{"id":5605,"date":"2024-08-13T09:35:42","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T13:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betsiecurrent.com\/?p=5605"},"modified":"2024-08-13T11:31:10","modified_gmt":"2024-08-13T15:31:10","slug":"call-of-the-wild-north-sky-raptor-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/betsiecurrent.com\/index.php\/call-of-the-wild-north-sky-raptor-sanctuary\/","title":{"rendered":"Call of the Wild"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Raptor sanctuary goes extra mile to save injured birds of prey<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

By Tim Mulherin<\/strong>
Current Contributor<\/strong>

Unlike most of us, Kaitlyn Bohnet (34) does not know how to waste time. Bohnet\u2014who holds down a full-time job as an operations manager for a production company\u2014also has an unusual round-the-clock avocation: rescuing raptors.\u00a0

It is her call of the wild\u2014where she gets to save birds of prey in harm\u2019s way. Yet, unlike her employment, her rescue work never takes a holiday.

On Memorial Day, Bohnet\u2014the executive director of North Sky Raptor Sanctuary\u2014was notified by a concerned citizen that a near-fledgling red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus<\/em>) had been blown out of its nest in Ludington during a storm the day before. The scene of the unfortunate spill was the caller\u2019s yard.\u00a0

Bohnet swung into action, retrieving the distressed bird. After conducting a wellness check on the crash-lander, she contacted the Pere Marquette Township Fire Department for assistance. Given an aerial lift of some 40 feet, courtesy of the department\u2019s ladder truck, Bohnet reunited the young hawk with its family in its maple tree nest, safe and sound.

\u201cI can\u2019t think of a better way to spend a rainy Memorial Day,\u201d Bohnet laughs. But do not let that fool you: she was being totally serious.\u00a0

In 2023, North Sky, headquartered in Interlochen, rescued raptors in 29 Northern Michigan counties. Outlining their area of coverage, Bohnet explains:\u00a0

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty much from Grand Rapids to the Mackinac Bridge, then everything east to west. So, if there\u2019s a raptor in need, we\u2019re here to help.\u201d\u00a0

The sanctuary accepts injured, ill, and orphaned eagles, hawks, owls, and vultures, filling a void left by Rebecca Lessard, who operated Wings of Wonder raptor-rehabilitation center near Empire for more than 30 years, until her retirement in 2020.\u00a0

North Sky, founded by Bohnet and her husband, Jeffrey (43)\u2014who serves as the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization\u2019s board chair\u2014in 2018.

On average, the sanctuary is summoned to rescue between 75 and 125 raptors per year, says Bohnet.\u00a0

\u201cBy the time they\u2019re found, they\u2019re either very sick or very injured,\u201d she says.

During the pandemic, North Sky\u2019s phone rang frequently, due to so many more people recreating in the woods\u2014prime raptor habitat. This resulted in more discoveries of ailing predatory birds.\u00a0

\u201cIt was a very busy time for us,\u201d she recalls.

Raptors are most commonly injured by being struck by vehicles, flying into windows, and through secondary poisoning from rodent or lead toxins.\u00a0

\u201cWe\u2019ve also had a couple of fertilizer burns, especially with babies,\u201d she adds. This includes incidents involving baby barred owls (Strix varia<\/em>), who, Bohnet relates, \u201care on the ground early\u201d in the spring. As they explore their surroundings, their feet can be burned by walking on chemically treated lawns.\u00a0

\u201cBarred owls don\u2019t read,\u201d she says wryly, regarding homeowners\u2019 yard signs warning neighbors to keep their pet dogs and cats away for the next 48 hours once lawn fertilizer is applied. Strangely enough, wildlife can be an afterthought when it comes to animal welfare.

Bohnet\u2019s favorite success story thus far is one that she \u201cstill can\u2019t believe actually happened\u201d involving a rodenticide case.\u00a0

Last summer, the sanctuary took in a large adult female red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis<\/em>).\u00a0

\u201cWe called her Knuckles, because her feet were clenched, and we could not unclench them manually, even when she was sedated,\u201d Bohnet explains.\u00a0

Working with local veterinarians with whom North Sky partners, it was determined that the hawk was suffering from an overdose of a newer secondary pesticide that they had not previously seen in any patients. The poison was leaching all of the fluids from her body.\u00a0

\u201cIt\u2019s like the worst charley horse,\u201d Bohnet describes.\u00a0

Upon aggressive fluid therapy, Knuckles was rehydrated and eventually able to unclench her feet. She completely recovered and even foster-parented a juvenile red-tailed hawk. The two raptors were successfully released together in a public \u201cfreedom flight\u201d on July 30, 2023, at Palmer Woods Forest Reserve in Maple City. Later, Bohnet presented this novel case to Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine students.\u00a0

Bohnet\u2014a self-described \u201cbird nerd\u201d whose knowledge of raptor behavior, anatomy, and how to medically treat these apex predators is encyclopedic\u2014would begin her winding road to becoming a licensed raptor rehabilitator and trainer after listening to a National Public Radio <\/em>(NPR<\/em>) segment on falconry years ago.\u00a0

Previously, she had been unaware that this ancient sport \u201cwas still practiced in modern times and in Michigan. Listening to that kind of blew my mind,\u201d she recalls. \u201cSo I was going to change my life and become a falconer.\u201d But before she broke this big news to her husband, she needed to \u201cprobably find out if I was afraid of the birds, because I had never been that close to them before.\u201d

She began volunteering with a local falconer, an internship lasting for six years. When her mentor retired, Bohnet\u2019s falconry dream morphed into an ongoing passion project of rescuing raptors.\u00a0

This author got to experience firsthand just why Bohnet has dedicated herself to this wildlife-saving endeavor, as she introduced me to some of North Sky\u2019s current residents\u2014both temporary and permanent.

Inside the sanctuary\u2019s clinic, I meet Raza, a \u201ctalkative\u201d female peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus<\/em>). She is ready for her morning constitution in the backyard\u2014and is letting her handler know it.\u00a0

The bird is strikingly beautiful, and a keen intelligence emanates from her dark eyes. Due to a wing injury resulting from her fledgling flight that did not heal as hoped for, Raza is one of North Sky\u2019s \u201cforever kids\u201d\u2014ambassadors that the organization utilizes to educate the public on the ecological value and natural wonders of raptors.\u00a0

For example, consider this: Peregrines in the wild are known to stoop\u2014their unique diving method of hunting\u2014at nearly 240 miles per hour.\u00a0

In late May, North Sky took in a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus<\/em>) patient.\u00a0

\u201cShe was witnessed flying with another eagle, and her left wing clipped a telephone or electrical wire,\u201d Bohnet says. \u201cShe has extreme bruising in her radius and ulna area; that\u2019s why it\u2019s taped up. And she has some loose finger bones.\u201d\u00a0

Thankfully, radiographic imagery showed no fractures. Meanwhile, Bohnet will continue conservative treatment for the eagle\u2019s injured wing, with the aim of full recovery and eventual release.\u00a0

Meanwhile, Vega\u2014a remarkably large and roughly nine-year-old female red-tailed hawk that came into the sanctuary\u2019s care in 2017\u2014strikes a regal pose. She is also a North Sky educational ambassador.\u00a0

A young red-tailed hawk is in a separate outdoor enclosure adjacent to Vega; this one did not work out as a potential foster mother, \u201cbecause she chose violence\u201d when getting acquainted, Bohnet explains.\u00a0

Next, she takes me inside one of the two outdoor enclosures\u2014built by Jeffrey\u2014with branches spread about at eye level. The foliage camouflages three baby screech owls (Megascops asio<\/em>), approximately four weeks old; a fourth remains hidden in a nesting box.\u00a0

\u201cThey came from different locations for different reasons,\u201d she tells me. One was in a tree cavity nest about 100 feet above the ground, on private property; the tree had been cut down and transported to another location. The conscientious property owner discovered the suddenly orphaned owlet standing on a stack of logs and contacted North Sky. The good news is, once the owlets are older, all will be released.\u00a0

Bohnet also shows me an American goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus<\/em>) who has been at the sanctuary for the past year and who does not seem to care for my company\u2014an astute judge of character. The goshawk is bustling nervously about his cage.

\u201cUnfortunately, he was shot through the leg,\u201d she reveals, \u201cso he has a through-and-through hole.\u201d\u00a0

As I observe this magnificent specimen\u2014the goshawk is North America\u2019s largest accipiter, a medium-sized hawk with broad wings and a long tail that is characterized by its brief flapping-then-gliding flight pattern\u2014I wonder aloud why anyone would shoot a raptor. She informs me that \u201che was probably going after somebody\u2019s chickens.\u201d (Of note: it\u2019s illegal to harm or kill raptors, per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and Michigan law.)\u00a0

Of course, not all the birds of prey who come to the sanctuary are successfully released back into the wild.\u00a0

Bohnet estimates that 35 percent of their rescues are released annually, which can vary from year to year. Some of the birds are kept for educational purposes; sadly, others must be euthanized, due to the severity of their injuries.\u00a0

Such weighty decisions on the prospects of the sanctuary\u2019s patients successfully returning to and thriving in the wild are never made in a vacuum. Bohnet seeks counsel from experts with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).\u00a0

\u201cWe do our best, knowing that, without any intervention, these animals would die anyway,\u201d she says. \u201cSo every success we have is just mind-blowingly wonderful.\u201d\u00a0

Despite trying to maintain some emotional distance from their wild patients, it can be tough when a rescue effort does not pan out. Especially with the baby birds. Referring to \u201chow cute\u201d the raptor young are, Bohnet says:\u00a0

\u201cIf things don\u2019t go well with them, that\u2019s hard.\u201d

Admittedly, \u201ccute\u201d is not a word that first comes to mind when I think of wild animals. Bohnet, however, says it frequently. After my tour, I can see why.\u00a0

When you observe tufted screech owlets\u2014maybe eight inches tall\u2014trying hard to be invisible just inches away from a human, or when viewing a photo of 10 baby barred owls draped in their fuzzy feathers, each with a uniquely nuanced facial expression, there is no getting around \u201ccute\u201d as the perfect adjective.\u00a0

In the eye of the beholder, birds of prey, no matter their age, can indeed tug on one\u2019s heartstring.

Should you come across an injured raptor, contact North Sky Raptor Sanctuary at 231-994-3908 or contact the MDNR via <\/em>Michigan.gov\/DNR<\/em><\/a> online. It is worth noting that North Sky\u2019s budget largely relies on private support and fees from educational programs; the nonprofit does not receive state or federal funding. Donations can be made at <\/em>NorthSkyRaptor.org\/GetInvolved<\/em><\/a> online.<\/em>

A version of this article first published in the <\/em>Glen Arbor Sun<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em><\/a>a Leelanau County-based semi-sister publication to <\/em>The Betsie Current<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em>

Featured Photo Caption: <\/strong>Raza, a female peregrine falcon and one of North Sky Raptor Sanctuary\u2019s educational ambassadors, is readied for her daily outdoor constitution by Kaitlyn Bohnet (34). Photo by Tim Mulherin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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