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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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Happy Fourth of July!
Summer is officially in full swing here in the eastern Denver area, complete with grackles, cormorants, kingbirds and TOADS! This has been a weirdly humid late spring/early summer, something we Coloradoans are not used too. "High and dry" is the way we like it here, and I know I instantly feel anything over 20% ambient humidity. But our amphibian friends love it, and Woodhouse's toads are always a welcome sight on the prairie, even when we find them half-buried in pea gravel in an owl enclosure.
We have a very busy July ahead of us, and as you can see from the stories below, our April, May and June have been equally filled with several of our annual spring and "end of school" programs. Our Spring Open House had record attendance, and many new faces, thrilled with the sight of our raptors for the first time.
In the midst of all of our typical spring activities, the discovery of an active peregrine falcon nest in downtown Denver threw us into overdrive, to say the least. Caring for and training 27 raptors, along with 16 docents, means I'm scheduling and juggling a lot...always. At any given moment by necessity, I have the calendars of multiple people in my head, as well as REF's. But the peregrine news stopped me dead in my tracks, once I allowed my brain to breathe and digest this incredible news. After all, our mission statement reads: Bringing Knowledge for Preservation of Ecological Diversity. Staring us right in the face, under our very noses, was the opportunity to bring knowledge, education, discovery and wonder to the public. Once an endangered species, the peregrine falcon is now sighted more frequently in some American states than the American kestrel. Peter's videos and Jeff Wang's photos have given us a glimpse into the lofty, ethereal world which they occupy, in the same city where we enjoy hockey, baseball, musicals, commerce and shopping.
Perhaps the moral of this summer, is to remember to look up every once in a while, in between keeping your head down and charging onward.
Wishing you all a safe, glorious and joyous Independence Day!
~Anne Price, President
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Raptor Day at Denver Botanic Gardens | |
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The third annual Raptor Day at the Gardens took place on June 7th. Visitors to the Gardens that day were presented with numerous opportunities to view our raptors up close in Mitchell Hall and our peregrine falcon in the Freyer-Newman Center Atrium. This year's custom-created film, "Colorado Eagle Families", was shown every twenty minutes in the auditorium.
The attendance far exceeded that of last year, and as usual, the DBG staff and volunteers helped everything run smoothly. This also included coordination with the School of Botanical Art & Illustration who sketched our female gyrfalcon in Gates Hall. These students learn classical illustration techniques for (usually) plants and other flora, and many go on to receive a Botanical Illustration Foundational Certificate. Each year they spend approximately two hours sketching one of our raptors, broadening their horizons from leaves to feathers.
We are very appreciative of our collaboration with Denver Botanic Gardens and enjoy introducing our birds to audiences already enthralled with the natural world. We're already discussing the 2025 event, and ways to make it even more engaging for our audiences. Thank you again to the entire DBG staff, including Patricia Harvey, Adult Education Assistant Manager.
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5280 Peregrine Watch Update | |
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Peter shot all of this video except the close ups of REF's peregrine, on June 26 between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. For those of you curious about the equipment Peter uses, all of the footage was shot with the same camera (Canon SX 60 HS), but the resolution differences result from the density of light on the subject. Those of you into physics need only remember that the matter composing everything you see is just frozen light! That's one of the most interesting theories...
Enough of that. The female is perched 30 stories up on the Xcel building. In the video you'll see that the wind is strong, but she's preening herself very fastidiously as she balances on a cement, steel, and glass cliff in her urban habitat. It's critical for raptors to keep their hunting tools (legs, feet and toes) clean and free of leftover food. At about 2:19, she opens her wings and appears to be reacting to something off camera. It could be an approaching hawk in the distance, or perhaps she saw her mate cruising by with food. Yes, apex predators can and do adapt to our cities! The question is: can we adapt to them living with us?
The final image is from the camera which the building owners have placed directly above the nesting area. Two babies were recorded on the camera, and one of the youngsters was assisted by REF's Anne Price in getting back to safety after its first flight ended 16 stories down on the sidewalk. Thanks to the fire fighters of Denver Fire Department Station #4 for making their building available as a safe site for relocation. HUGE thanks to the Hensel Phelps construction crew for making sure the male fledgling was protected when they saw him land on the sidewalk across from their new building.
See REF's Raptor Chronicles for the full story of the rescue on June 18th; you can subscribe for free on our web site. The story can also be viewed by going to the Raptor Chronicles Archives.
P.S. The two fledglings are not far from home. They are learning to hunt for themselves by watching their parents. They may also periodically return to their nest alcove. Peter is visiting on a regular basis to see if he can catch them in the "hood" before they migrate south for the winter. If you haven't seen how this story developed, click here.
We are working with the building owners to install a secure system by which next year's nest can be monitored in real time, via a high-resolution streaming camera. An anonymous donor has become our first Platinum Peregrine Patron to underwrite the costs involved. The image captured via the current camera (shown in the video above) comes from a building security camera with low resolution and no streaming options. Please consider joining this effort!
Special thanks to Unico Properties LLC, for being Denver’s peregrine eyrie (nest site)!
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For the second year in a row, we were honored to attend the Memorial Day Service at Olinger Highland Mortuary & Cemetery in Thornton, Colorado. In addition to a service, bagpipes, F-16 flyover, and a 21-gun salute to honor our fallen heroes, attendees were able to see America's national symbol, the bald eagle, up close during our special program.
The opportunity for close-up photos and the fascinating story of how the bald eagle became the symbol of the United States are all part of the package when you attend one of REF's Eagle Encounters. Call our office at 303-680-8500 to book an eagle for your special event!
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Lots of Other Ways to Help! | |
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!
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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!
| 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 2024! 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!
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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
Previous Issues Archived Here
Just in case you've 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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At the end May, we paid a visit to Eagle Academy in Lone Tree to deliver a special program about golden eagles. Instructor Susan Simpson had visited our booth the previous January at the International Sportsmen's Expo, and there she met our female bald eagle.
Susan, working with high school students at Eagle Academy, wanted to do a student-lead fundraiser for a specific cause, and after conversations with president Anne Price, she settled on raising funds to purchase a very large kennel to hold our massive, two-year old female golden eagle. Anne explained to Susan that the present kennel we're using (also shared by our female bald eagle) is over 40 years old, and a newer one with a modern, sturdy design was needed.
The kids raised the funds, and our female golden eagle (traveling in the old kennel) furthered her education as an ambassador bird, behaving perfectly in the meeting-style office space and classroom. The students asked very thoughtful questions about her history and training, and provided the perfect, up-close audience.
THANK YOU to Eagle Academy for our new kennel for our newest eagle!
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Join the 75 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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After a bit of a hiatus due to the prevalence of HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza), we finally opened our doors once again and enjoyed beautiful weather for our Spring Open House on May 4th.
The Force was with us, bringing a record attendance, perfect temperatures and the chance for both old friends and new to meet our new birds, including our female golden eagle, black female gyrfalcon, female red-tailed hawk and male turkey vulture. We had a full mews and a full house and porch, and we're very grateful for the many donations we received.
The blue shoe covers our guests were wearing were provided by Staples (David Carr, Manager). Huge thanks as well to Mike and Diane McCubbin for bringing cookies, tables, and a great sense of humor. Thank you to all who attended!
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Northglenn Thornton Westminster Water Festival | |
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Since 2004, the Northglenn Thornton Westminster Water Festival has hosted more than 12,000 4th and 5th grade students at Front Range Community College. And we've been there almost since the beginning!
This unique experience allows students to learn about the critical role fresh water plays in ecosystems around the world and in the health of our planet. From science experiments revealing the chemical properties of water, to hands-on activities and lectures like ours, kids leave with a greater appreciation of how precious clean, fresh water is to all life on Earth.
Even during the height of Covid in 2020, we still created a special video for the "remote" Water Festival Day, shot on location at REF's facility. We always look forward to this event, compressing our 60-minute Raptor Roundup program down to a 20-minute presentation...and doing it three times over four hours for about 500 students.
Thank you again to the amazing and well-oiled machine that is the NTW Water Festival!
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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, Panama, 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: Kristy Bortz, Clarissa Cigrand, Megan Considine, Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Denis Murray, Karen Ogle , Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Robert Mitchell, and Peggy Plaus
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