Barn Owl

High in the chaffy, taffy-colored haze
of the hayloft, up under the starry
nail-hole twinkle of the old tin roof
there in a nest of straw and baling twine
I have hidden my valentine for you:
a white heart woven of snowy feathers
in which wide eyes of welcome open
to you as you climb the rickety ladder
into my love.  Behind those eyes lies
a boudoir of intimate darkness, darling,
the silks of oblivion. And set like a jewel
dead center in the heart is a golden hook
the size of a finger ring, to hold you
always, plumpest sweetheart mouse of mine.

From Valentines,
by  Poet Laureate, Ted Kooser
Listen

I can’t begin to express all that you taught me, but I’m going to try …

You taught me an ever-growing appreciation of and respect for living things. We were never without animals, always had a dog and some kitties when I was a child. You kept the most gorgeous garden. You often pointed out the more subtle beauties of the world around us. It’s not surprising then that I noticed baby birds in trouble and brought them home to you. Those babies set you on a path that led to the saving of thousands of injured and orphaned raptors, and in walking that path you inspired hundreds of people! But that’s not nearly all you taught me.

You taught me how to start my day by the cheerful way you greeted each and every morning. From you I learned the value of forbearance in the patient way you dealt with daily frustrations. I learned to love reading because you read to me. You taught me to pick my battles as you struggled to raise four kids far away from all your family. In our rebellious teens you loved us despite ourselves, and so as your child I felt an unconditional love. I also learned the meaning of clean, how to make Schnitzel, Knoedel, and Apricot Kuchen, and a sentimental love for old things and wildflowers.

From you I learned avocation and altruism, that serving a cause greater than myself is a sure way to happiness, even if that cause is saving just one tiny bird in downy feathers. I learned an uncommon awe in the proximity of eagles. I learned real empathy in caring for baby owls. In the establishment of one of the finest rehabilitation centers ever built, you taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing right and also to follow my dreams. I learned how to work hard by working beside you, in a place where the work was essentially endless. I learned that volunteerism means asking for the job that nobody else wants to do. You taught me integrity and how to stand by my convictions in your tireless efforts to improve the lives of captive raptors, and in your adamant care of the creatures that came into your hands. You showed me forward-thinking in all the childrens programs you gave and the seminars you organized. When you forced yourself to put down a bird with no chance for recovery to a decent life in freedom, I saw your strength and learned a new kind of compassion. I learned both hope and perseverance when you absolutely refused to give up, working harder than ever through lean times, a few episodes of mind-numbing burn-out, and more heartbreak than anyone should have to endure.

You taught me the joy of seeing truly the world around me, to know the landscape is full of the hidden stories of the wild things that live in it, and is not just the backdrop and scenery in the story of own life. It’s a priceless gift, to know and love and respect any creature for the endlessly complex, uniquely individual, and precious being that it is, in and of itself, nothing to do with me. Yours is the hand that has added a lifetime of richness to my days …

I see hawks everywhere.
I know the names of the singers hidden in mountain evergreens and prairie grass.
I am haunted by owls.
I miss you more than I can say.

Ever your daughter, Elke

Christmas 2008 Newsletter

We wish you all Happy Holidays and a fortunate New Year!

www.sharpeyesonline.com

Best wishes to you Will.

MyHawk, the albinistic Red Tailed Hawk that was struck at the Legacy Ridge Golf Course by a golf ball that fractured his wing is ready for release. He will soon be re-united with his mate of many years.

Stories on the 9 News Website:

White hawk continues to recuperate
‘My Hawk’ getting closer to being a free bird

On April 19, of this year he arrived with blood and dirt stains on his brilliant white feathers, trailing his left wing on the ground. He was reported to have been struck by a golf ball, sustaining a serious fracture to his left humerus. Two days later he underwent surgery by our fabulous Veterinarian, Dr. Lee Eggleston of Colorado Springs.

I named the bird “MyHawk” due to all the inquiries from people that have a special place in their hearts for this unique bird: “How is My Hawk doing?”

On May 16th the steel pin in his wing was removed, and on May 21h 2008 he was moved outside into our 100 foot flight cage to begin his recovery by exercising and working hard to fly across the cage effortlessly.
My Hawk is magnificent and rather arrogant. He seems to know he is special. The first thing he did when I removed him from his carrier was bite me in the finger hard enough to draw blood. Even that was an honor.

During all the weeks of his stay in ICU he kept his distance as each day we presented “alms” of good intention. However, he never missed a meal.

He has a dark spot on the back of his head, dark, beautiful brown eyes and three red feathers on right side of his tail tail. His talons are ivory white but his beak is black.

I have a folder on my desktop that is called “White Things”. Someone sent me a photograph of him long before he was injured. It is our hope that he will recover and be returned to his home soon to raise many more generations of Red Tailed Hawks with his spirit and attitude in the future. What a special bird he is!

Our Rites of Spring are equally important. We nurture and care for more than 90 birds during the winter months and look forward to their releases in the spring. These are our most precious rewards. To date we have released 66 birds, ranging from a tiny poor will to a mighty eagle.

The visits of Pelicans mark the heart of spring here on the Colorado Front Range. But we know that already. We have admitted our 100th bird for this year, and, with another 300-400 expected, our work has just begun.

The Babies are Arriving!

Great Horned Owlets. Our beautiful 26-year-old foster Mom Nina now has seven babies to look after. She is incredible. She feeds, nurtures, teaches and cares for these young orphans as if they were her own. During a recent attempt to take pictures of her and her brood she stepped up on a perch and began to hoot at me. She then proceeded to chase me out of her cage, to protect her babies.

More baby Great Horned Owls are in ICU and soon they will join Nina’s big family. All our young Great Horned Owls stay with us until fall, when owlets in the wild leave their parents.

Three Nestling Screech Owls arrived from Lamar, Colorado. Sadly, they lost their home when their nest tree was cut down. One of the babies appeared to be in dire need of attention; indeed, he seemed to be dying. He was the first to be examined.

Screech Owls have this great ability to turn off and play dead when the stress of reality simply becomes too much (an ability we might do well to remember in similar predicaments). So it was with this little guy, but when offered food – whoops! – our “dead” bird had no objections to eating! Even as he lay there on his back playing dead, he took and swallowed the food.

All the owlets are doing well and eating on their own and soon will go to our Foster Dad, Oscar, in a beautiful, spacious outdoor cage for further education on owl behavior and survival. They will be returned to Lamar in early fall.

Our first nestling American Kestrel arrived on May 21st – she opens the flood gate of the more than 60 young Kestrels likely to arrive this year.

You can help!

In-kind donations of saline solution (for cleaning wounds); game bird breeder and starter food for our quail; pine shavings; clean, crisp bales of straw are desperately needed. They are available at Front Range Pet and Supply in Louisville, 303-464-0956. Your donations can be dropped off at our ICU. Call 303-460-0674 for directions.

Don’t forget that we are always in need of your “gently used” items for our Thrift Shoppe located at 917 Front Street, Suite 100, Louisville. Please call 720-890-4311 for shop hours.

Monetary donations for the care and food for our birds may be sent to 2290 S. 104th Street, Broomfield, CO 80020, OR you can make an online donation.

Please, applaud! Good things happen every day!

This great event was witnessed by our 28 year old Bald Eagle, Adam, who vigilantly observed our Governor signing the bill. Adam was shot in 1985, when he sustained fatal injuries to his wing, which doomed him to a life in captivity. He now enjoys being pampered and spoiled every day. He has a magnificent view of the Rocky Mountains in a spacious enclosure, where he is free to move about; Adam has a room with a view1

Photo credit to Jerry Neal – Colorado Division of Wildlife.

A few weeks ago we received a call from the Denver International Airport about a juvenile Great Horned Owl on the runway. The thought of a beaten-up owl on a runway was not very encouraging and I was very concerned about his condition.

When “Jet” arrived I realized what a lucky bird this was. He sustained fractures on his carpals, which would be the equivalent of our hand. I slightly immobilized the wing of this cute youngster and thought of the place he came from. He reminded me of a newspaper story from May of 2007.

I had read the amazing story about a pair of Great Horned Owls that had taken up residence in the top spires on the north end of the white tents at Denver International Airport ten years ago. The owls have become a minor celebrity amongst employees and their image can be found on the cover of the employee directory. Sometimes they can be seen by people traveling early in the day on Concourse A. They have become the unofficial mascots of the airport. I believe these owls are the parents of young “Jet”. Jet’s recovery is progressing and he recently was moved outside into a flight cage to exercise his damaged wing.

Two orphaned and one adult Flammulated Owl survived the mosquito laden summer months in a room inside the ICU and thrived. They grew up in a large cage with live little juniper trees, lots of branches and plenty of hiding places. The cage next to them held our Boreal Owl and his little Saw Whet Owl friend. Both had to be brought inside to protect against the West Nile virus. At night the two owls were freed to roam the whole room.

A large tree branch provides lots of perching opportunities. I was a little concerned about the safety of the much smaller and fragile Flammulated Owls, should they escape. We covered the top of their enclosure with window screening to prevent accidental escapes and possible death. Each morning I checked and made sure every little owl was accounted for. One day I made a surprising discovery. One of these clever little owls found his way out of the cage by squeezing through two slightly bowed wooden slats at the front of the cage. The tiny Flammulated Owl had perched next to the towering Boreal Owl and appeared to be content and fearless. From then on all five owls have been living together happily ever after. It seems to me that “Opi” our Boreal Owl not only made friends with his cousin the Saw Whet Owl, but he generously accepted the little Flammulated Owls into his life. I suspect Opi is hosting nightly parties for his little friends and it seems to me they are having a blast.

Summer and fall are gone and there is a sense of well deserved peace. Many young hawks, falcons and owls grew up and were released to the wild. For now, 420 birds of 32 species were admitted and about 220 of them were released.

Spring and summer were tough on the birds and on us. Many youngsters suffered from West Nile Virus and other secondary diseases. ICU was filled with sick and recovering young Swainson’s and Red Tailed Hawks. We are very grateful for every bird that beat the odds.
Many of the recovered birds will have to remain for the winter and spring of next year and dream of freedom. And I too have a dream.

I have been dreaming of a mosquito proofed facility where our young birds can be raised without exposure to the virus. This year young Swainson’s Hawks and young Red Tailed Hawks were greatly affected. Most adult birds did not contract the virus, and interestingly enough, neither did young or adult Great Horned Owls. For the second time since 2003 Boulder County has had one of the highest counts of infected mosquitoes, who are the major culprits carrying the virus. In addition this new facility would serve as much needed winter shelter for cold-sensitive birds, such as Turkey Vultures, Kites, Flammulated Owls and others. I know it would never be empty!!

We have been very fortunate this year. Our friend Valerie Gates so generously donated funds for an Endowment Plan with the Denver Foundation. The grants from this fund will ensure the employment of additional staff to care for the injured and orphaned birds in ICU and the maintenance of about 100 birds outside.

Valerie gave me the peace of mind and the hope of continuing the Foundation’s work beyond my days of participation, (I have no intention to leave my work and the birds in the near future). In the past year I have been in the pleasant position to step back, observe and applaud my staff and volunteers for the good work they are doing.

Thank you, Valerie, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

The preparations are not completed but the foundation for the future is laid. Many of our friends are participating in the Challenge Grant to raise more funds for the Endowment Fund, and we thank you for your support.

In addition we are so grateful for the support our members and friends provided us with. So many of you adopted our birds and helped us with the rising cost of food for the birds. We were able to maintain and repair our cages, which is an ongoing project. You all came to our Phantom Ball, and we will see you there next year!

You visited us at our Open House, and we had fun and a great time! You came to our fabulous Fall Migration Dinner to enjoy each other. At the end of the evening I took Adam, our precious Bald Eagle from his cage and held him for the first time. He was a perfect gentleman when he gave me the honor of being so close to him. I felt humbled and honored by his presence. It was a great evening.

You sent us money in memory of your loved ones that passed away, and each time we release a bird their spirits rise to the sky. We honor and respect your love and sorrow.

Wise men say that each morning you wake you need to give thanks to the Creator for a new day. I do so every morning. I enjoy the colorful sunrise in the east as the light fills the house. I look out at the vista of Rocky Mountain National Park and the Flatirons as they are aglow in the rising sun each morning and I thank God for a new day that will be filled with new wonders, learning, service and gratitude.

And now, in the winter, when the sun sets in the south and reveals a new aspect of the mountains; the shadows and edges altered by winter light makes them look so different and magic. Each season brings its own beauty and becomes more awesome to me every year.

We wish you the best for the next year: happiness, health, good fortune and God’s Blessings! We wish you a meaningful Holiday Season filled with peace in your hearts.

Read the 9News story…

The money raised by the BoP Thrift Shoppe helps feed the injured birds in our care.

If you would like to make a donation to help, we gratefully accept online donations via PayPal. Just click the button below:

Or you can also mail your check to:

Birds of Prey Foundation
2290 S. 104th Street
Broomfield, Co 80020

The birds in ICU have cabin fever. Three times as many birds have been admitted this month as in January 2006. Three American Kestrels arrived with severely oiled plumage; four more Kestrels are waiting to be moved outside.

One Red Tailed Hawk flew into a window and is recovering from head injuries; another is recovering from unknown exposure to toxins; and a third, beautiful Rufous Red Tailed Hawk arrived with gunshot injuries.

A Great Horned Owl was struck by a fire engine and three other Great Horned Owls are recovering from head trauma and various other problems.

Two Turkey vultures had to be brought inside to prevent frostbite and damage to the skin on their heads and feet from sub-zero temperatures. “Charming Chuck”, a permanent resident, tries to convince all the volunteers that he wants to take a stroll through the ICU. But oh! The damage he would do to our premise would be awesome! Another over-wintering young Turkey Vulture sounds like an opened water faucet every time we enter her room. She is more than unhappy about her confinement.

Our sweet little Mississippi Kite can’t understand why he can’t go outside and be happy and Figi, our 20-year- old Flammulated Owl, is giving us dirty looks, unable to understand why he has to stay inside.

At this time of year, our Foundation is usually a quiet place as we prepare for the upcoming “baby season” and anticipated releases in the warmth of Spring. However, currently the ICU is as full as it might be in May or June. Ice and snow covers the outside aviaries that currently house about 100 birds who need extra food and care in these frigid temperatures. Outdoor chores have become quite difficult. Our volunteers and staff are working very hard to care for all the needy birds outside, as well as the additional birds admitted since December.

You can help!

In-kind donations of saline solution (for cleaning wounds); game bird breeder and starter food for our quail; pine shavings; clean, crisp bales of straw are desperately needed. They are available at Front Range Pet and Supply in Louisville, 303-464-0956. Your donations can be dropped off at our ICU. Call 303-460-0674 for directions.

Don’t forget that we are always in need of your “gently used” items for our Thrift Shoppe located at Pine & Hwy 42, Louisville. Please call 720-890-4311 for shop hours.

Monetary donations for the care and food for our birds may be sent to 2290 S. 104th Street, Broomfield, CO 80020.