Photography Class at TRC Sunday Feb 2

TRC is offering two new classes - one on photography (this Sunday, Feb 2, 10am-2pm), and another using carbon dust as the sketching technique (Feb 23, 10am-4pm). Of course, our winged ambassadors will be the focal "muses" for these classes. Full information, including cost and detailed descriptions, is on our website. Class sizes are limited. Call 612-624-4745 to reserve your place.

TRC on the Road - Yankton, SD

Mike and Ricke

Maxime the bald eagle

TRC recently helped Yankton, SD celebrate Bald Eagle Days.  Mike Billington, Interpretive Naturalist, Juneau the peregrine falcon, Alula the red-tailed hawk, Maxime the bald eagle and Ricke the great horned owl, all greeted the public and made new friends. 

You can read a write-up of the appearance in the Argus Leader here.  The Washington Post also carried two photos of the event  in their slideshow - numbers 9 and 10.

You can always find where we are appearing on our public events calendar. 

Creative Housekeeping at TRC

Some of the birds are temporary roommates. 
Here is a look inside our Falcon Room today.

With the ongoing cold weather, we’ve had to do some creative housekeeping at TRC.  Mindful of the adage, “fish and company start to smell after three days,” we are so very grateful that our dedicated volunteers have been making sure that our “indoor company” (our education birds who are housed inside for the colder days) are housed in clean and very not-smelly rooms.  Our wonderful volunteers have been coming in each day to make sure that the birds' perches and other equipment are cleaned, as well as offering fresh water for bathing daily.

Here is a look inside our Owl Room today.

Look at how white Pi's head is!  He looks so much like Max!

Watch a Penguin Colony through an Egg Cam

Don't tell your employer if you miss two minutes of work time watching this great video! It's taken from an upcoming BBC feature called Penguins - Spy in the Huddle. An egg cam is placed in a colony of penguins. However, both a striated caracara and some turkey vultures discover it.

Why do Birds Fly in a "V"?

While that opening may sound like a riddle, here is an article recently published in the journal Nature that addresses research on this topic. 

Hunters of the Sky Summer Camp and Photo Class at TRC

It's not too early to think about summer camps! 

The Hunters of the Sky camp will bring together interpretive naturalists from The Raptor Center and Richardson Nature Center to offer you an in-depth study of birds of prey. There will be many opportunities to be up close with owls, eagles, falcons, hawks, and vultures. Two days will be spent at Richardson Nature Center exploring various habitats such as prairies, forests, and ponds. You will have the chance to help these birds and other wildlife by participating in stewardship projects. Two days will be spent off-site at The Raptor Center learning rehabilitation skills (such as reading x-rays), daily husbandry skills like preparing raptor food and maintaining raptor housing, and learning about animal training while a trained owl flies overhead. Remember to also sign up for the optional Minnesota Zoo Field Trip on 8/22. Ages 9-13.  $300.  August 18-21, Monday-Thursday.  #312910-15.  9:00am - 3:00pm. Register through Three Rivers website at ThreeRiversParks.org, or call (763) 559-6700.  

We also have some openings in our February 2 Photography class.  More information here. 

Update on TRC Raptor Clinic Patient Guesses

Thank you to all who are still placing guesses as to when our 40th Raptor Clinic Patient will be admitted, and which species it will be.

Red-tailed hawk has now become the leader, with great horned owl not far behind.

February 9 is also the date leader.

We have admitted 16 patients so far in 2014.  You can check the weekly clinic census here. 

Place your guess if you haven't already, and if you missed the date, please guess again. 

Visit our TRC Gift Shop for Sales This Week

This week, if you buy a T-shirt in TRC's gift shop, you get another one at half-price.  This includes long-sleeved and short-sleeved.

We also have pre-made nest boxes for some of your favorite raptors.  They are $20 each, or two (2) for $30.

Please call 612-624-4745 for more information.

TRC on KSTP-5 Tonight

Kelly Scott and Jamaica the red-tailed hawk

TRC met some new friends from KSTP-5 today.  They followed up on a story (below in this post) about a red-tailed hawk patient that we featured in a note to our friends recently. 

The KSTP-5 appearance will be during their 6:00pm newscast this evening.

If you'd like to sign up to receive e-communications from TRC, you can click here.

Brad Johnson, MNDNR conservation officer

Mestaae Has Lunch!

We thought you'd enjoy watching Mestaae, our education Eastern screech-owl, have lunch today. Note how he manipulates his food with his foot as he eats. As all wild birds do, he also periodically takes stock of his surroundings while he eats.

Help with Golden Eagle Research

The National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN is hosting the 10th Annual Wintering Golden Eagle Survey this coming Saturday, January 18. Although all established routes have been spoken for, there is still an opportunity for you to help out. Any Golden Eagle sightings anywhere in the state over the next two weeks would be greatly appreciated. Last year over 154 observers counted over 130 Golden Eagles in Southeast MN, Western WI, northern IL, and Northeast IA. Your information will help to better understand this wintering population of Golden Eagles. You can contact Scott Mehus, 651-565-4989 ext. 101 or scott@nationaleaglecenter.org.

Two Classes Offered at TRC

TRC is offering two new classes - one on photography (Feb 2, 10am-2pm), and another using carbon dust as the sketching technique (Feb 23, 10am-4pm). Of course, our winged ambassadors will be the focal "muses" for these classes. Full information, including cost and detailed descriptions, is on our website. Class sizes are limited. Call 612-624-4745 to reserve your place.

Dr. Ponder Quoted in Star Tribune article on Snowy Owls

TRC's Executive Director, Dr. Julia Ponder, is quoted in a Star Tribune article on snowy owls. 

TRC Education Birds and Cold Weather

As the colder weather has persisted, TRC continues to find ways to keep our winged ambassadors happy and healthy. Here, Alula the red-tailed hawk, is taking a bath inside our center. Making fresh water available for the birds ensures they have opportunities to keep their feathers healthy, and it appears Alula enjoys it!

Answers to Quiz Questions in TRC 2014 Calendar

Thank you to those who purchased a 2014 TRC Calendar (and if you haven't, there are still some left). We posted the quiz answers on our website. All of the questions in the calendar this year relate to TRC's 40th Anniversary. Learn some interesting things about us! (For example, what was TRC's original name?)

Update on TRC 40th Raptor Clinic Patient Guesses

We'd like to give you an update on the guesses for our 40th Raptor Clinic Patient.  So far in 2014, we have admitted two patients (but obviously our weekly census will reflect patients still in clinic, admitted in 2013.)

Great Horned Owls seem to be the favorite so far!

Go to our webpage to submit your own guess!

Casper the Red-tailed Hawk Hopes You Stay Warm and Safe

Casper the Red-tailed Hawk - and the rest of us at TRC - hope all of our friends stay warm and safe over the next few days.

2013 TRC Clinic Patient Totals

We thought you'd like to see what our 2013 TRC clinic patient totals were.  As of the morning of January 2, 2014, we do not have any new patients for 2014.

You can check on our weekly clinic patient census here.

You can submit a guess for when and who our 40th clinic patient will be in 2014.