The annual event Wings Over Weston took place last Saturday at Weston Bend State Park. Participants of all ages enjoyed building birdhouses and learning about birds in the area, their migratory patterns and the area conservation effort. Volunteers provided free literature, activity books, and bird houses refurbished and donated by Wildbirds Unlimited.
The annual Wings Over Weston event was held Saturday, May 6 at the Bee Creek Shelter at Weston Bend State Park. At left, Bill Whinery of Operation Wildlife introduces the crowd to Sally, a merlin.
Bill Whinery showed off some of his birds of prey including an American kestrel, a merlin, a red-shouldered hawk and a turkey vulture. Whinery works with Operation WildLife (OWL) to rescue injured birds and rehabilitate them until they are ready to return to their natural habitat. OWL provides permanent housing and training to birds of prey that are unable to return to the wild due to irreversible injury. These permanent residents participate in community education programs and classes to help raise money for funding.
Four of the skills Whinery trains the birds on include “step,” “perch,” “kennel” and “wings.” Wings is when a larger bird is taught to bring their wings in close to their body to be able to go through doorways.
OWL is reliant on donations as well as volunteers for staffing. For more information about Operation WildlLife or opportunities to provide assistance, visit www.owl-online.org.
“Ft. Leavenworth has the largest contiguous right pairing forest left on the Missouri river, about 2500 acres,” according to Neil Bass, Natural Resource Specialist, Ft. Leavenworth. The acreage has been spared urbanization due to its early establishment and subsequent preservation of the land since 1827. Bass offered maps showing “military installations in the US” that provide natural resources and protection for migratory birds.
The Missouri Department of Conservation works to educate communities and “get landowners involved,” according to David Doyle, to provide “quality forest management so that we can continue allowing to have that habitat for the neotropical migrants that use the Weston-Iatan priority landscape as a stop-over.” This area is used for feeding and rest stops as the birds travel farther North.
Ted T. Cable, a published author and retired Park Management and Conservation professor from K-State, was offering some of his published work free of charge to visitors, including Birds of the Cimarron National Grassland, as well as an illustrated children’s book, The Kingbird and The Kinglet. He is currently part of the content development team for the travel app, Autio, co-founded by Kevin Kostner. Autio provides motorists with history and stories about the area as they pass through.
Gerry Crawford, birdhouse building coordinator for the Missouri Master Naturalists, helped children construct bird houses to take home. Crawford is part of the Loess Hills Chapter located in St. Joseph, Mo.