would be covered with sandhill cranes and even some whooping cranes. Roseate spoonbills, white ibis, barred and great-horned owls were heard and seen along with several large wild turkey flocks. But the biggest surprise came in the dark of night, when herds of wild hogs suddenly appeared, feeding on scattered corn kernels, and then quickly vanished into the darkness. One herd numbered forty, ranging in size from youngsters barely bigger than a small dog, to adults that looked like old VW Beetles.
Peter will be creating a video about birding on the ranch for another issue of Raptor Chronicles. They do not advertise birding as an option, but we wouldn't be surprised if in the coming months they see more birders flocking to their beautiful piece of property just thirty minutes from downtown Corpus Christi.
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CPW Raptor Monitors Meet our New Golden! |
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Ever since we brought her home from Ironside Bird Rescue on August 2nd, Anne has been working almost daily with our new female golden eagle, showing her the ropes, and gradually building her trust. She's done a few programs at our facility via tours, all the while learning to go in and out of a darkened kennel.
She moved to our facility on September 20th, and has adjusted well to many new people, and a consistent feeding routine. Anne's goal was to have her ready for the admiring audience of CPW Volunteer raptor monitors by November 5th, the date of their annual meeting in Denver, and as you can see, she made quite the impression. Thank you to Jeff Thompson of CPW for having us back again, AND for the VIP treatment for our big new girl!
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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 44th 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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The newest Jabebo earrings are here! Jabebo received requests for this species from several nature centers in Florida, and by coincidence, our photographer friend Jeff Wang spent a few days chasing two species of kites, including the fascinating snail kite. The two designs are taken directly from Jeff's photos with very little editing; the male is on the left and the female, carrying a freshly-caught snail, is on the right.
Feeding almost exclusively on apple snails, this unusual raptor frequently practices ambisexual mate desertion, a reproductive strategy designed to maximize the number of young that survive to fledgling. Thank you, Jeff and Kevin Abbott, founder of Jabebo!
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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 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
in case you missed any issues, we currently have issues dating back to January 2020!
Raptor Bulletin Board
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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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Thanksgiving Eagle Survey |
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During the week before Thanksgiving and afterwards, I usually visit the Commerce City bald eagle nest and the historic golden eagle aerie on Wildcat Mountain. As you will see, I had great luck with both. Let's keep our fingers crossed that both of these sites will be productive again this coming spring. During last nesting season both species produced and fledged two eagles. Stay tuned!~Peter Reshetniak, Director of Special Projects
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Eagle-Eyed Truck Inspection |
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At the end of July, Julie Householder donated her 1989 Chevy Silverado 4WD pickup to REF. We had spoken with Julie about the prospects of the truck becoming part of our fleet, and after our mechanics ran it through a series of tests and checks we welcomed the Chevy into our all-Ford stable of vehicles. We were a bit leery of the 300,000 plus miles on the odometer, but a new five-liter engine with only 100,000 miles, along with a healthy transmission indicates we'll get another ten years of reliable service after some normal maintenance.
Very old tires needed to be replaced, and the local Discount Tire store gave us a screaming deal on four returned tires with only 2,000 miles on them and an aggressive mud/snow tread will serve all of our truck needs for years to come! We still need to replace the idler and Pitman arm assemblies in the coming months to make winter driving safe. All together we're looking at about $2,500 to complete the upgrades, so we're sending out a call to help with funding these improvements before the year is out. Please go to this link to contribute, and thank you for your generosity. Our female bald eagle has given her approval, although she noted that a dent in the right rear quarter panel might need fixing; Julie used to be a farrier and indicated that the dent was caused by a horse kicking the truck!
We've decided the dent is a badge of honor. Julie is a tiny woman and when we learned she'd worked as a farrier, we agreed the dent should stay as a tribute to this truck's hard-working history. Thanks to Julie for her very thoughtful and practical gift!
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Electrical Upgrade: We've Got the Power! |
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Over the past fifteen years the increasing demands on our electrical system have meant that we have had to upgrade our power capacity as we've expanded. One of the biggest changes was a number of years ago, when Jim Graf and Karen Gonzalez, both licensed electricians, upgraded the electrical system for our outdoor water storage, which also requires heating during Colorado's icy winter months. Temperatures notwithstanding, our birds need water every day. This time Jim and Karen, who is also an REF Docent, spent three long days increasing the outdoor lighting and adding two additional 20 amp electrical circuits indoors. This will help ensure that we can keep the barn warm in the winter months as well.
Our quartz heaters have been steady workhorses for years, so this year Peter added a heat siphon (pictured below) to move the warmer air from the top of the barn to the bottom, thereby more efficiently circulating the heat throughout the entire barn. For years, we've been running some long extension cords to deliver the power where needed, but a very nice Brighton Fire Inspector suggested we eliminate those risks by installing conduit-protected electrical lines. He was also kind enough to work with us to get this done on a voluntary basis. Jim and Karen stepped up and all we had to do was purchase the parts which amounted to just over $650. This includes the all new LED outdoor flood lights.
Our electrical upgrades were paid by credit card, so we're asking for your additional help with this crucial project so we can pay off this expense in December of 2023. This link will take you to a contribution page to help with our electrical upgrades and/or our transportation improvements. Please click here, and thank you VERY much for your help!~Peter Reshetniak, Director of Special Projects
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Join the 60 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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Patrick Alan Treitz: In Memoriam
1942-2023
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Pat was born on Halloween 1942 in Chicago, Illinois to the late Joseph and Helen (O’Shea) Treitz. Throughout his childhood, Pat lived in many parts of the country. Later he enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Germany where he served in European Intelligence during the Vietnam War. After an Honorable Discharge, he traveled throughout Europe before returning to Colorado where he met and married Sue.
Pat earned his degree in business from the University of Colorado. He found his passion in the finishing of fine custom homes and maintained his own business to build highly custom homes that brought a strong architectural focus to a market awash in builder basic homes. The exemplary finish and eye for detail set Pat apart in the industry.
Pat was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He was always ready to help kids and grandkids with anything – from art projects to house remodeling and everything in between. He had a big heart, a warm smile, and was always a good listener.
He enjoyed nature and birds, and spending time outdoors walking and hiking. Before kids, Pat was happy camping under the stars with Sue. He will be remembered for his love of a good pastry with coffee, as well as trips to Dairy Queen for a Blizzard after picking up the grandkids from school. Pat had a great sense of humor and was ready with a witty response and a glint in his eyes up to the end. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
Pat is survived by his wife Sue, children Meghan (Mark Lanphier) and Brian (Rebecca), grandchildren Lily, Joseph, and Clara Treitz and Effie Lanphier, sister Jan (John) Brittan, nieces Amy Brittan and Laura (Dexter) Brigham, and grandnephews Cullen and Jack Brigham.
Pat requested donations be made in his memory to REF, and we are profoundly humbled by the contributions to our mission on behalf of America's raptors.
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In addition to America, our Facebook followers are found in the following countries:
United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Pakistan, Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Mexico, Ukraine, Russia, New Zealand,
Australia, Brazil, Argentina, 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: Jean Anhalt, Kristy Bortz, Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Denis Murray, Karen Ogle, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Clarissa Cigrand, Robert Mitchell, and Mila Ringo
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