The Law Suit is over!

It is truly cause for celebration....the law suit is officially over!

The good news is that the public road will not go through our property. The bad news is that we are not quite finished paying off our financial obligations in order to meet the terms of the settlement. There will certainly be some changes to the feel of our property due to the proximity of the new public road, and we will try to modify that with the construction of a fence...a costly venture, especially coupled with the $8000.00 that we are required to pay the road commission towards the construction of the road. Once this is done WOW can go back to dedicating our every penny to the raptors. As with any settlement, the only way to a compromise is to give and take on important issues. We fought hard for the issues that were most important to the survival of WOW. Now we can move forward.

So, onward we go. I have been thinking of hosting a "community" day to make a party out of getting the necessary fence built. Want to help? We will find a nice day this spring and we'll all "play" in the woods. Many hands will make light work.

In other news, our soon-to-be Eagle scout, Joshua Olsen, will be shipping or delivering/installing the new raptor nest boxes this next month. I am so very proud of him and his accomplishments. If you are in the neighborhood, please give a shout of thanks to Mark Gabrick of Lake Ann Hardwoods for providing the lumber.

Eoin, our ambassador Great Horned Owl, is very "nesty" right now and begins hooting as soon as she hears my voice. She desperately wants me to crawl into the nest box with her. Each night she carries all her stuffed animals into the nest box and gently tucks them into the bed of dried pine needles. She is so cute indeed!

I am unconditionally thankful to you all, for your overwhelming support and generosity, for your kind words and hugs during this stressful time, for your eloquent letters to the editors, and for your strong belief in Wings of Wonder. I have truly "felt the love" from you during this difficult legal journey. It is now time to move on and look forward with open hearts and clear minds.

Bald Eagle Release on Old Mission Peninsula

On November 20, 2010 we released a 4 year old Bald Eagle on Old Mission Peninsula, in front of a crowd of 500 folks. The eagle had been found 5 weeks earlier, extremely sick with a suspected case of botulism poisoning.

Upon admission to Wings of Wonder, the eagle was totally unresponsive and comatose.

IV fluids were started immediately. It took 7 days of IV therapy before the eagle finally began to respond to treatment. He slowly began to gain back his health and strength and by November 20th he was ready to go free once again.

Folks gathered around and were able to get some great pictures and then the bird was released.

The eagle flew off with grace and purpose.....pure joy

(all photos by Julie Christiansen)

BALD EAGLE RELEASE

We are inviting the public to a Bald Eagle Release tomorrow, Saturday, November 20th at 3pm. This release will happen at the Bower's Harbor Park on Old Mission Peninsula. Take M37 north on Old Mission Peninsula out of Traverse City, about 7 miles, to 7 Hills Road. Veer left on 7 Hills and then take a left on Bower's Harbor Road, in about 1/2 mile you will come to the park on your left (south side of road).

We ask that you leave the dog at home, bring your camera and arrive about 45 minutes early. Our eagle releases attract rather large crowds, so please allow enough time to arrive and park.

Bring a thermos of hot cider, a bag of fresh donuts and have your camera batteries charged up. This will be our last eagle release of the year.

If you have any questions please give a holler at 231-326-4663

Wings of Wonder open house/reception fundraiser

Back by popular demand, Wings of Wonder will once again be hosting a unique open house/reception fund raiser on Saturday, October 16, 2010 from 2pm till 4:30pm.

This special event will include hot/cold hors'doevers, red and white wines, a behind-the-scenes tour of the facilities, a meet and greet with the Wings of Wonder raptors, a unique photo shoot opportunity with Doolin, our turkey vulture rock star, a chance to witness the release of a Red Tailed Hawk and some additional surprises. Space is limited to the first 25 people (adults only). We are asking for a minimum $50.00 donation, which will go towards our legal defense fund as we continue the battle with the Leelanau County Road Commission. Call or email, right away, to reserve your spot to this unique opportunity. 231-326-4663 or wow@wingsofwonder.org

Happy 1-Year Anniversary Bella

Happy Anniversary to Bella

Bella was admitted to Wings of Wonder exactly one year ago, after flying into a window near Manistee Michigan, and suffering a fractured humerus in her left wing. Surgery was performed by the talented Dr. Eric Peck, Northern Michigan Veterinary Hospital. Her recovery was amazing, but unfortunately she will never fly well enough for release back into the wilds.

Bella has been a wonderful addition to our educational "family"..... I often refer to her as "a gift from the universe".

This year she began to molt in some blue-gray feathers along her back and tail. Over the course of the next hand full of years, Bella will change from her current brown mottling to the beautiful, adult, blue grey feather color pattern over the back of her head, shoulders, backside and tail feathers.

You can meet Bella at one of our many educational presentations. Check out our calendar to see a complete listing of our programs.

a young red tailed hawk: our newest patient

An immature Red Tailed Hawk was admitted to Wings of Wonder recently. She was hatched earlier this year and was now newly out on her own, having to hunt and scavenge for her food. Because of her hunting inexperience and lack of perfected skills, this poor youngster was not finding enough food to sustain herself. She was found along a Lake Michigan beach and the finders at first thought she had a broken bone in her wing.

A total exam at Wings of Wonder revealed that this bird was just too thin and weak to fly. She had lost almost half of her normal body weight. After some time recovering in the "WOW" hospital, and having access to fresh food daily, the youngster began to put on much needed weight. She was soon moved to an outdoor flight pen, large enough for her to open her wings and move around a bit, but not big enough to do unlimited flying. We wanted her to gain her strength slowly and not use precious energy flying. She continued to recover and gain weight and was then moved to our large 100 foot aviary. She is getting stronger daily and eating everything in sight, even those curious chipmunks who happen to make a fatal decision to burrow into her flight pen. We are hoping to release her yet this fall so stay tuned for an e-blast inviting you all to this fun event. (here she is enjoying breakfast)

(an update on our legal battles with the Leelanau County Road Commissioners....the law suit continues so please continue your letters to the editors, your phone calls to the road commissioners and county commissioners and your much appreciated financial pledges....thank you so very much!)

G'day to all.

Our legal "journey" continues with the Leelanau County Road Commissioners. The past 2 days have been filled with depositions.....long and costly days indeed. Wings of Wonder is reaching near and far for continued support in the form of letters-to-the-editors of the local newspapers, calls of concern to the Leelanau County road and county commissioners and of course financial pledges. As a reminder, Wings of Wonder is a federally recognized 501 (C)(3) charitable organization and so all donations are tax exempt to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Recently I received a letter in the mail from Jonah, a youngster from Traverse City. He creatively thought up a way to raise money for Wings of Wonder; he took his dog for a walk around the block and charged folks one dollar, in cash, to pet his dog. He then sent the "winnings" to Wings of Wonder, all twelve one-dollar bills. A win for WOW and a lot of loving pats for his dog as well. Needless to say his generosity and support brought tears to my eyes.

Wings of Wonder is one of only three unrestricted and dedicated raptor centers in the state of Michigan. If you believe in our mission of raptor conservation, education and rehabilitation, please find it in your hearts and spirits to pledge your continued support.

*Know that our programs and our ambassador raptors reach over 9000 people each year as we strive to make a positive impact in this world.

*Know that we admit and rehabilitate 35-70 sick, injured and/or orphaned raptors each year.

*Know that we consult, guide and act on every wildlife call that comes in.

*Know that your support will truly make a difference!

Financial pledges can be sent directly to:

Wings of Wonder

13035 South Greenway

Empire, Michigan 49630

Letters can be written to;

the Record Eagle (letters@record-eagle.com),

the Leelanau Enterprise

(editor@leelanaunews.com)

and the Northern Express

(info@northernexpress.com)