Great loss

I lost a good friend on the 18th. I've known Bob Bales for a long time and was sad to read of his dying. He was my go-to guy if I needed fish for one of my birds. And every Friday he sent out "Bob's Friday Flowers", a beautiful photo of a variety of flowers along with some words of congratulations, good wishes, or just plain, have a nice day. He sent the last one out on Friday, the 16th, two days before he died. He will be missed by a lot of people, including me

Another visit

Two years ago I met Jonathan Wood when he was traveling to the northwest for a summer of programs with his raptors. I'd known him for 23 years after he got an adult golden eagle from me but hadn't physically met him until that first visit. Yesterday Jon, Susan and Rachel came for a few days between county fairs in WY and the state fair in SD. This time he brought some birds I'd never seen before. Along with gyr falcons, a black vulture, an eagle owl, barn owls, a peregrine falcon, a caracara, a kestrel, a golden eagle and a bald eagle, he brought harris hawks and aplamado falcons. The last two are only found in south Texas and farther south.

Altho I'd seen photos of aplamado falcons I'd never met one up close and personal. The are a standout. The ones he brought are just babies but they are flying to a lure in training for hunting. It was awesome to watch them come at the lure and eventually were allowed to catch it.

Aplamado falcon up close.

Look to the right of Jon's head and you'll see the aplamado falcon flying.

Gyr falcon coming in to catch the lure.

A field of falcons and two harris hawks in the background.

Baby gyr and Susan after the bird had his flying time. You can tell he's a baby because his feet and cere are still baby blue.

Black vulture and famous bald eagle. The eagle is the one who tried to bite Donald Trump during the Time Magazine shoot.

The caracara, a different looking falcon

Susan and the very large Eurasian eagle owl.

Happy 4th everyone!

My mom always told everyone that we were "almost firecrackers". My twin brother and I were born on the 3rd so I celebrated yesterday by watching the parade, walking around the craft fair and buying myself a wee cake to eat. Yummy!

I hope everyone has a good time today on picnics or whatever and however you choose to celebrate. And enjoy the fireworks.

Eagle count day

Saturday was the day to go on our annual Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Count. It's done all over the state along designated routes. I've done the Oregon Basin/HooDoo Ranch/Monster Lake Ranch route for a couple decades and this was an outstanding count year.

This time I was joined by Nathan Horton, a young man I've known for a few years now. He's one I can count on to fix anything and is very knowledgeable on raptors, especially golden eagles. We started out at 8:30 in the morning and ended at 2:00. Along the way we counted a total of 53 birds. That included 28 eagles, 21 rough-legged hawks, two redtails, one ferruginous hawk and one northern harrier. One of the roughies was a dark phase, not seen that much around this part of the country. The bird is shown on top of the power pole. Not the sharpest photo but you can see that he's absolutely chocolate brown all over.

This was also only the second time I've seen a ferrug and the first harrier in quite a few years. The other photo was a selfie that Nathan took as we were taking a lunch break. We stopped near the backside of the Monster Lake Ranch to enjoy the view. It was a super day made better with the company and the successful number of birds.

Thank you

The year is almost over and I want to thank each and every person and foundation who've donated to the care of the birds here at Ironside. As many of you know, Dr. Malcolm Blessing has done my bird work, pro bono, for the past 28 years until he sold the business this past Spring. That was a great donation on his part.

Since May the birds have been charged for all vet work totalling, up to today, about $5,600.00. I appreciate the fact that Dr. Prior has given IBR a 50% discount but these charges are still very hard on a budget. Naturally the birds require surgery from time to time, xrays and lab tests. The charges from the state vet lab for specialized tests have totalled another $575.00. We get no funding from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. As a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization, all donations are tax deductible.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and the new year is the best ever. Thanks again.

I'm speechless

Today I opened my latest copy of the Cody Enterprise and saw this in the Letters to the Editor section. I am overwhelmed at such wonderful things said here. I've known Nic and Joyce Patrick for, well, forever, since their kids were teeny. Now those kids are all grown up and have kids of their own. In fact Becky is due for her second child today.

Thanks to supporters like the Patrick's I'm able to take care of so many birds. And release them to the wild when they're ready. Those that aren't strong enough to fly away are then placed in educational facilities so millions of people are able to see these magnificent birds.

Awesome party

I just got back from Loveland and Boulder, CO where I attended a wonderful birthday party for a friend who turned 90 years old. Dolores Besson and her family moved next door to my family almost 40 years ago in Downers Grove, IL, just before their youngest daughter was born. Most everyone, including grandchildren, were able to be there so it was a great time.

We all went to the Boulder Dinner Theater and watched Mary Poppins after a wonderful meal. Then everyone went back to Dolores and Chuck's home for a birthday cake and a chance to catch up with our lives as we all live in different places.

L-R: Lisa, Susan, Dolores, Belinda. Front: Denise

There weren't candles so Lisa's husband, Jay, brought one up on his cell phone so we could all sing Happy Birthday. Granddaughter Brittany behind her dad.

Special visitors

Ian and me in 1978.

Ian and me two days ago.

Ian and Annie two days ago.

I had a wonderful four days starting Thursday when my godchild, Ian and his wife came for a visit. I first met him when he was two days old. His parents and I were living in Boulder, CO at the time, meeting when we were keeping horses at the same stable. Unfortunately they moved back to TX when Ian was just a few weeks old but we kept in touch.

I spent a long weekend down there when he was eight but hadn't seen him since then. He and Annie are now living in Denver and he is now 37 years old. It was a super visit altho the weather certainly didn't cooperate. They stayed in a friends sheep wagon, she rents it out for travelers who want to stay in a non-typical place.

Ian and Annie tried to go to the Park through Cooke City but again, the weather said NO! They did get to see how beautiful the Chief Joseph trail is and I took them to the Historical Center here in Cody.

Now that they're only about nine hours away we should be able to see each other more often. The next visit will hopefully include his mom, Linda, so we can all go tour the Park.

Holiday cheer

I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. It's been a busy year at IBR with many highs and a few sad lows but all in all a good one. Thanks to many generous contributions from friends and supporters, the birds are in good shape for the coming year.

And especially to Pacific Power and Rocky Mountain Power for their amazing help in rescuing baby birds from nests or putting them back into them after the fell out. Their foundations awarded this facility two wonderful grants in 2014. They have been supporting the birds for a couple decades, not only with grant money but with poles and manpower.

Everyone also have a wonderful New Year. I hope all your hopes and dreams come true.

A very sad loss

Lois and a Short-eared Owl in her care.

Back in 1987 I decided I wanted to become a bird rehabilitator. At the time there weren't any around so I went searching for anyone who would help me in my quest. I found a gem in the form of Lois Layton and her husband Frank. They lived in Casper which is almost a four hour drive from here. In my first years doing this work whenever I had a problem or question I could count on the Laytons for help and answers. Frank died a few years ago but Lois kept up with the birds even with failing eyesight.

I got a call this morning from friend Diane Morse telling me that Lois died last night. She had not been well but at age 92 was full of spunk. It's been many years since I saw her and now wish I'd made more of an effort to get to that part of the state. Lois was a mentor to me and also to Diane who lives in Gillette. Diane was with her when she died and right afterwards Diane walked to the front door of the house and stood there looking out. Amazingly enough the front gate of the yard quickly opened by itself. I have no doubt it was Lois leaving this physical world and joining Frank.

This amazing lady will be missed by all who knew her, especially Diane and myself who valued her friendship and guidance.

Famous visitor

I had a wonderful visitor arrive last Friday. I've known Jonathan Wood for 20 years but had never met him. That long ago he got an elderly Golden Eagle from me for use in his educational programs. He renamed her CODY and they were together for 16 years before she died. He then got another eagle, MORIAH to complete his collection of awesome birds.

Jon has a program called The Raptor Project and is based in NY and TX. He is permitted to give programs in all 50 states but usually ends up in about 44 of them. This time he was headed for Seattle for a few months and will do 400 programs in that time. He was traveling in a 60' motor home with special accomodations for the 42 birds he had along with him. That included 10 babies ranging in age from four days to six weeks. And in size from Kestrel to Crested Caracara and Gyr Falcon.

Here we are sitting in the shade feeding the 10 babies. I'm holding a Kestrel and Prairie Falcon with a Eagle Owl and Gyr next to me.

The photos show just a few of the adult birds he's using on this trip. They include a Bald Eagle, three Eurasian Eagle Owls, Snowy Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Lanner Falcon, Gyr Falcon, Crested Caracara, South American Lesser Yellow-faced Vulture, Black Vulture, Red-tailed Hawk, and many more. The Snowy Owl is one of those used in the Harry Potter movies. His Lanner Falcon was in the scene with Ben Stiller in his Walter Mitty movie where he lands on his arm.

The bird in this photo is an adult Crested Caracara and he seems to be giving me a very intense look-over.

I hope that if any of you get a chance to see one of his shows you take advantage of doing so. He calls the show Extreme Raptors and is an amazing combination of flying birds, information on the species and a chance to get up close and personal to birds you may never see other than in photos or on a video. Jon was only here for two days but it was a very fun visit and I hope he, his wife Susan and daughter Rachael can all make it the next time.

Photos were taken by Sara Sprung and Melissa Hill.

Super Memorial Day

It was a hot and beautiful day today so Sara and I decided to drive out the Southfork and see the sights. As she'd never been up Carter Mountain that's where we headed. Packed a Subway sandwich and altho we couldn't get up to the top as we could in the past, we found a wonderful spot on the road to see across the river to the north mountains. And just to prove that even if it's almost June, there's still snow in them thar hills. That's the large white patch behind us in this selfie from Sara's phone.

Newest photo

These two wonderful kids are my godchild, Ian Atkinson and his beautiful bride, Annie. I met Ian when he was two days old back in September of 1978 and have only been able to physically see him once since then when he was about eight. They live near Austin, TX but will be moving to CO soon.

I met his parents when we all lived in Boulder, CO and boarded horses at the same stable. His mom, Linda, and Ian, moved back to her hometown when Ian was just a few weeks old. She has traveled to Cody for a visit a couple times and I've been down there once. I may take the plunge and make another trip south this Fall depending on bird circumstances. I always have to plan around them.

Sssssssssssssssss

My volunteer, Sara, has some snakes and today I got to meet a couple of them. They are both short-tailed pythons. The top photo is of JUPITER, a Borneo short-tailed snake. The bottom photo is ISON, a Red Blood Malasian.

California dreaming.....

Wow! OMG! Awesome! Brilliant! Amazing! These are some of the words to describe the 10 day vacation I just returned from. I went to visit my friend, Jenny Papka, at the Native Bird Connections in Orinda. She has received five birds from me in the past seven years so I was able to see them too.

This is FIONN, a leucistic Red-tailed Hawk I received with a broken wing. She's now one of Jenny's most distinctive school birds.

We did a lot of driving, sat for awhile in traffic which is normal for that area (near San Francisco) but not for me. We visited the Oakland Zoo thanks to a friend of Jenny's. Kristin works at the zoo and got permission for us to go in the back and make a dream of mine come true. I got to meet an elephant. His name is OSH, he's a 14 year old African bull elephant and looking very large to me. John and Jessica, elephant handlers assured me he would grow another two feet.

(above) me touching OSH's foot. (below) feeding him banana pieces, he was very gentle.

OSH standing behind John, myself and Kristin. Note his size....

We also visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the California Academy of Science and had a lot of fun on an amazing zip line. I've included just a few of the photos from those trips and may post more in the future. Don't want to bore you with "What I Did On My Summer Vacation" photos.

l-r: Jenny, Matt, Susan and Sue. Sue Honeywell and her son Matt were just two of the group doing the zip line. Everyone was a lot of fun to be with. The other photos show how long one of the lines was and one of two suspension bridges we also had to walk across.

Standing in the Pacific Ocean, in Yosemite (before we were told to leave) with El Capitan and Half Dome behind us and in front of one of the Giant Sequoias. Talk about tall.

Thank you

To Rebecca, Michelle and Joanie for donating the feed I use for my birds. Because of the variety of raptors who come to IBR I need a variety of food items too. I use only a natural diet for these magnificent birds of prey.

Wounded

Nic releasing CARTER, a Rough-legged Hawk he and Joyce rescued from the side of the road after the bird had been hit by a car.











Just a few days ago this amazing man, Nic Patrick, went out to change water in his fields. He and his dog were doing their job when the world fell apart. A sow grizzly with two yearling cubs showed up and attacked both of them. It's not known what set her off but when it was all over both Nic and his dog were severely injured. He had his cell phone but in the attack it was knocked to the ground and the battery fell out.

Nic said she came back for him twice and if there would have been a third time he probably wouldn't have survived. He managed to make it back to the house but so his grandkids wouldn't see his wounds he wrapped a towel over his head. His wife, Joyce, and daughter were at the house waiting for his return so they could go on a hike.

Nic is now in a Denver hospital and will be there for about four weeks so he can receive needed surgery to repair all the damage done to his face and body. The injuries are severe but he seems to have a great attitude as I've been told. The dog was in the hospital today to have a tube removed and altho he looks a bit rough he's recovering too.

Nic's comment to the G&F people was "don't kill the bear". She is being sought so they can determine if she has a history of aggressive behavior. I've known Nic, Joyce and the kids for over 20 years and he's also on my board of directors. I've always thought he was Superman but now I know it's true.

Thanks Troopers

I want to thank Wyoming State Troopers, Todd Hardesty, Laurie Crocker and Scott Hall for helping to save injured raptors. Todd stood by and guarded an adult male Golden Eagle on Hiway 294 after the bird had been hit by a vehicle. Laurie, another Golden Eagle up near the Chief Joseph turnoff suffering from severe lead poisoning. Scott, just last Sunday, a Rough-legged Hawk that had also been hit by a vehicle.

TROOPER ROCCO was released back where he was found. Unfortunately JOSEPHINE succumbed to the lead in her system and the outcome for JAWS us still up in the air as we can't figure out what the damage is to his wing. It is amazing that these wonderful people would take the time, and care enough, to help injured birds. Thanks again.

Girls and piggies

I couldn't pass up this photo from my friend, Tiffany. It's of her daughters Libby and Lacie and the three cavys they got from me in the past few months. Their names are ROSIE, BLUE and SHELLY. These small animals ended up in the best home possible, their humans love them dearly and even give them "piggy back rides" around the living room floor.

A great loss to IBR

The bird world lost a super friend on July 30th when Ursula Kepler died. I met her in the late 1980s when she was running the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. All participitants met at her house after the count to do a tally and have some wonderful food. She even joined me on my four mile walking Cottonwood Creek route one year when she was in her 70s.

It seems nothing dampened her spirit or zest for life and she was a joy to talk to as you never knew what she would say. IBR became a 501C3 non-profit back in 1990 with Ursula a founding board member. She's continued in that role since then. She and Kep have also donated to the birds every year and her yard has been the release site for a few songbirds.

I was at their 50th wedding anniversary but missed the 60th. Kep was a very nice gentleman and always said hello and asked about how things were going with the birds. I will miss both of them.

Susan