Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Feeding a Red-tailed Hawk Mice from a Glove

This young lady is a volunteer at the Clinch River Raptor Center, a rehab and educational center for birds of prey.  I am fortunate to be part of the center because there I have access to the birds and have made good friends of those who operate the center.  I am able to be part of educational programs presented to school children, special groups and the public.  This young lady is still able to do what I do not but have tired: She feeds the large hawk from her gloved hand.   When I tried, the hawk would have nothing to do with me and would not come close or go to the glove to get the mice. This photograph is on Facebook, page Clinch River Raptor Center.



Do you see the tail of the mouse in the beak of the hawk? The mice are presented head first and the head is the first part eaten.  Several mice are given this hawk for its meal.  The volunteer must hold the mouse tightly or the hawk will take the entire body in one large gulp! (These mice are dead and come from a lab mouse supplier.)

For more images from the raptor rehabilitation center, please visit my website. There you will see photos from my works in artistic, entertaining and educational directions.  There is a section on real estate property photography because I am developing that as a business...a difficult task in times of an economy not favorable to a new business formation and growth. Client galleries are private and require a password to view. Other galleries are open for your viewing and enjoyment.  One gallery contains  various photos from this blog and a small group of galleries is devoted to the Clinch River Raptor Center.  You might find  joy in what you see at the website and I put the link here:Thomas Haynes Photography

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I have a special and dear friend who lives in Russia. I hope you see this blog post, my friend Sergey. : )
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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Coopers Hawk Profile and Barrred Owl


COOPERS HAWK

 This injured Coopers Hawk is a recent addition to the Clinch River Raptor Center.  I am not certain of the extent of injuries to its wing. You may "like" these photos on the Raptor Center page of Facebook, here: Clinch River Raptor Center, Facebook


The Barred Owl below is an educational bird held by Kris, one of the founding sisters of the raptor center. With an owl and flash..red eye is almost expected!  The event is an OWL PROWL at early evening in the University of Tennessee Arboretum.  Birds are shown and hikes go into the woods to listen for owls.  When I arrived the director of the arboretum told me I was number 207 in attendance.  That was a well received event on a pleasingly cool October evening.  The arboretum itself is a marvelous place to visit during normal daylight hours and walk among the many trees and across small fields. The day prior was my first time to recognize a Bur Oak and see the huge acorns the oak produces. Photos of those will be posted fairly soon.
BARRED OWL