NY Bird Rescue for Golden Eagles, American Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons,
Owls, Hawks, NYC Chickens and Pigeons, over 1200 residents and growing,
most are disabled or unwanted and will be here for the rest of their lives.
Welcome
to
Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary!
and Botanical gardensSince
1975
We just set up educational programs for schools
to visit our sanctuary
Call Peter for details (518)
279-3801
Please
help! Be
part of this good work, become a member
today.
Or shop our new Amazon Bird
Store.
I thought Peter's work was important enough to donate
my time and services to design, host, maintain, and market this web
site since 1998.
Thank
you, Rolf Hansen webmaster
January
20, 2012
Well the winter is upon us and the birds are safe and warm from the cold.
We have set up 3 wind turbine generators andcranking out our own electricity.Between
the wind turbines and the wood furnaces we are doing a lot better than
when we were on oil. I willbe putting some photos up about that shortly.
Our good friend Ward Stone has been ill and hospitalized. I'm waiting
for an updateabout his condition. We wish him the quick recovery.
.
this wind turbine is 6 feet across, it is just stuck ona pole it will
be installed on a 30 foot pole.
Teaser: Most stories about birds and wind turbines don’t end
in a good way. See how this isn’t the case for Peter Dubacher
and his 800 birds.
Peter Dubacher founded the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary in Petersburgh,
NY in 1972. Started, as what might have been described as a hobby, his
labor of love has grown in 40 years to become one of the largest and
best known bird sanctuaries in the United States. The Sanctuary is open
daily May through October. There are many educational opportunities
for individuals and groups, including school programs. Check out their
website www.birdparadise.com
In 1989 an injured Bald Eagle, Victoria, came from the Exxon Valdez
oil spill that killed 250 Eagles. More recently, US Navy Seals rescued
a Steppe Eagle wounded by a gunshot in Afghanistan. After 137 days of
fighting red tape, the eagle was delivered to Peter for long-term care.
Peter takes the care of his birds seriously. Several eagles have lived
at the sanctuary for over twenty years. Currently there are about 800
birds on site – eagles, hawks, tropical, pigeons and more; at
times there have been more than 1200.
The winter of 2009 caused Peter to think more about energy and his
birds’ need of it. Peter recalls, “We had an ice storm in
March. Ten days without electricity. It was a nightmare. Ten degrees
below zero.”
In the winter the birds are moved to heated quarters. Some birds, the
tropical ones, are more sensitive to cold but all the birds need heat
in the winter. It was a scary ten days that caused Peter to re-evaluate
his energy situation. He started to make plans and take action. He told
his electrician, Ed Bumbaco of E.I.B. Electric, “I Need to do
something.”
Two years ago the sanctuary and his home situated on the site required
over 5,000 gallons of heating oil. In the summer of 2010 Peter installed
two outside wood boilers. Last winter they burned nearly 60 cords of
local wood and only about 200 gallons of fuel oil.
Ed, a licensed electrician and certified wind installer, researched
a number of renewable alternatives and came back with Honeywell’s
new WT6500 Wind Turbine as a practical solution. As Peter said, “I
need energy in the winter, not the summer.” On the top of the
“hill” in Petersburg there is a lot more wind in the winter
than sun, especially at night! Also, during the day, sun is used to
passively heat the birds’ winter quarters, but at night a heating
system is required.
This summer Peter and Ed are installing three WT6500s on the top of
25 foot poles. The conditions in Petersburg are windy most times of
the year, but especially during the winter. Two of the turbines will
be hooked up to heating elements in the boilers to lessen the need for
wood. The other one will be hooked up to primarily supply electricity
to the house and boiler circulator pumps. Ed has also wired in a diesel
generator, so when there is no wind Peter will still be able to keep
his birds warm.
Ice storms are one risk, but when Peter thinks about possible power
failure, he considers other possibilities as well – grid failure,
terrorist disruption, wind storms, etc. It doesn’t matter the
cause, he feels the need to be prepared. Peter is considering the purchase
of three more wind turbines, but will wait until he collects and analyzes
the data from the first three. The goal has always been the same: “allow
the birds to live out their natural lives with dignity.”
Peter Dubacher is the Director of the Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary.
He can be reached at (518) 279-3801.
Dan Gibson is the Reporter and Chief Coordinator of Our Energy Independence
Community (www.OEIC.us). Previously
he was a participating contractor in NYSERDA’s Home Performance
program and a rater in the New York ENERGY STAR Home program. He is
currently building a 100% Solar Home. He can be reached at DanG@OEIC.us
---------------------------
Photos coming soon. These new small wind turbines are so effecient
that they start generating electricity at one mph wind speed.
Mitch the Eagle arrives at the Bird Paradise Sanctuary
Upon arrival, Peter put Mitch in with Helga a blind Bald Eagle
that Peter has been hand feeding for over 20 years.
.
Helga, a blind Eagle that has cataracts. Peter likes to let
new arrivals choose their own friends
Mitch liked Eddie better and they are comfortable
together.
I second all the thank yous. Everyone who was on the phones
on Thursday and Friday can attest to how well deserved they
are. And particularly I want to thank Craig and Scott, for giving
us an example of what it means to be a true human - taking care
of those who need our help, even when that demands an effort
beyond the call of duty, or the boundaries of normal rules.
Everyone who heard this story was moved by it and, I think,
taught by it as well.
When I saw Mitch on Friday he was lively, hopping about his
kennel, peering at me as if demanding an explanation for all
the ruckus. I'll be checking in on him throughout his quarantine
period, and will transport him to Berkshire Bird Paradise on
or around November more>>
October 12, 2010
We received a beautiful Bald Eagle from New York State. It
has a fractured wing and can fly good but not good enough to
survive in the wilds. We introduced the our new Eagle to a pair
of older Bald Eagles and as soon as we put him in he got cozy
with them. He strong and healthy. I will be putting up some
photos shortly.
I just wanted to take a quick second and thank everyone
for their
contribution to the extraordinary feat we all pulled off with
Mitch.
Starting with Scott Hickman, who cared for Mitch for the first
3 or 4 months
we had him and was really the person behind saving Mitch in the
first place.
Barbara Chepaitis, all of the coordination back in the states,
between
Berkshire, the USDA, the US Senate, the Fish and Wildlife Service,
Pilots
and Paws, and other things I probably don't know about was a near
impossible
task, and none of this would have been possible without you. Senator
Schumer
and Caroline Wekselbaum, thank you for helping get everyone on
board with
this project. Everyone from the USDA, there were always about
15 of ya'll
cc'd on every email, but that just goes to show how much everyone
from your
organization contributed to making it happen. From the Avian Flu
testing to To read more>>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It took
107 days, and this final week was packed full of logistical nightmares.
Mechanical failure in the plane bringing Eagle Mitch to the US
from Afghanistan delayed that repeatedly, while we kept trying
to arrange transport from Virginia, to Newburgh, NY, where he'll
stay with USDA for a 30 day quarantine period. But we did it,
and now I can actually use the phrase, 'the eagle has landed,'
and mean it. Of course, there's one more leg to the journey because
after his quarantine he'll go to his home at Berkshire Bird Paradise
He'll arrive there just about in time for Veteran's day, appropriately
enough, and if you visit their website, your donation can help
keep Mitch in 'ratsicles.'
To get Mitch into his new digs, I had the help of the amazing
Pilots N Paws where regular
men and women volunteer to be heroes for animals that need
Big Thanks to Senator Schumer and Constituent
Liaison Caroline Wekselbaum!
MITCH
THE EAGLE COMING TO NEW YORK AFTER BEING RESCUED BY NAVY SEALS
IN AFGHANISTAN – SCHUMER CUT THROUGH RED TAPE TO ENSURE
EAGLES PASSAGE BACK TO US
Navy Seals, Stationed in Afghanistan, Rescued And Cared for Mitch
the Eagle after He was Harmed
Barbara Chepaitis, Author and Advocate, and Schumer Cut Through
Red Tape to Secure Safe Passage to America for Mitch
Schumer Weighed in With Personal Letter and Helped Secure Exemption
to Blanket Ban on Imported Birds
Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Mitch, an
eagle rescued and cared for by Navy Seals in Afghanistan, is on
his way to a bird sanctuary in the Capital Region. After rescuing
Mitch, a Steppe Eagle, the Navy Seals contacted Pete Dubacher,
owner of Berkshire Bird Paradise in Petersburg NY, seeking his
help. Barbara Chepaitis, author of Feathers of Hope, a book about
the bird sanctuary, immediately went to Senator Schumer’s
office in an effort to secure Mitch’s passage to the United
States.
"We hit some serious obstacles while trying to help these
young men rescue their eagle, but I knew Senator Schumer would
support their efforts," Ms. Chepaitis said. "We absolutely
could not have done this without him."
Schumer was able to cut through the red tape and expedite Fish
and Wildlife paperwork along with the necessary health testing
for Mitch with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), so the
eagle can transition to a permanent home at Berkshire Bird Paradise.
He will arrive in the United States the first week in October.
“This is a great story about our caring soldiers and generous
New Yorkers, I was happy to help give this effort a last boost
and get Mitch here,.” Schumer said. “Some regulations
at the USDA almost held this up but at the end of the day we were
able to cut through the red tape and give Mitch a home right here
in our backyard.”
During a routine patrol, the Navy Seals saw Mitch being shot on
a rifle range. The Seals were able to rescue the eagle and tend
its wounds, ensuring its survival. The service members cared for
this
Update
on the Wounded Afghan Eagle Coming to Our Sanctuary.
A Special
Thank You
This goes out to Dr. Eileen Jenkins, an army veterinarian stationed
in Afghanistan, who is caring for Mitch while he's in quarantine
there. She emailed me recently to say that they "completed
construction of a quarantine facility, and some perches for enrichment.
I have procured a supply of rodents to sustain him through quarantine
(we conducted live trapping, veterinary quarantine of the rodents,
humanely euthanized the healthy ones (no drug residues), and then
froze them). So far, all is going well!"
When Mitch arrived and was established in his new digs, she reported
that he looked great, his bumblefoot healing, and he was eating
voraciously. He loves them ratsicles! She also says she's getting
very attached to him, and who can blame her? Such a handsome fellow.
Carrying out this kind of work, and coordinating all that needed
to be coordinated for transport in a war zone took enormous effort
on everyone's part.Dr. Jenkins and our other US troops involved
deserve a big HURRAH!
Here's to staying human in difficult times.
Deputy
Majority Leader Senator Jeff Klein
Representing Bronx and Westchester Counties
KLEIN
SECURES NEW HOME FOR ROOSTER RESCUED FROM COCKFIGHT
Bird to
be Delivered to Recovery Sanctuary
BRONX,
NY – State Senator and Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein
(D-Bronx/Westchester) announced on Friday that he has secured
a safe, long term home for an abused rooster recently rescued
from a South Bronx cockfight. The owner of the Hollywood Haircuts
barber shop on City Island has ... more>>
fighting cock rescued>>
Albany Times Union – 7-29-2010
Red Tape snarls Eagle’s rebound Troop unit keeps trying
to get bird from Afghanistan to Grafton anctuary.
Grafton – An eagle shot by an Afghan soldier that is being
nursed back to health by elite U.S. fighters has hit new bureaucratic
snags as the soldiers labor to get the bird sent to a Rensselaer
County bird sanctuary for ong-term rehabilitation.
.. more on Afghan Eagle>>
======================================
WINGS
OF AN ANGEL Berkshires sanctuary gives birds new life.
Saturday July 17, 2010
NY Daily News
By Amy
Sacks – Daily News Staff Worker
A tiny yellow ducking recently found wandering alone on the grounds
of the New York Botanical Garden has since landed in paradise.
“I knew a fledgling would never survivor with all the predators
in the Garden,” said the bird’s rescuer, a state licensed
wildlife rehabber who asked not to be identified because
more>>
News update June 30, 2010 Afghan Eagle’s rehab grounded
Grafton – An
eagle wounded in the wing by a bullet in Afghanistan is being
nursed back to health by elite U.S fighters, despite limited supplies
and the daily dangers they face in the war-torn country.
But because
of an international treaty covering endangered species and U.S.
wildlife regulations, their efforts to have the injured eagle
sent to a bird sanctuary is Rensselaer County has hit a bureaucratic
snag. Continued >>
------------------------------------------------
News
update! June 1, 2010
We now
have three baby Bald Eagles, we just got another one from NY state
that was blown out of it's nest in buffalo NY. We put it with
our two Eaglets and it was adopted by the mother. The new eaglet
is the same size as the other two, right now they are as big as
a duck and growing rapidly.
We set
up a camera and a TV so visitors can see them in the nest. I will
be posting some photos soon.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Flash!
News update! May 20, 2010
We
have 2 new baby Bald Eaglets
They hatched about a month ago and they are doing great.
The mother of the hatchlings name is Victoria, She is a survivor
of the Exxon Valdez oil spill 20 years ago. The US postal service
paid for her transportation to the Bird Paradise. The fathers
name is Baldwin who was also injured and came to our sanctuary.
I will be putting up some photos shortly. These Bald Eagles will
be raised here and set free in the wilds of Upstate NY later this
Summer.
The Bird
Paradise will be open for the Memorial Day weekend.
These are the last pair of American Bald Eagle that we released
You can see the band on there legs to identify them.
These photos by Saul Aronson
Peter Nye, head of the Endangered Species
Unit of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and
Peter Dubacher just banded the new baby eagles and they were
released August 10th 2007 Photo by:Saul Aronson
Peter Nye congratulating Pete Dubacher on the success of raising
two baby American Bald Eagles "Nye said" they look
real healthy and strong. Please help us by
adding a link to this page or post something on your blogs.
Thank you so much.
Three baby American bald Eagles born in May 2007
Peter Dubacher and Ward Stone in 2005 with two
young American Bald Eagles Born at the sanctuary
They were released at a facility in Vermont. Read
the Berkshire Eagle article
Injured
American Bald Eagle living active productive lives. Very productive!
This is the father of the baby Bald Eagles.
Mission
Statement
The Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary for disabled
and injured birds. We strive to give them a safe haven to live thrive
and rehabilitate as best they can. We are dedicated to educating people
to recognize the beauty of Nature's world which surrounds our busy
lives. We are all part of the web of life and all life is precious.
We are one of the largest
Bird Sanctuaries in the country with over 1000 birds and almost 100
different species. About 40% are permanently disabled and will be here
for the rest of their lives
We
like to challenge our disabled friends by designing their habitat
to be as natural as possible and to make them work and climb and be
productive. We custom design each habitat for their abilities.
New,
We just received some Victorian Crown Pigeons, They are almost as
big as turkeys
Photo by:Saul Aronson
Photo by Rolf Hansen
This looks like a giant Emus, they are not that big
I took the photo with the camera on the ground.
Admission:
Adults: $8, Children: $5
We do have a group rate of $5 per person
We don't have funding just our admission fee to
help feed and care for our birds
> educational programs for
schools <
Hours:
We will open Memorial Day weekend
until the end of October We
are open from 9:am to 5:pm seven days a week from
mid May to the end of October, depending on the weather.
Directions: Take
Rt2 east or west, until you get to Grafton, NY
Just 3 miles east of Grafton State Park, turn on Babcock Lake Road
by the elementary school. take Babcock Lake road a mile of so, then
turn right on to Red Pond Road follow the signs and you're there.
Please
help!
We have taken in so many injured and unwanted birds
100% of the funding goes to food heating and care of our birds.
There are no paid employees, just volunteers.
We get so many requests for
help everyday, but very little support.
We would appreciate Any suggestions?
Please
bookmark this page and
tell a friend about this site!
(It's a great way to help support us)
Even better put a link on your site or My Space to
birdparadise.org
<a href="http://www.birdparadise.org/">Bird
Paradise,
Bird Rescue and Sanctuary</a>
________________________
We
are located in Grafton, NY
Mailing
Address
Berkshire Bird Paradise
43 Red Pond Road
Petersburgh, New York 12138
(518) 279-3801
Peter Dubacher,
Director,: Email
us
Peter does not have a computer, a volunteer will answer your email.
If
it's urgent, Please call Peter direct.
Come Visit!
This is a very unique
and wonderful place
for the whole family.
We have 16 Bald Eagles
and Golden Eagles, all disabled but doing fine,
We even released a young Golden Eagle into the wilds from 2 disabled
adults
Our bird sanctuary has golden eagles, bald eagles, peregrine falcons,
raptors, owls, hawks, seagulls, emu, and NYC chickens.We have
over 1200 residents and growing, some are on the endangered species
list.
Be part of this good work, become a member
today.
I thought Peter's work was important enough
to donate my time and services to design, host, maintain, and market
this web site since 1998..
We are business attorneys focused on your company’s success.
Let our expertise add value to your business in the areas of capital
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Please
bookmark this page and tell a
friend about this site! or visit our Bird
Store (It's a great way to help support us)
Thank you for visiting Berkshire Bird Paradise Sanctuary. We hope to see
you soon.
