#carolinaraptorcenter

[richard-the-blogger]

#aquila_chrysaetos #goldeneagle #accipitriformes #accipitridae #northernhemisphereraptors #carolinaraptorcenter #birdsofprey https://www.instagram.com/p/CgXcSlQJFne/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[crc-rehab-blog]

Identification photos have become a great way for the public to see our rehab birds. Our goal is to always help the birds; we don’t want to hurt them just to take a picture. I use several measures to ensure minimal impact on them. First off, I spend a maximum of 30 seconds per bird in a cage to get a picture. If I can’t get a decent shot in 30 seconds, I leave and will try again another day. When possible, I also use either a food hatch or slip the camera through the door so the bird sees the camera instead of me. This prevents the birds from getting overly stressed, which can help them to avoid injuring themselves. We also do not want the birds to become habituated, or too familiar with humans. Limiting time in the cage helps to prevent this.

Since I only have 30 seconds to get a perfect photo, I snap pictures constantly. I may have a dozen or more pictures of a single bird in hopes of getting one good shot.

If you’re tracking a specific bird and want me to sneak out and get a picture, just call the hospital and ask! Sometimes I get busy and don’t have time to get photos of all of the birds, but I can usually take the time to get a specific individual.

[scottychis80]

Peregrine Falcon (1-2), Lesser Yellow Headed Vulture (3-4), Broad-Winged Hawk (5-6), Swainson's Hawk (7) and American Kestrel (8‐10). #CarolinaRaptorCenter #HuntersvilleNC #Huntersville #NC #NorthCarolina #LattaPlantationNaturePreserve #HistoricLattaPlantation #LattaPlantation #MountainIslandLake #CatawbaRiver #TownOfHuntersville #LakeNormanNC #LakeNorman #LKN #visitlakenorman #meckparkrec #meckparksandrec #mecklenburgparks #mecklenburgparksandrec #MecklenburgCountyNC #MecklenburgCounty #summer #August28th #peregrinefalcon #lesseryellowheadedvulture #broadwingedhawk #swainsonshawk #americankestrel (at Carolina Raptor Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/B11U9o6py08/?igshid=1xj9d7fqs3ji6

[adventures-of-a-lost-boi]

Got surprised with a trip to the Carolina Raptor Center 😍 #nature #carolinaraptorcenter #birdnerd #leucisticturkeyvulture #crestedcaracara #kingvulture #harrishawk #swainsonshawk #blackbilledmagpie #birdies #becausebirds https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo7ADvvhOA_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kmeyhz76c89y

[thewildlifeblog-blog1]

Where We Came From

A historical glance at Carolina Raptor Center

Julia Nelson | Friday June 23, 2017 

I have just completed my first year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. And in that year I had a single class in McEniry. I would’ve never imagined that under the many pairs of feet in my Earth Science lecture hall the basement of this old biology building held a deep, feathered history. Many decades ago, there was a sign to the basement stairs that read: “Caution, open door slowly.” The basement halls of this building were used as flight training for birds regaining flight strength. Makeshift avian surgery rooms were set up alongside offices and classrooms. An imprinted Vulture named Campbell (named after the soup he was fed by his finder) ambled the halls hoping for an elevator ride. This was the fledgling organization that would be known as Carolina Raptor Center.

Carolina Raptor Center first took flight in 1975 when an injured Broad-winged Hawk was taken to UNCC biology professor and ornithologist Dr. Richard Brown. Dr. Brown attended a raptor rehabilitation workshop with a few students in 1981 and afterwards discussed plans for a center in UNCC. In a local pizza parlor, the plan for the early center was composed and ideas and goals were jotted down on a napkin. That year CRC was officially cofounded by Dr. Brown and student Deb Sue Griffin and incorporated as a nonprofit.

The makeshift clinic began to grow in the basement, expanding from 23 birds in 1980 to 200 in 1983. Any description of the early days of the Raptor Center would be inaccurate without emphasizing its uniqueness. Office supplies sat next to a cutting board full of medicine-laced chicken hearts, a coffee pot rested beside I.V bags, a refrigerator full of chicken ribs and medicine stood next to cluttered filing cabinets. The center was run mostly by volunteers and didn’t have a full-time vet.

In 1984, CRC moved to the Latta Plantation Nature Preserve. At this time, the center consisted of a couple trailers and outdoor chain link fences. There was no established well at the site and water had to be carried in buckets from the lake. A visitor center was built a few years later. CRC becomes more than raptor rehabilitation, it is a hub for education and research. 

CRC has grown exponentially rising from a basement-level clinic to a center of regional, national, and international importance. The RaptorVet Externship Program attracts vet students from all over the globe. CRC’s veterinarian Dr. Dave Scott has installed his RaptorMed electronic medical record in centers in California, Beijing, Taiwan, and Qatar. CRC became the site for many ‘firsts’ in the raptor world. In 2006 Len and Lola were the first Bald Eagles in North Carolina to be hatched in captivity and released into the wild. 

Flashforward to 2017. Much time has passed and with it has come monumental change. Based on admitted avian patients, Carolina Raptor Center holds the title of the largest raptor medical center in the US. CRC now plans further expansion to a different location with a new Quest Center and exhibition trails breaking ground in the fall. Throughout change and growth, it is important to reflect upon the roots of the organization and realize that the mission remains at the heart of all efforts; past, present, and future. A mission of environmental stewardship and the conservation of birds of prey with the goal of connecting humans with nature.

[actionsportsinc]

Happy #FlagDay #America! #ASPInc #WGAPhoto #ActionSports #nationalflagday #USA #BaldEagle #Huntersville #NorthCarolina #CarolinaRaptorCenter (at Carolina Raptor Center)

[timbersnakestudios]

Some not so usual shots from the Raptor Center

So had a great time Saturday at the Carolina Raptor Center. Saw some old friends, and met some new ones. And learned a lesson. 

But I didn't want to just throw a bunch of shots up here that were all cropped and buffed and such. Here are a sampling of snaps just as they came out of the camera pretty much. I didn't identify the species on these. Challenge yourself to how many you can name.

Ok. Here is the lesson. They changed the 'flight area' from the last time I was there. Before it was just a cleared spot in the woods where they would set up a few perches. Now they have a large cleared, open area, adjacent to the main facility, with permanent perches and other features. Cool. But the perches are much further apart. So I decided to position myself near one of the perches thinking I would catch the most direct flight of the birds.

Also, this is Dumbledore.

A few years ago they did an 'Adopt a Raptor' for Valentines day promotion. I adopted Dumbledore for my Nancie since she loves Harry Potter and LOVES Owls! When they said that Dumbledore was to be the second flight demonstration bird, I was really enthused. How cool to get to see the bird we have a picture of on our coffee table!

Now, did the change in venue, decision on position and enthusiasm add up to a memory card full of killer flight images of a Great Horned Owl. Well...you tell me.

Not your imagination. No need to adjust the screen. There is NO bird in that photo.

I over thought it. What was the right answer? In retrospect, Get in the center on the other side of the field away from all the folks that would get in the way. Put the 600 mm on the D4, stick it on the gimbal head on the tripod (that is what gimbal heads are designed for) and bump the Follow Focus lock up to 5 out of 6. Let's just say...I didn't quite do any of that.

Not to say I didn't get a few nice shots...

  So...a good day. And...be honest, I have held back ONE set of photos that I am going to sit on a bit. The subject was fantastic and the shots turned out damn near perfect. Would have liked to have gotten a better flight shot of Dumbledore, but there is always next time. (Actually, they are doing it again this weekend. Oh the tempation...)

[immersivephotography]

Some are hunters, some are gatherers, and the rest are nuts #carolinaraptorcenter #squirrel #gatheringnuts — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2FEqJiu

[generice]

#Repost @weloveclt with @repostapp ・・・ The Carolina Raptor Center is such a tranquil place to take a stroll. If you have not been it is a great place to spend a few hours and learn about many species of birds. Carolina Raptor Center has over 23 species of raptors on the 3/4 mile Raptor Trail. Fun Fact: CRC is one of the only centers in the southeast that rehabilitates and exhibits the American Bald Eagle -- 7 live on the Raptor Trail. Ps. Don't forget to take you camera. #owl #birdsofprey #carolinaraptorcenter #charlotte #charlottenc #weloveclt #visitcharlotte

[tattermask]

#owlshirt in preparation for #Hooterfest this #Saturday at #tremontmusichall #CharlotteNC #owloween #carolinaraptorcenter

[fluffywho]

Practice watercolor, haven't been able to use my art room for a few weeks do to the sun's vacation in my house. With the cool off I was able to get in a few hours got a fluffy done and painted this tiny guy for giggles 😊 #barredowl #carolinaraptorcenter #homeofthefluffy

[richard-the-blogger]

#goldeneagle #carolinaraptorcenter #aquilachrysaetos #accipitriformes #accipitridae #aquila (at Carolina Raptor Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/CeCzT29ModJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[crc-rehab-blog]

It must be Snowy at CRC: Snowy Owl #2 is here! Patient #21191 arrived on Thursday, December 14. He was seen by a pilot on a runway at the Piedmont International Airport. USFWS/APHIS has a protocol to capture and relocate birds at runways to prevent damage to the birds and to planes, so they captured him via a trap. Due to a moderately poor body condition and the fact that he had only been making short flights, they sent him to the Carolina Raptor Center. He’s doing great with us. #21191 came in with a keel of 2/5, which is thin, but is MUCH better than the 1/5 keel score that our previous Snowy had. He was covered in feather lice, an external parasite. We followed our emaciation protocol and gave him fluids, vitamin B, iron, and we also started him on an antifungal, voriconazole. We ran bloodwork the next day, and it looked great. On Sunday, we moved him into a large flight cage. He had a mini-health check to ensure everything was in working order (he looked fabulous, minus a little blood from his breakfast on his toes). He flew beautifully in the big flight cage and has been flying great since then. So far, so good! He’s a beautiful bird!

You can track his progress here: http://raptormed.carolinaraptorcenter.org/cgi-bin/RaptorMedCGI.exe?patient=21191-2017-0935&forceDisplay=true

PS: Thanks, Joe Amodeo for being our photographer during the mini-health check and move (the first three pictures).

[scottychis80]

Let's start this set with a raptor who needs no introduction. #CarolinaRaptorCenter #HuntersvilleNC #Huntersville #NC #NorthCarolina #CRC #LattaPlantationNaturePreserve #HistoricLattaPlantation #LattaPlantation #MountainIslandLake #CatawbaRiver #TownOfHuntersville #LakeNormanNC #LakeNorman #LKN #visitlakenorman #summer #August28th #baldeagle🦅 #baldeagle #goldeneagle #eagle #raptortrail #raptorcenter #happybirthdaytome🎉 #39thbirthday #almost40butnotyet (at Carolina Raptor Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1wRoPBpIjA/?igshid=j46dn63ntdts

[actionsportsinc]

Ever feel out of place? #ActionSports #WalterGArce #CarolinaRaptorCenter #Charlotte #NorthCarolina #owl

[miahson]

#CarolinaRaptorCenter #Nature @mrsgoodnight (at Carolina Raptor Center)