Tag: birds

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Healing Wings

Written by Alexis McMurtry

John Stokes transfers one of his two eagles, Yazta, from the pen to his enclosure at his and his wife’s house in Trenton, Georgia. Monday, November 11, 2024. Photo by Alexis McMurtry.

At the end of a rugged, unpaved mountain road in Trenton, Georgia, John Stokes and Dale Kernahan’s home stands as a sanctuary surrounded by the wild beauty they work to protect. Outside, hand-built enclosures house majestic birds of prey, while bird feeders invite a chorus of smaller birds. Here, nature is more than a backdrop – it’s the heartbeat of their lives.

Wings to Soar, a nonprofit organization founded by the duo 11 years ago, serves as a sanctuary for birds of prey that can no longer survive in the wild alone. These raptors – many of whom are injured or have imprinted on humans – are given to them by various wildlife veterinarians and rehabilitation facilitators. This organization also focuses on education by offering programs that help the public understand the vital role these birds play in maintaining the balance of nature.

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Animals, Chattanooga, Chattanooga Audubon Society, Chattanooga outreach, community, donate, Environment, outdoors, Sustainability

Chasing Cranes

Written by Maleah Holder

A conversation with Jason Jackson about the migration of the Sandhill Cranes with a focus on the refuge and TWRA.

As the sun peaks over the horizon, lighting the waters of Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, thousands of trumpeting birds flock to the sky. Standing at just over three feet tall, the loud Sandhill cranes were a species once locally extinct east of the Mississippi River before making a victorious comeback.

These unique red-headed cranes take up residence at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Birchwood, Tennessee during the months of November through February for winter migration to feast on corn, wheat, and legumes planted by rangers along the river. 

The Sandhill cranes, though far from the only species to winter at the refuge, make up the majority of the avian population that roost along the waters of the Hiwassee River and have steadily grown in number in the nearly thirty years they have migrated there. 

Their unique appearance and success story have inspired a tight knit community. Locals from surrounding counties and an even larger population of photographers, birdwatchers, and storytellers alike are drawn in from across the nation for a chance to watch the cranes perform their sunrise spectacle. 

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Animals, Chattanooga, community, Environment, Love, outdoors

Birds of Prey

By Haley Bayer

Alix Parks engages with Telly, a non-releasable Black vulture, in their usual handshake. Saturday, November 25, 2022. (Photo by Haley Bayer) 

Past the bustling noise and city lights of Chattanooga lies a home on Signal Mountain for all types of birds of prey on their way to recovery.

That home belongs to Alix Parks, the owner of Happinest Wildlife Rehabilitation and Raptor Rescue, 501c3 non-profit That used to accept everything from squirrels to rabbits, raptors and even songbirds. But after training a few other rehabilitators on other species, Happinest has become strictly a raptor rehabilitation center. 

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Animals, Chattanooga, community, Environment, Photography

Birdwatching in Chattanooga

Written by Elise Steele

Members of the Chattanooga Ornithological Society pause along a trail to spot a bird in the distance. Photo by Elise Steele

A small cluster of binoculars and pointed fingers aim excitedly toward a skyline of trees on the Reflection Riding nature walk as members of Chattanooga’s Ornithological Society search for a cawing American Crow.

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