Hawk Hideaway Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
The other day I had the opportunity to visit my dear friends John and Mary over at Hawk Hideaway Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Cuba, NY. During our visit their educational Snowy Owl was very vocal in the back room and we took a look on why it was so vocal!
Snowy Owl wanting to share its food!
It appears that the equinox has triggered its instincts to give its food as an offering with its mate! Do you think this rat would make a good offering to you? I know my cats always leave me a mouse whenever they catch one!! I always return the favor for leaving them some catfood in their bowl each day.
The video above was posted on youtube from an educational outing that they did last summer. I love seeing that John was sporting our MAPS caps when talking about the birds. You can see their new Hawk Hideaway webpage at www.hawkhideaway.org.
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What beautiful birds.
21 March 2008 at 7:48 pm
So beautiful. I enjoyed the video so much. Thanks to John and Mary!
21 March 2008 at 8:58 pm
That was an interesting video! I think the hawks are so elegant, even though they are also kind of primitive. That snowy owl is beautiful. Must be an great place to visit.
21 March 2008 at 9:06 pm
Wow… I love the close up shot of the owls eyes. Beautiful!!
21 March 2008 at 9:21 pm
Tom-
Wow, what an amazing close up of a snowy owl! Keep the good stuff coming-
Tom
21 March 2008 at 9:45 pm
What a great video! I’m coming back when I have more time and watch it again. Great pictures of the rat, ha. And how nice that your cats love you enough to leave you a mouse. 🙂
21 March 2008 at 11:32 pm
@ Lisa – thanks
@ Mary- thanks and they both really make a difference in all of the animals that they work with! I am lucky to know them!
@ rondi – they are amazing to see up close!
@ Jessica – thanks and they do have amazing eyes!
@ Tom – You know me, always looking for something great to share!
@ Linda – Thanks, whoever did the video did a great job! It is much longer than I expected the first time I watched it. I think they have chased all the mice out of the house . . . it has been since first snow this fall that Lazy got one!
22 March 2008 at 12:15 am
Tom, great video about the refuge.
It is really neat that there are people in the world who care as much as your friends do about these birds.
It takes a good heart.. and I commend them for a job well done.
~nita~
22 March 2008 at 12:46 am
We organized a trip out to our local raptor shelter last year and it was amazing… such selfless, awesome people. We learned a lot from that trip – everything from mites to man-made reasons for their injuries… While we were visiting, they brought in a new rescue and we got to experience what they do to the bird, how they calm it, how they check it over for injuries… it was great. Your photos and experience reminded me of our experience and I thank you for that. Great job on the photos and video! Thanks for sharing.
Oh, and the bit about your cats and sharing… years back while babysitting for a friend, their cat came in with a mouth full of white dove! Followed by a distraught neighbour who thought it was a great idea to let her pet dove have some fresh air out on the front yard (wings clipped so she couldn’t fly away)… oy… big mistake! Anyhow, the dove was deposited under the master bed as a very generous gift to my friend and her husband!
22 March 2008 at 1:54 am
Great pictures and a really interesting video. I enjoyed your post on the fisher from a day or two ago, too. You’re always teaching me something on your site.
22 March 2008 at 5:52 am
Wow, that’s an intense closeup! I love it! If the owl wanted to share his rat with me I’d accept (I wouldn’t dare not to, LOL!)
I *love* the video!! Thanks for sharing it. It reminds me of being in Arizona and seeing the hurt birds of prey there.
Hmmm, Cuba, the place where I exited off the highway, but I couldn’t get back on!
22 March 2008 at 8:41 am
What love and dedication John and Mary have to these birds… and how lucky many of these birds are to have such dedicated friends.
22 March 2008 at 9:41 am
Now waiiit a danged minute. Am I just being dense? Waaaahhh.
Tom. Where the heck did he get that {{rat}} ewwww!?
I’ll go back and watch the videos, but inquiring ‘freaked out’ minds WANT to know.
I mean – it wasn’t just crawling around ‘wild’ inside the rehab place . . . . right (?)
22 March 2008 at 10:27 am
Reminds me of when our cat used to deposit half-eaten birds, mice, etc at our back door when I was a kid.
“Nothing says love like rabbit parts!”
22 March 2008 at 10:46 am
At our local raptor shelter, they actually leave live animals in the cage for the injured animals to catch – at least for the ones that are able to. They are wild animals and that is how they eat. They don’t want the animals to get used to humans feeding them as most of the injuries occurred near humans and due to humans… so, if they hang around humans expecting food to be delivered, it may not end so well for them. Also, the shelter wants them in and out as quickly as possible for the same reason. Rehabilitate and release.
I’m not sure if that’s what they do here though…
22 March 2008 at 11:11 am
One could get lost in those eyes.
22 March 2008 at 12:12 pm
Hi Monarch, I have to thank you for this post. Some of the neatest memories my kids talk about is when a rehabilitation center for birds came and talked to their school. (They also allowed them the opp. to open up owl pellets.) I got that it was an unforgettable experience for them based on the amount of discussion one day at school came to the dinner table – and still does. I hope that your friends know how important their work is and how much as a mom I appreciate it!
22 March 2008 at 12:15 pm
Awesome birds..what a great video and a great service your friends are doing…..
We saw a huge hawk steal an egg from a nest this morning….don’t know whether to feel sorry for the bird whose egg was stolen or happy for the hawk who got some breakfast….
22 March 2008 at 12:47 pm
Awesome photo! Marvin hit the nail on the head when he said “one could get lost in those eyes.” So true. Thank you so much for this wonderful site.
I, too, have had presents left for me by the many cats who have graced my life. Many times, though, I have been able to rescue the potential victim – which is very satisfying for me, very confusing for my cat who continues searching all about trying to find it. LOL 🙂
22 March 2008 at 2:14 pm
The owl is beautiful. And very kind to share. My cat used to share, too – it was awful and awesome at the same time.
22 March 2008 at 3:44 pm
Fabulous video-I love the shot of the snowy with the rat…..sorry Mr. Snowy but the rat really isn’t my cup of tea ;D
22 March 2008 at 5:59 pm
@ Nita – they do an amazing job with the place in taking care of the animals! Thanks
@ Pinar – It is great you were able to get out and visit the place! Although, I didn’t do the video, someone else did (I just took it from youtube!)! Sorry to hear about the white dove! Whoops!
@ Beth – Thanks and I love being able to share the things I find!
@ Pam – To be honest, I did a little cropping with the photo but you know my photography! I think that is the same Cuba that I am talking about! LOL! Although, construction is over now!
@ Jayne – These are just the educational birds that you hear about . . . you don’t hear about the many birds that are released healthy again!
@ Cathy- LOL, he got the rat from the freezer (after being thawed out)! It was not crawling around wild inside the place!
@ Dave – My cats are inside cats but if anything makes it inside . . it’s fair game!
@ Pinar – These guys are very much like that! Actually, Mary had built a pen for orphan fawns and or bear cubs who could be feed without any human encounters. Quick in and out is important to any rehabilitation center! But, only when the birds/critters are ready to go!
@ Marvin – thanks
@ aullori – I think it is very important when they visit schools! I am more than sure they know how important their job is! They have been doing it for over 50 years!
@ Sherry – It does happy and many times crows or jays are takers of eggs! Actually Red Squirrels are a big taker of bird eggs!
@ Elaine – and thanks for visiting! My cats always seem to amaze me each day!
@ Barb – thanks
@ Marg – thanks and I think this is more for Mrs Snowy! LOL
22 March 2008 at 6:24 pm
The Youtube video was amazing. So wonderful to see the raptors up close. Thanks for sharing to us their wonderful work!
22 March 2008 at 8:04 pm
That was a neat video – lots of different things to see. Do you know my husband is a falconer and once found a snowy owl in May! Brought it home and right upstairs to my bedroom and woke me up wanting to know what it was! We called a rehab just like Hawk Hideaway and they nursed him back to health. Made the front page of our paper! And I got lots of pictures!
22 March 2008 at 9:48 pm
@ Laura – thanks
@ Barb -thanks and I didn’t know your husband was a falconer! Glad you were able to get the bird to safety!
23 March 2008 at 10:53 pm
Great video, it’s so nice to see that there is help out there for sick and injured birds but sad to see them chained for display.
1 April 2008 at 5:51 pm