From The North She's Come...

For those of you that don’t know, I’m a Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) fanatic. 

An unhappy parent watching as we band Peregrine Falcon babies (photo: Cathy Spahn, WBS)

How these amazing birds survive at the top of the food chain is nothing but spectacular, preying on other birds which they almost always catch in mid flight.  Super maneuverable, the fastest creature in the world and long toes all help to catch slippery and evading birds.  During the months of May and June you will find me banding the Peregrine babies from the 7 or so nests in the greater St. Louis area.   When not in the field you can often find me answering questions from the “Ask Jeff” section of the Peregrine Cam, which is honed in on the pair at Ameren Missouri’s Sioux Energy Center from mid March through mid June (be sure to watch on our web site next year).

Banding Peregrine Falcon babies at the AT&T building (photo: Cathy Spahn, WBS)

On a weekly basis during the nesting season I answer questions in the “Ask Jeff” section of the Peregrine Cam, with all the questions coming directly to my computer.  I still had a few questions trickling in even well after the nesting season ended.  The other day I saw I had 6 inquiries, so I took a look through.  The last inquiry, dated 12 August, grabbed my attention as if someone dumped a bucket of icy water on my head (that happens a lot on all the social media sites these days). 

A person working at the Thomas Eagleton Courthouse in downtown St. Louis sent me a picture of an adult Peregrine Falcon.  When I first looked at the picture, I wasn’t too impressed because the picture preview was small, with the bird seemingly not well focused.  Upon clicking on the picture, my heart started to race.

Photo taken by Karen Schroeder on 12 August 2014 at the Thomas Eagleton Courthouse in St. Louis

 Even through all the spots on the windowpane the Peregrine’s colored band was quite visible.  Colored bands have been being placed on Peregrine Falcon legs for about 25 years, with the advantage being observers can see the letters and numbers from further away, which gives us biologists the potential to gather information from alive and well wild Peregrines.  On this particular bird the colored band had a black field above a red field, with a 95 and S respectively, as you can see in the picture.  

  

 I jumped from my office chair, coming close to pulling a leg muscle in the process (hours of physical inactivity then a super rush of adrenalin can do that), and bounded to my Peregrine banding records book, on a shelf a few feet away.

 I have records dating back to 2009 in this little notebook, with dates, numbers of babies per nest and locations, and nope, the band was not in it.  I then contacted Linda Tossing, WBS volunteer extraordinaire and band record keeper from the start of the World Bird Sanctuary banding activities in the early 80’s.  She didn’t have the band record either.  Not being able to find the band in our records only made me more excited, for it meant someone from afar placed the band on this bird.  Peregrine means “wanderer” in Latin, and the falcon is aptly named because babies hatched within the Arctic circle can wind up at the southern tip of South America.  They can migrate further than any other raptor in the world.

My next inquiry was to Amber Burnette, the record keeper for the Midwest Peregrine Society.  The Society hands out all the colored bands to all the licensed Peregrine banders in the Midwest.  The Society also receives all the records of bands placed on Peregrines through reports given to them by the same banders.  Amber was quick to respond.

This lovely female Peregrine was banded as a baby in Lake City, Minnesota on 31 May in 2011, in a Peregrine nest box atop the Horizon Milling building.  She had 3 siblings (2 sisters and a brother), and the bander, Amy Ries from the Raptor Resource Project in Decorah, IA, named this Peregrine Cyclone.

 Since Cyclone is a 3 year old adult now, and her picture was taken during the non migration season, it’s relatively safe to assume she had a family somewhere in the downtown St. Louis area.  The closest known Peregrine nest to the Thomas Eagleton Courthouse is on the 45^th floor of the AT&T building, a few blocks to the north of Eagleton.  A Peregrine’s nesting territory can be quite large, but even if the AT&T birds had a smaller territory, it would certainly encompass the courthouse.  Last I knew both AT&T adults were unbanded, as you can see in this picture taken in late March 2013, as the male on the left gave the female a blackbird he caught.

Photo by Mary Burns, AT&T employee, 2013

Was the AT&T female replaced by Cyclone?  This phenomenon happens a lot in the Peregrine world.  Is there a new nesting pair in downtown St. Louis?  Hard for me to believe with what I know about Peregrine territories, but not out of the question.  These questions and Cyclone intrigue me, and if I get news relating to Cyclone in the future, you can bet you will read a blog from me soon afterward!

Submitted by Jeff Meshach, World Bird Sanctuary Director 

International Vulture Awareness Day 2014

We love vultures!  Do you?

 Join us on Saturday, September 6^th, as the World Bird Sanctuary celebrates International Vulture Awareness Day 2014! 

Dorothy, an Andean Condor that will be on display, has a wingspan of 10ft and a beak strong enough to rip through seal and whale hide.

Ewwww, Vultures are Gross!  But we need them the most!  Find out more at World Bird Sanctuary as we take part in the international celebration of all things vulture.  

·     •   Shows featuring vultures and other animals, as well as music from the Raptor Project.

·     •   Special vulture exhibits, including Turkey Vultures and an Andean Condor

·      •   A kids’ craft for the youngsters to make

Skinner the Turkey Vulture--Turkey Vultures are native to Missouri.

Date: September 6^th, 2010

Time: 10am – 3pm

Vulture shows: 10:30, 12:30, 2:30

Admission and parking are free!

This event Sponsored by Ameren Missouri

Raising Baby

If you’ve ever had a bird’s nest in your backyard, you know the joy of watching a pair of birds raising their young.  It seems like the babies go from hatchlings to fledging (leaving) the nest in the blink of an eye.

For over a month, I have been privileged to witness firsthand the growth of a young European Barn Owl.  As World Bird Sanctuary staff members, we are responsible for the training of our young education birds, but some of us also get the responsibility of raising them.

In mid April of this year, a couple of European Barn Owls were hatched in our propagation department.  Two of these chicks will be education birds with the World Bird Sanctuary; so, when the chicks were about one month old, they were removed from the Propagation Department and given to the care of Education Department staff members.  I was fortunate enough to be one of the staff members chosen for the task.

Avery with his baby down (photo: JoHanna Burton)

When I received the baby, he was exactly one month old, and no more than a downy cloud of fluff.  I took home a crate, and all the necessary equipment to feed him as often as he was hungry.  My job was to socialize the baby and get him used to various people, places, and experiences.  I carried him to and from work every day, where we set up a pen for the babies in a corner of the kitchen.

Over the following weeks, the little owls changed rapidly.  Already being about full-grown in weight at a month old, the babies began growing in their adult feathers and losing their down.  As my little owl’s feathers grew, so did his curiosity.  He began to explore more of his surroundings (supervised by me).  Eventually he figured out how to pounce, which provided hours of entertainment.  Shortly after, he figured out how to use his wings to give himself a little more height on his pounces, which led to short flights.

Baby birds grow very quickly.  Avery with his "big boy" equipment (photo: JoHanna Burton)

Once the flights started, it was time to put the two young owls on falconry equipment, so they could be handled by trainers like the rest of our education raptors.  The owls are now on anklets, jesses, and leashes, just like the other education birds.  It took a day or two, of course, for the little owl to come to terms with the loss of his freedom of exploration.  Now, bringing the owl home in the evenings required also bringing home a perch and mats to keep him tethered for his own safety.

Learning the routine of stepping onto and off of gloves, crating properly, and going out on shows as a walk-on bird are some of the last steps in the little owl’s (named Avery) training.  He is a crowd favorite with his curious head bobbing and wing stretching.

Perhaps the next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary, you will see little Avery and his brother Oakley in the Nature Center weathering area.

  

Submitted by JoHanna Burton, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Here A Chick, There A Chick

The World Bird Sanctuary is known for our work with birds of prey, but we also have some cute, fluffy little friends running around the Lower Site.

A few of this year's crop of chicks (photo: Adam Triska)

Twenty-four Araucana and Cochin chicks have hatched within a 3-week period out of our incubators.  Just about every day there is a new little one peeping from the back hallway where the incubators are located.  The two species are unique in their own way and fascinating to work with.

Every morning when I come into work, I find myself going to the incubators in the ETC (Education Training Center) to look for another new hatchling.  Some chicks we find completely hatched, but others are slow to emerge from their shells.  We remove them from the top incubator racks that are designed to hold the eggs, then put them on the more secure bottom racks to dry for 24 hours.  After a full day of drying, the little chicks join the other hatchlings in our baby room.

Here you can see the rumpless characteristic of the Aruacana chickens (photo: Gay Schroer)

The Araucana chicken originated in Chile.  This fowl is actually a hybrid between two separate species of South American chickens.  The Colloncas are rumpless, meaning they have no tail or pygostyle (bony structure to support the tail), and are known for their brilliant blue colored eggs.

Here you can see the odd feather tufts sported by many individuals (photo: Gay Schroer)

Queteros are known for their loud, beautiful sounding males and tufted ears.  The Araucana is a delightful combination of these two exquisite species, bringing together some of their most distinguishing features.  Breed standards vary dependent upon region.  The North American standard for an Araucana calls for a rumpless chicken that lays blue eggs and has ear-tufts.

The Cochin Bantam chicken initially came to us from China.  There are two variations of the story about how this species gained popularity with the rest of the world.  One account tells that the private collection of the Emperor of Beijing was stolen by British soldiers.  The lighter version of the tale says that the Emperor gifted a flock to Queen Victoria.  Both versions convey that the Queen fell in love with her new feathered friends.

Bantam Cochin chickens look like they're wearing pantaloons (photo: Gay Schroer)

Bantams are known for their short, round shape and feathers that cover their feet.  The hens are very good egg sitters and have been used as surrogate mothers for raptor eggs.  Their friendly disposition and fluffy appearance have earned them a great reputation as kind, gentle pets!

It’s a refreshing change of pace to work with such cute, defenseless little fuzz balls.  I will never lose interest in tending to the babies and watching them grow up.  Before you know it, the males will start strutting and the females will lay eggs!

The next time you visit the World Bird Sanctuary see if you can spot these two distinctive chicken breeds.  The Aruacanas are the odd looking tailless chickens with the funny looking feather puffs on the sides of their faces.  The Cochins can be found in the Nature Center and in the Environmental Education Center (often running loose to greet visitors)—they are the little chickens that look like they’re wearing pantaloons!

Submitted by Adam Triska, World Bird Sanctuary Educational Training Center Superviso

Really Weird Animals: Greater Sage Grouse

The Greater Sage Grouse is found in the grasslands and plains of the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.  Their range used to cover 13 western states and 3 Canadian provinces.  Currently, it is only found in half their historic range.

A male Greater Sage Grouse (photo: The wikipedia files)

The Greater Sage Grouse is the largest grouse in North America.  Grouse are chicken-like game birds ranging in height from 12 to 37 inches and from less than 1 to 14 pounds.  They have feathers covering their feet and toes in winter to protect them when walking on snow.  The Greater Sage Grouse ranges in height from 22 to 29.5 inches and from 2 to 7 pounds.  Adults have long pointed tail feathers.  The males have a small yellow patch above their eyes, grayish brown plumage, with white around their neck and breast.

  

What makes the Greater Sage Grouse unique is their courtship display and complex mating rituals.  The adult males also possess two yellow sacs on their chest, which are inflated with air and produce interesting sounds.  Some sound like popping sounds similar to the uncorking of a bottle.  Males will also strut and dance and fan their spiky tails out.

Please click here to watch a video of a male performing a strut display. These birds return to the same breeding grounds every year.  The places where males come together and engage in competitive displays in hopes of enticing viewing females are called leks.  Dozens of males will be on display but only one or two will be chosen by the females for mating.

 

After mating, the females leave and find suitable nesting grounds.  They will nest on the ground, preferably under sagebrush for cover.  They lay between 6 and 10 eggs, which hatch after 25-29 days.  The chicks are precocial, which means their eyes are open and they are covered in downy feathers when they hatch.  They are able to walk soon after hatching.  Sage grouse spend 60 percent of their day eating insects, leaves, buds, flowers, and fruit.  By five weeks old the chicks are strong flyers.  Come winter, they may flock together or disperse.

The Greater Sage Grouse is listed as a near threatened species due to human development, conversion of land for farming, oil and gas development, and climate change.  The only other species of sage grouse, called the Gunnison Sage Grouse, is on the endangered species list for the same reasons.

Submitted by Sara Oliver, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist

Brothers

Here is another poetic flight of fancy by guest author Marge Biermann.  While bats and owls would never coexist side by side in the real world, Marge’s tale poses the question….what if?

Once in the still of a dark, cold night,

A single black bat took to his flight.

He was looking for a friend that would fly with him,

And maybe hang out on a Sycamore limb.

Flying solo was a lonely place to be….

What fun to have company, perhaps two or three.

Suddenly Bat saw a strange camouflaged kind of bird,

With the oddest call he had ever heard.

Oliver the Eastern Screech Owl (photo:  Gay Schroer)

Great large round eyes held him in his gaze.

Bat wondered if he worked nights and also slept days.

No harm in asking, though most birds didn’t like bats,

Being often associated with Black Halloween Cats.

But in no time at all these two were fast friends.

They would never, however, make attractive bookends….

One…coal black, small and quite fast,

While Owl was large and stoic in contrast.

Scar, an African Fruit Bat (photo: Gay Schroer)

Both had radar to fly easily in the dark,

But in a tree they had different methods on how to park!

One sitting upright to take in the panoramic view,

While Bat hung by his feet….all the better to look at you!

Talks were filled with Owl wisdom and Bat’s latest escapade,

So between these two a permanent bond was being made.

God created many animals….feathered and furred,

Different voices across the world to be heard.

He also made man the very same way….

All can’t understand what the other has to say.

Maybe we should take a lesson from our little bird friend.

How do Owl and Bat find that comfortable blend?

Understanding of equality comes to mind.

Sometimes of this fact man seems somewhat blind.

Often it helps thinking with one’s heart in gear….

Helps us to see the road ahead quite clear.

Tucking a small bit of love in our every act...,

Will help us make kindness a daily fact.

We can then enjoy what Bat and Owl know….

We are all brothers, why not let it show?           

To see both owls and bats (just not side by side) come out and visit the World Bird Sanctuary.  For more information about our hours and location Click Here.

Submitted by Guest Author, Marge Biermann

My Preparation for Zoo Shows

I first started volunteering (as a part of the World Bird Sanctuary Junior Volunteer Program) in 2007 when I was 13 years old.

I spent my first seven years volunteering at the World Bird Sanctuary’s ETC (Educational Training Center) doing pretty much anything I was told. Whether it was cleaning mews, prepping food, or doing whatever projects we had that day, I was always on it.

For the first 3 years I was always at the ETC, but when I turned 16 I was brought into a whole new world. Now able to handle birds, I was getting more into my work as a whole. Since I was able to do more with bird handling I would tag along with staff members on trips to feed and care for some of the birds on the exhibit “line” at the upper site (This is the area that is always open to the public.)

While I was there I was finally able to interact with the public.  It was something new and amazing to be able to talk to people who thought what I did was incredible. I now had a whole new appreciation for what I do. But I wanted to get out more without leaving the ETC, so I volunteered to work at any special events that appeared on the calendar.

There is World Eagle Day that I always enjoyed being apart of. It gave me a chance to help out on the upper site. I got the chance to walk the “line” and answer people’s questions, and I found that to be one of my favorite things to do. It always made me feel good to help anyone out or help clarify an “old wives tale” about birds.

Whenever a new event would come along I would do anything to try and be able to lend a helping hand to the public. But there was no event quite like Open House.  It gave me a chance to be at the ETC and also interact with the public--working displays, answering questions, and most of all giving tours. This gave me the chance to share the store of information that I had learned over the past seven years with guests, and they truly appreciate it.

After seven years of hard work I now know what it was all for—WBS Bird Shows that we present at zoos! That is what I have been training for most of my life--flying birds every day, hearing the “ooos” and “aaahs” from the crowd as our birds fly over their heads, and being front and center to bring the public a show like they have never seen before.  Every day I get to meet hundreds of new people and a few old familiar acquaintances.

I truly feel like the bird show is where I am meant to be.  I feel it’s what I am meant to do.  Now I know the energy I get from performing a show will never leave me.

Submitted by Ian Wright, World Bird Sanctuary Milwaukee County Zoo Show Trainer

Get ready to rock with Babaloo!

Babaloo is here!  This Thursday, August 28^th!  Our final Birds in Concert of the 2014 season is the hugely popular Babaloo.  Bring the kids and prepare them to get into the act!

Where else but World Bird Sanctuary could you enjoy free family entertainment that includes not only a concert, but live birds of prey and other animals?

Babaloo performing to a packed house - 2013 (photo: Gay Schroer)

Ready for something different?  Then join us this Thursday night, August 28, for a high energy, often hilarious, musical comedy act for kids (and parents) of all ages.  Be warned—this is not your usual run-of-the-mill kids’ crooner.  Babaloo’s show is fast-paced, totally interactive, full of fun props, hilarious tunes and wacky stunts.  Everybody gets into the act. 

This prize-winning Pied Piper packs more fun than seems possible into every show, and he performs over 300 shows per year.  The Children’s Music Web Awards named him “Best Entertainer”, and he placed 1^st and 2^nd in the world’s largest songwriting contest.  St. Louis Magazine voted him, “The region’s best family entertainer,” and he’s a selected touring performer for the Missouri Arts Council and Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Birds in Concert 2014 is sponsored by Ameren Missouri

Date:  Thursday, August 28, 2014

Time:  7:00 – 8:30 pm (Babaloo starts at 7:00, Raptor Project at 8:00)

Admission and Parking:  FREE!

Snacks and beverages may be purchased from our concession stand—or bring your own picnics and blankets.  Since Babaloo usually draws a full house you may want to bring blankets or folding chairs to take advantage of lawn seating.

Whole Foods Market will have a trail mix station for the kids.

St. Louis Sprout and About will be here with their prize wheel, giveaways and an opportunity to win tickets to Disney on Ice.

Nationwide Hendrixson Agency will be giving away St. Louis Cardinals tickets

Bring your picnics—bring your blankets (or chairs)—but most of all bring your kids and be prepared to be entertained!

For directions Click Here

For the safety of our animals and our other guests, no pets please.

Avian Training Workshop 2014

World Bird Sanctuary will be hosting its hugely popular Avian Training Workshop Thursday, October 30-Sunday, November 2nd, 2013.

If you've considered attending the World Bird Sanctuary Avian Training Workshop in the past but couldn’t work it into your schedule, now is your chance to plan ahead.   There's still plenty of time to arrange your schedule and take advantage of the early registration bonus!  Save $100 by registering before October 1st!

The classroom sessions cover a multitude of subjects

What is an Avian Training Workshop you may ask?  

The WBS Avian Training Workshop is an intensive 4-day workshop, which covers all aspects of housing, training, feeding and caring for raptors, parrots, corvids, and many other species.  The workshop includes both classroom and hands-on training.

You may have the opportunity to participate in emergency medical care of a patient

Subjects covered in the classroom section include:  

*  Establishing your own program--permits, insurance, facilities, staff & volunteers

*  Working with and training your bird--manning and positive reinforcement, desensitizing

*  Choosing the correct species to work with

*  Transportation--crates, permits, driving, flying, shipping

*  Housing--mews, jumpboxes, A-frames, flight cages, climate, hotwiring enclosures, substrates

*  Perch types--bow, platform, screen, etc.--which perch works best for which species

*  Diets--food types, frozen vs. live, storage, prep, raising food colonies, vitamins

*  Training your birds for flying--weight management, base weights, target weights, flyer food

Everybody's favorite--learn to fly a raptor

Everybody's favorite--the hands-on section:

Our staff believes the only way to learn is through the hands-on experience of doing things yourself.  At our workshop you will have the opportunity to actually do the following:

*  Make jesses & anklets

*  Practice imping feathers

*  Experience coping and trimming of a raptor

*  Participate in simple public speaking games and learn how different elements make you a better public speaker

*  Fly a Harris' Hawk and/or Barn Owl with WBS staff

*  Help train a new behavior with a Raven or crow (continues throughout the workshop)

*  "Be the Bird" in our training game

*  Participate in emergency medical care and do a gross necropsy on a raptor

The workshop also includes an extensive tour of WBS' facilities and opportunities to see birds and housing in use and up close.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED.  Workshop has a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 25.

WHEN:  Thursday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 2

EARLY REGISTRATION:  Sign up by October 1st - Cost - $650/person

LATE REGISTRATION:  Sign up after October 1st - Cost - $750/person

$100 non-refundable deposit required by 10/01/13 for early registration, balance due by 10/15/13.

Registration fee includes lunch each day.

Transportation to and from St. Louis, hotel accommodations and breakfast & dinner are the responsibility of each participant.

To download a registration form CLICK HERE

Further questions?  Contact Melissa Moore, 636-225-4390, ext. 0 or email workshop@worldbirdsanctuary.org

Red-tailed Hawk, Female

The following is a description from guest author Lisa Minzer about her incredible experience as the result of her purchase at Fete du Feather (World Bird Sanctuary’s auction fundraiser) of the Rehabber For A Day package.

Red-tailed Hawk, female is having one bummer of a morning.  She’d barely had time to dig in to her hearty breakfast of chopped mouse and raw chicken before she was rudely prodded from her perch by a human bearing a long metal pole.  To top it off she was captured and imprisoned in a plastic animal carrier and carted away from the open air enclosure that had become her temporary home.

“She’s clearly in no mood to be handled right now, and she lets me know it.”  Joe Hoffmann, Sanctuary Manager for the World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, MO, gingerly places her in my arms, instructing me to hold her carefully but firmly.  Her back is pressed to my front, and Joe moves my hands into position to grasp her legs just above her talons and hold her wings in place with my forearms.  The thick suede gloves I’m wearing make the task clumsy and the long leather apron covering me from throat to knee hampers my movement.  Joe steps back and nods in approval.

“Bring her down a little lower, Lisa,” he instructs.  “You’re holding her a bit too high.”

I glance down at the immobilized bird, and she’s scowling irritably at me, her mouth open wide.  I think she’s contemplating ripping off my bottom lip. I slide her down further so she’s beyond reach of my face.  I’m kinda attached to that lip.

Holding RTH female 

She’s known only as Red-tailed Hawk, female.  Despite her rehab stint at World Bird Sanctuary, she’s never been named. Naming implies ownership or attachment, and no one can lay claim to something wild like this, except perhaps nature herself.

Birds of prey such as this are instinctively wary—even fearful— of humans, so for their own safety, this natural reticence is carefully protected during their stay at World Bird Sanctuary.  Human interaction is kept to a minimum and birds that will be returned to the wild are deliberately kept away from the public eye.

 “Are you ready, Lisa?” asks Joe.

“I’m ready.”

This is the climactic moment of a long but very fulfilling (and enlightening) day at World Bird Sanctuary in St. Louis, Missouri.  

My sister Mary, me and friend Lisa 

I had arrived earlier that morning with my sister Mary, and friend Lisa, for a rare behind-the-scenes hands-on experience.  Joe Hoffmann, WBS Sanctuary Manager, and Catherine Redfern, Director of Development were kind enough to give us the grand tour and patiently allow us to assist them in their day-to-day duties.  And wow, some of the things we got to do!

Me holding Sirrocco, a beautiful Peregrine Falcon

I was able to meet (and handle) Sirrocco, WBS’s resident peregrine falcon.  Severely injured after a head-on collision with a chain link fence, Sirrocco is now a permanent resident at the Sanctuary, helping to educate the public about raptors like himself.

Holding the three baby Kestrels 

At the animal hospital on the premises, we assisted the vet as she examined the  American kestrel chicks pictured above– three sisters who had fallen from their nest.  Kestrels are the tiniest North American falcon. (They were all just fine, by the way.)

Holding a baby Red-tailed Hawk 

I volunteered to hold this baby (yes, baby) Red-tailed Hawk while my sister carefully used a tweezers to feed him delicious mouse gizzards or livers or something gross like that – it was pretty bloody.

Attaching a creance line to a soon to be released Great Horned Owl

Creancing helps handlers to assess a bird’s flying (and landing) ability.  A long, lightweight tether is attached to the bird and they are allowed to fly in an open field.   The creance allows us to get the bird back after the test flight.  It’s an efficient way to determine a bird’s readiness for release or if more rehab is necessary.  Here, Joe prepares a Great Horned Owl for his test flight.

But now--the release of Red-tailed Hawk female--is the best part of the day, and possibly more than anything else embodies the mission of World Bird Sanctuary – replenishing the wild populations of these birds of prey.

“I’m ready.”

“Okay,” says Joe.   “Then…1…2…3!”

Releasing Red-tailed Hawk. female 

My throw is awful, just awful.

Thankfully, Red-tailed Hawk, female, skillfully recovers, and quickly soars high above the meadow as hoped.  A bystander who has paused to watch the release applauds and we wave at him.

We quickly lose sight of her in the stand of trees nearby. As we gather our things to head back to the van, Joe stops in his tracks.

“Listen.”

And then we hear it, barely discernible through the filter of the trees: that distinctive, high-pitched hawk call.  And then again…and again…and again.

Our little group chuckles as we muse about what she is saying in hawk-speak: Thank you! perhaps.  Or see ya later!  Or about time!  Or even bad throw, lady.  But of course, no one really knows for sure.

No one, that is, except red-tailed hawk, female.

Submitted by Lisa Minzer, Guest Author