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  Those in our audience, especially the women, should take some time to watch this short video.  This is what the “green” movement is all about, and when you grasp what is being done, you just might see things differently from this point on.  Please do not assume this is an endorsement for all of the opinions stated, however, most of the facts are very simply understood, and someone in your family will be living evidence of their validity. And just like the presenter, you just might want to thank industrialization, electrification, chemistry, and physics.

Raptors at Riverwalk Center, Breckenridge, Colorado- 2012 

By nature the Accipiter group of raptors is designed to live and hunt in very tight quarters.  This great video shows the results of an experiment set up to illustrate just how well the Goshawk can adapt to its environment in pursuit of its prey.

Note the video below as well, and can you see one of the major differences between these two adults?   What does that difference tell you?

Denver’s Exotic Urban Raptors  

  Birders Stay Alert!

2011: Very near downtown Denver, a lucky resident caught this very improbable visitor having lunch.  Adult Northern Goshawks normally do not appear in the metro area. The largest of America’s accipiters is normally found between 8,000-10,000 feet during the nesting season, and this time of the year they migrate to lower elevations. They nest and hunt in dense woods and are generally very secretive.  Immature birds will come out onto the front range, however, even their appearances are considered rare. Typically, the birds stay in the higher foothills.

Video clip shot by Aron Yacobucci.  Approximate location is 40th and Tejon at 5281 feet of elevation.

Denver’s Urban Raptors  

  09/09/10: Along the Cherry Creek bike trail at the Delganey bridge intersection, this short IPhone clip illustrates how well some raptor species cope with Homo sapiens’ proximity. For non-Denverites, the location is in the warehouse district near the Pepsi Center and the railroad yards.

This first year red tailed hawk, out on its own, is obviously hungry  and is not about to drop its catch even with a bicyclist bearing down on the bird. The velocipedian, however, seems oblivious of the bird on the path until the very last second.

The hawk flies off with its rodent lunch only to land on the old iron bridge. The bird allows the observer to walk up to within 6 feet while he talks to the bird who is nonplussed and continues eating.  Great clip! 

Video by Alexander Reshetniak

  The little screech owl should never be underestimated.  They often attack prey larger and more formidable than they appear to be. This great video clip from Michigan says it all.

 Eurasian Eagle Owl In Flight  

  Think of the drama involved in being the prey and attempting to elude one of the most powerful raptorial predators on the planet.  Make sure you watch this in full screen mode, and if your connection is fast enough, view it in HD. 1000 frames per second.  Simply stunning!

Thanks to our friends at Turbary Woods Owl and Bird of Prey Sanctuary in England.

Baby Owls in the morning breeze: extended version

February 25, 2008:  This little video has had over thousands of  viewers from all over the world.  It captures these recent fledglings sitting atop our facility after they had taken their first flights to land on top of our captive owl enclosure.