The Raptor Center – Providing Hope and Healing

We only take care of what we love, we only love what we understand and we only understand what we are taught.

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Rescue Attempt

Seems like the winter of 2011-12 will experience an invasion of Snowy Owls. A recent map created by Jesse Ellis, Post-doctoral Researcher, Dept. of Zoology, University of Wisconsin – Madison shows sightings of Snowy Owls across the upper Midwest just in the last 3-4 weeks. I saw my first ever Snowy this past Sunday.

Today, I received a Raptor Center call about another Snowy seen along 35E just north of downtown St. Paul. My mother (in town for Thanksgiving) and I grabbed our cameras and took off for a possible rescue attempt. 2 crows helped us find the bird sitting in some tall grass along side an entrance ramp. Several attempts to rescue the bird were unsuccessful and we can only hope that he makes it out of town safely.

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Thursday Flight Crew

Every morning, volunteers gather at the University of Minnesota to help rehabilitate injured raptors.  This week, our team flew 2 Bald Eagles,  2 Red-tailed Hawks, a Great Horned Owl and a Peregrine Falcon.  As we had an odd number of people this past week, I was able to practice my photography rather than handle birds.  I am always trying to capture the moment of release. 

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Fall Raptor Release @ Carpenter Nature Center

On Saturday, Sept 24th, the Raptor Center and Carpenter Nature Center partnered for a spectacular day of fall colors and raptor releases.  We released 6 birds, including 2 Red-tailed Hawks, a Broad-winged Hawk, a Coopers hawk and 2 young Bald Eagles.

The final bird of the day was released by Sunny, daughter of Vivian Neiger.  Vivian was the volunteer coordinator for the Raptor Center and lost her 2 year battle with cancer this past summer.  All of the releases were spectacular, but the final bird left the crowd teary eyed.

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