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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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This is my favorite time of year! I adore Autumn, but rather than wax poetic about falconry and football this time, my thoughts have been turning to the concept of "training".
The handsome fellow above who greets visitors to our office, is "Franklin", a gift from Mike & Diane McCubbin. He, like me, is a proud supporter of the University of Colorado Buffaloes (OK...just a few words about football!). Though many of our readers may not follow college sports at all, it's indisputable that our new football coach has made a huge impact on my Alma Mater. Coach Deion Sanders has put us on the map, as they say, and I keep on reading about what a good trainer he is, in additional to all the other qualities and talents necessary to create a winning team.
Training is something I do every day, and I've spent many hours over the last few months training our new merlin and golden eagle. I also train, and hopefully coach, guide and encourage our new docents several times per week in handling our birds. I'm not going to say that training a raptor is the same as training a human, but occasionally, there are striking similarities. Patience, persistence, and a calm, "OK, let's try it again" attitude seem to work well for both. But what about when we train ourselves?
The identification classes we teach, the programs we present, the information we relay to the public, all amount to a form of training, which I believe allow our audiences to absorb, and then practice the skills to recognize, appreciate and be motivated to conserve raptors. Self-training by its very nature, is hard, but when you are your own coach, teacher and cheering section, the rewards can be tremendous. I absolutely love seeing the joy in a docent's face when the bird they're working with does exactly the right thing, at the right time, and in the right manner. The lines blur, and it's not clear who is training whom for a few moments. As with most things in life, positive feedback is key, whether it's a smile from an audience member, a few seconds shaved off a mile, or a hawk that jumps easily into a kennel for travel to a program.
This fall, I'm working on training myself to be more positive, more patient, and more grateful for the chance every day, to be my own best trainer!~Anne Price, President
P.S. The eagle-eyed among you might notice the title of the book Franklin is reading. He's ready for a new book...any suggestions? Email your ideas to me at ap@usaref.org!
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On September 16th, we were privileged to attend a reception in Loveland, Colorado for a local unveiling of the raptors which will be the centerpiece of the National Desert Storm War Memorial. Robert Eccleston, a sculptor and former soldier, has painstakingly reproduced the two raptors at heart of this breathtaking memorial. Guests were able to view the progression of the historic eagle and falcon sculptures, and meet our female bald eagle, who has served as a living model.
The saker falcon is the national bird of Kuwait, and as Robert explains in the video link above, the overall impression of this portion of the memorial is one of joy, as the bald eagle, symbolizing America and the multinational coalition, leads the falcon to freedom. The Memorial is projected to open in Washington, DC in 2025.
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Raptor ID Class!
Sold Out!
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Juvenile bald eagle photo by Dick Vogel |
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Their Faces Tell Our Story |
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Anne Price's picture exactly captures what we have been saying for 44 years. Whether our audience is children or adults, across almost any demographic profile, our appearances still create the magical moments captured in this photo. Tiny humans are the BEST! |
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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 43nd 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!
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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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Cherry Creek State Park Visit |
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Labor Day weekend found us migrating down to Cherry Creek State Park, close to our old home at the Plains Conservation Center. Our good friend Michelle Seubert is back at Cherry Creek as the new park manager, and thought the Swim Beach visitors and campers might enjoy seeing a raptor.
We had a blast chatting with locals and out-of-towners alike, and digging our toes in the sand, not normally something we get to do during a program. Our male peregrine falcon had a great view of the jet skis, boats, waves and DUCKS! The occasional snowy egret kept his attention as well. Thanks Michelle!
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Join the 57 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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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, Zachary Nastri, and Mila Ringo
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