Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Saturday, May 17, 2014

Eagle Rescue and Release

 
Last week, we got to see something wonderful - an eagle released back to the wild!



On April 14, two male eagles in Wabasha, Minnesota  were found tangled up on the ground. Fortunately, one of the National Eagle Center  staff lives nearby and was able to help with the rescue. A team of neighbors, friends and local law enforcement came together to separate the eagles. Since both eagles were males and nesting season is in full swing, their dispute was likely over nesting territory. 



The eagles were taken to The Raptor Center in St Paul. They found that both of the eagles had puncture wounds from each other's talons, but would survive their injuries. One of the eagles had a 'brood patch', an area of bare skin that birds develop when incubating eggs. Since he was more likely the bird that was defending a nesting territory, he was returned to the same area for release. (The other bird was released near the Twin Cities to avoid another territorial dispute!)

 

See the whole story here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKyO6NH5MsI&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=May+e-blast&utm_campaign=May+2014&utm_medium=email

Another injured and rehabilitated Bald Eagle is Angel.  Unable to fly she lives at the National Eagle Center and does educational work with students and others. I met her wading along the shore of the Mississippi River where she gets to take weekly hikes in the summer with a volunteer. What a sweetheart!  :)

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25 comments:

  1. DJanSat May 17, 06:55:00 AM

    Wow! What a treat to see the eagles released. And thanks to the rehab center, they are going to be all right, I suspect. Love the picture of Angel! :-)

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  2. MontanagirlSat May 17, 06:57:00 AM

    Wow...What an experience! So glad they were rescued.

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  3. WillowSat May 17, 07:02:00 AM

    Wow and aren't they just an amazing bird. Too see one so up close must have been quite the thrill. Great photo Thanks for sharing it !

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  4. Far Side of FiftySat May 17, 07:53:00 AM

    the Raptor Center does a great job. Eagles are not my fav bird cause they are always looking for a meal:(

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  5. joehSat May 17, 07:54:00 AM

    Beautiful birds, but they look so cranky.

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  6. TexWisGirlSat May 17, 08:05:00 AM

    so glad they were saved!

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  7. Out on the prairieSat May 17, 08:17:00 AM

    What a fun experience. I have seen more staying in my area this year.

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  8. Rubye JackSat May 17, 10:22:00 AM

    They are really something else--so special!

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  9. SueSat May 17, 01:39:00 PM

    So neat to be so close to one of those magnificent creatures.

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  10. Arkansas PattiSat May 17, 05:28:00 PM

    Lucky, lucky you to see such an amazing thing. How smart that they released them in separate areas. Sure hope Momma fared all right while he was being treated.

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  11. warriormomSat May 17, 07:05:00 PM

    What a story! So glad they were treated and released.

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  12. Ms SparrowSat May 17, 07:45:00 PM

    Thank goodness for the U Raptor Center and the The Wildlife Rehab.
    They do such wonderful work here in Minnesota!

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  13. ValerieSun May 18, 02:31:00 AM

    Thank goodness for those who care about birds. I get quite upset if I see one injured,

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  14. AnvilcloudSun May 18, 07:03:00 AM

    How nice to help take care of these majestic critters. Birds can be so territorial.

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  15. GinnieSun May 18, 07:53:00 AM

    You were lucky to witness that. It used to be very rare to even see an eagle, much less to see it returned to the wild. Now they seem to be everywhere...even in the open at the Zoo in Tampa where I was last week.

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  16. LCSun May 18, 01:53:00 PM

    Happy endings made possible by dedicated, caring, giving people.

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  17. Carla from The RiverSun May 18, 03:10:00 PM

    Amazing.
    What a grand adventure for you.
    We visited the National Eagle Center a few years ago. It is a great place, very well done for kids.
    Thank you for sharing.
    Carla

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  18. LinSun May 18, 08:00:00 PM

    Goofy eagles---fighting to the death like that! It's a good thing that someone came along to help. Nice that you got to see them released.

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  19. UnknownMon May 19, 10:29:00 AM

    The eagle must be really happy to be going back to mother nature.

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  20. Folkways Note BookMon May 19, 12:21:00 PM

    Are the birds banded before release? Maybe I missed that info in your post. Watched the eagle release. Wonderful commitment of the staff and volunteers. thanks for the nice video. -- barbara

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  21. Life happensMon May 19, 04:41:00 PM

    I just saw a full sized eagles nest for the first time. It was insane. Probably 15 to 20 feet. Loved this.

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  22. GeorgeMon May 19, 05:30:00 PM

    It's wonderful that both of the eagles were rescued and it was possible to release them again.

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  23. UnknownTue May 20, 11:00:00 AM

    What a great reunion that must have been for the nesting eagle. so happy to meet with you here once again!
    Hope you and family are all well!
    Blessings,
    Melanie Ann :)

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  24. JanieTue May 20, 03:44:00 PM

    Nice photo of you with the eagle! That must have been a treat. Interesting story about the 2 eagles having a dispute.

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  25. KnatoleeWed May 21, 08:22:00 PM

    Aren't they the most amazing creatures? So glad they were able to be released, and you got to watch!

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