Harley Update End of April

In the past week Harley has expanded his movements a bit and is spending more time about 5 miles west of Dairyland, WI in Douglas County, which is very near the MN border. He even ventured about 15 miles north into the eastern edge of Carlton Co., MN.

Duke Lectureship - Save the Date!

Save the Date for the Duke Lectureship Series
21 of October, 2011 at 4:00 p.m.
The Galapagos— Fragile Past, Brighter Future
Join Dr. Julia Ponder and Lori Arent as they share stories about their work with the Galapagos hawks. If you are unable to attend the event, there will be an opportunity to view the lecture remotely. Details to follow.

Don't Forget - Spring Raptor Release May 7

Our Spring Raptor Release is May 7, at Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington. The address is 10145 Bush Lake RoadBloomington, MN 55438. The event is 11:00am to 2:00pm, with release of rehabilitated raptors at 1:00pm.

During this annual celebration, participants can watch raptors return to the wild and photograph eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls. There will be children’s activities, a climbing wall, and educational displays throughout the day. Please bring empty printer inkjet cartridges to the event to support the Recycling for Raptors Programs. This is a zero– waste event.

“It is always a thrill to see the excitement when people – especially kids – get up close to these magnificent birds who have so much to teach us, ”says Julia Ponder, D.V.M., executive director of the Raptor Center.

Cosponsored by The Raptor Center and Three Rivers Park District, the event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Raptor Center at 612-624-4745. Please no pets at this event.

Harley Still Spending Time in Douglas County

As of April 11, Harley remains in Douglas County Wisconsin.

Northern Saw-whet Owl

The March/April issue of Minnesota Conservation Volunteer Magazine, published by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, featured a Northern saw-whet owl who was a patient at The Raptor Center. The bird was successfully released this past weekend at a local nature center. The site was chosen because the habitat is suitable for the bird to find prey in the short time it is here before migrating to its more northern breeding grounds If you look closely, you can see the metal band on the bird’s leg – this will not harm the bird or impede its movements. It instead will allow us to learn more about the bird if it is ever found or seen again, since we know something about its history already! Banding birds can tell us about dispersal and migration, life span, survival and productivity, population studies and many other things. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of North America online says, “Although the Northern Saw-whet Owl is one of the most common owls in forested habitats across southern Canada and the northern United States, much remains to be learned about its populations, distribution and movements, behavior, and breeding biology.”