Birds Of Prey From Quogue Wildlife Rescue Visit Marders In Bridgehampton

“Roadside raptor,” “tiger of the woods” and “screech owl” might one day be names of critters in Jurassic World, Orlando, but, in reality, you need only drive to Marders Nursery in Bridgehampton on a Sunday before summer ends to see them with their more everyday names: red-tailed hawk, great horned owl and, yes, screech owl. The Quogue Wildlife Refuge, a 305-acre nature preserve and nature center open year-round, seven days a week, is sharing its resident family with residents of and visitors to the East End, and Marders is the destination.

“The refuge has a lot of animals that can’t be released back into the wild,” Cara Fernandes, an environmental educator at the not-for-profit organization, which focuses on wildlife conservation, education and rehabilitation, said on Sunday while an injured 2-pound eastern screech owl sat on her arm.

The outdoor wildlife center cares for permanently injured animals that need human care to survive and can’t be returned to the wild. Hawks, owls, foxes, and even a bald eagle are residents of the refuge, and can be seen by visitors all year.

The refuge holds educational programs, letting area residents know how to spot at risk animals, and how keep them safe.

“The screech owl is one of the smallest owls we have on Long Island,” Ms. Fernandes said. “Screech owls sometimes run into problems with car accidents while hunting for rodents near the road.”

“The great horned owl is also called the tiger of the woods, because of its stripes,” Ms. Fernandes said as she handled Hooter, a 21-year-old great horned owl adopted by the refuge after once living in someone’s home as a pet. “Hooter can live to 50 in captivity—these birds normally live longer in captivity.”

The red-tailed hawk also is known as the “roadside raptor.” They’re native to Long Island year-round. The hawk often hunts along highways, giving it its nickname.

As the crowd gasped over the large hawk perched on her arm, Ms. Fernandes noted that “condors are actually the largest of the birds of prey.”

The Charles Banks Belt Nature Center at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge offers views for bird-watching, and picturesque scenery of Old Ice Pond, as well as a variety of wildlife exhibits, live animals, a nature library, and gift shop. Seven miles of ecologically diverse walking trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

For more information, visit www.quoguewildliferefuge.org