Birds of Prey

 A couple of years ago I posted about meeting Sweetpea, one of the feathered ambassadors from the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, at the North Texas Irish Festival.  You can read the post about that meeting here.  In May of 2011 and again in 2012, I had the privilege of meeting many of her fellow ambassadors and learning more about the important work carried out by the staff of the raptor center.  I love helping charities and conservation groups so after visiting and learning about their work and their financial and material needs I decided to do what I can to draw attention to them and help as much as possible.  To begin, please visit their website where you may learn about the residents of the center, see the schedule of upcoming events, read about many types of raptors, peruse their list of needed items, and make an online donation.  Also, please visit my Zazzle shop if you find yourself in need of prints, canvas prints, and a variety of products such as calendars, greeting cards, keychains, mousepads, cell phone cases, and much more, printed with photos of the birds from the raptor center.  We even have cases for laptops and tablets.  A portion of the sale of these products is donated to Blackland Prairie Raptor Center in support of their mission.

All of the birds living at the center are non-releasable due to injury or as a result of being raised by people.  Birds raised by people have been imprinted by humans rather than their species and cannot properly care for themselves in the wild.  The directors and volunteers at the raptor center provide excellent care for the birds, they rescue birds of prey that are in need, and they educate the public about raptors and about the importance of protecting them and respecting their place in the world.  They stress the importance of letting the birds stay wild whenever possible instead of trying to raise them as pets.  Too often, when a bird of prey is found in need, well-meaning people pick them up and try to keep them, only to learn that it is much more difficult than keeping a dog or cat.  These birds are wild creatures with very specific dietary needs, as well as exercise and medical needs that would be difficult for most people to meet.  If you find a raptor in need of help, please contact someone who has the facilities and expertise to take proper care of them.

Each year the center holds a photography day for anyone wishing to learn about the birds and photograph them in a natural setting.  The human ambassadors do a great job and the feathered ambassadors really seem to enjoy showing off..  One particular show-off was the young, male red-tailed hawk.  His age at the time of the 2011 photo day was the equivalent of a human teen and he was every bit a teenager - strong, handsome, confident, believes he is in charge and wants everyone to know it.  Like all hawks, he loves facing into the wind and spreading his wings.  He lives at the raptor center because he was found with both wings broken when he was younger.  He is able to fly but not well enough to survive in the wild.  Just don't tell him that.

Red-tailed Hawk (male)

The Great Horned Owl is a particularly endearing creature.  He has all the fearsomeness of a great predator but speaks to his handler in baby talk - tiny, adorable chirps and squeaks.  He was found as a baby and raised by people and as a result he never learned the vocalizations of an adult.  As a human imprint, he is, as I said earlier, non-releasable, so he lives in raptor luxury at the center.

Great Horned Owl

The center's three Eastern Screech Owls also charmed us all.  Red phase screech owls are more common in the eastern United States, the gray more common here in Texas.  There are also variations of those colors seen across the US.  The raptor center has a male red phase, a female gray phase, and a male brown phase.  They look somewhat like tiny great horned owls.  I think it's safe to say the screech owls are the cutest creatures I've ever seen in person.  The little female was raised by a human family who found her as a baby and she is completely at ease around people, which of course makes her non-releasable but exceedingly appealing.

Eastern Screech Owl (Red-phase)

Eastern Screech Owl (Gray phase)

Eastern Screech Owl (Brown phase)

 There were several other birds for us to see on this visit, all of them knowing full well how awesome they are.  No matter the size, cuteness, or age of these birds, they all have that look of a fearsome raptor.

American Kestrel

Mississippi Kite

Peregrine Falcon

Barred Owl

Red-tailed Hawk (female)

Barn Owl

Red-shouldered Hawk

I'll leave you with one last reminder to visit the center's website.

I hope you enjoy seeing these wonderful birds.  Keep well everyone, and enjoy life.

My 2013 Raptor Photo Calendars

Last year, through your purchases of calendars, greeting cards, and postcards, I was able to make a lovely donation to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center in support of their mission.  I am hoping to make another, preferably even larger, donation after this holiday season.  Please visit any of my online shops to see the images of their amazing raptors.  The best selection can be found in my Zazzle shop.  You may also wish to visit the raptor center's website and donate directly to them at http://www.bpraptorcenter.org/  Here are two ways you and I can work together to help these beautiful birds:

Beautiful Raptors 2013 Photo Calendar by VisualJourney

Birds of Prey 2013 photo calendar by VisualJourney

Appreciating Every Moment

It's been a while since my last post.  We've been out hiking and enjoying the beautiful spring weather.  We just celebrated my son's 18th birthday, so I'm enjoying every opportunity to do fun things together before major life changes send him out into the world.  These are precious times and I'm so thankful to have this time with him.

I've also been experimenting with the camera in my new cell phone - a Motorola CLIQ XT.  Obviously the photos it takes aren't large enough images to sell, but it's great for preserving the memories and moments that otherwise might slip away.  Here are some of the images from our hike at the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary this week.  Pretty nice photos for a 5mp camera.

This is an important and sad time at the Heard - the North Texas Municipal Water District is putting a sewer line through this beautiful place.  They began work on the line with no warning to the museum.  When the work was discovered, employees and volunteers rushed to save plants that would be pushed aside and destroyed by the work.  The Heard is a 289 acre sanctuary with wetlands, old growth forest...it's a beautiful and amazing wonderland in an area where this type of paradise is shrinking daily.  This Earth Day, there is a peaceful demonstration at the sanctuary against the sewage line, which has been made necessary due to the extensive housing developments that have been built in the area.  *sigh* Progress...not.

Daily I am reminded how precious each moment is and how very lucky we are to have family, friends, and beautiful places.  Enjoy them to the fullest because life doesn't stand still and tomorrow could be very different.  Hug your loved ones...and hug a tree too while you're at it. :)

Blackland Prairie Raptor Center

Last weekend at the North Texas Irish Festival I had the pleasure of meeting Sweetpea - an Eastern Screech Owl (Gray-phase). "Hatched in the spring of 2003, she was found by a family and taken home, where they raised her on hamburger meat. After discovering that it was illegal to keep her, they took her to the authorities who found her to be in good condition.  Unfortunately, as an ‘imprint’ she was non-releasable."  Sweetpea had not been raised by owls and had no idea how to hunt, and upon seeing a person her response was "Gimme a hamburger!" She was transferred to the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center in August 2004 as an education ambassador. She excels at her job, calmly watching all the people as they ooh and ahh over her.


Eastern Screech Owls are native to North Texas and are, in fact, our most common owl. The gray coloring is more common here, although the other colors are present here as well. The variety of color morphs from gray to brown to red as you move across the US, with red coloring being the most common in the eastern states.

They live primarily in wooded areas and nest in the cavities of trees, however, they occasionally use nest boxes that have been placed 15 ft. up off the ground in protected areas. They lay 4-5 eggs that are incubated for about 26 days. The young fledge in about 4 weeks but remain dependent on their parents for another 8 weeks.

The full grown screech owl is 8" in length with a wingspan of 20" and they weigh 4 to 6 ounces. It is amazing to see a bird with the appearance of a Great Horned Owl but the size of a robin.  The adorable feather tufts on top of the head that act as camouflage but look like ears are not present until adulthood. These perch and pounce hunters eat large cockroaches and mice so they make wonderful neighbors.

Screech owls have two distinct, soft calls. A long trill on the same note is a communication between Screech Owls. The second is a descending whinny that sounds like a horse. This call communicates irritation by a human or animal intruder in its territory . I have heard this call in my neighborhood many times and it truly sounds like a tiny horse - made me picture a tiny Pegasus up in the tree.

The BPRC is a raptor conservation and education center with many activities and events scheduled around the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They care for numerous types of hawks, falcons, and owls. These birds have been rescued and are used in the education program to teach about our native birds as well as to teach appreciation and protection of these wonderful creatures.  Visit my blog post Birds of Prey for more info and images of some of their other birds.

Visit the website at http://www.bpraptorcenter.org/ and become a fan at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blackland-Prairie-Raptor-Center/293353771975?v=wall