Author Topic: News: Eagles  (Read 28873 times)

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Offline RCF

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #60 on: July 08, 2012, 07:24 »
Just adding to gemcitygemini's eaglet story

Lucky baby golden eagle survives wildfire after nest was burned to a crisp

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2170410/Lucky-baby-golden-eagle-survives-Utah-wildfire.html#ixzz2026Pp5qh
Photos and Video   http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=950777890
« Last Edit: July 08, 2012, 15:17 by RCF »

Offline GCG

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #59 on: July 08, 2012, 06:54 »
(CNN) -- The resilience of a burned baby golden eagle that survived a Utah wildfire is astounding wildlife rehabilitators nursing him back to health.

"The trauma and the injury and the situation he is in -- to come out of it is amazing," said DaLyn Erickson, executive director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah in Ogden.  All of the eaglet's feathers, even on his head, were charred. He also suffered burns to the feet and around his beak.

His improbable story began June 1, when a volunteer who documents eagles placed a band on the bird. The Dump Fire erupted three weeks later, burning more than 5,500 acres south of Salt Lake City and west of Utah Lake.  Kent Keller returned in late June to the nest, built on the edge of the cliff, thinking he would recover the band from a deceased animal.  The nest on Lake Mountain was gone, the rocks behind it blackened by the blaze.  Keller then spotted legs and talons near a scorched juniper below.  Amazingly, the baby eagle was alive.

Near him were rabbit and squirrel carcasses, evidence his parents had tried to feed him after disaster struck. Fortunately, his eyes had not been burned.  Keller said he has thought of the horror the helpless nestling might have felt when flames approached.  

"He had enough courage to jump from that nest and try to save himself anyway," said Keller, 56, who describes himself as an amateur ornithologist. "He is a real fighter."  The fall was about 25 feet, and the eagle probably walked back to the base of the cliff after rolling another 100 feet, said Keller.  The bird remained in the area for several days while Keller, who is authorized to band raptors, sought permission from federal and state authorities to obtain care for him.

On Wednesday, Keller handed the bird over to Erickson.  She and her staff dubbed the survivor "Phoenix" -- a reference to the mythical creature that is reborn from the ashes.  There was no food in the craw of the dehydrated eagle, which weighed just over 5 pounds.

"He was lethargic and just obviously hurting," Erickson told CNN on Saturday. "After we got him hydrated and medications, he perked up and that fire came back in him."  Erickson said Phoenix, now about 70 days old, was a handful Saturday, lunging and using his talons as caregivers fed and provided antibiotics to the animal.

"He's not grateful," she quipped.  Rehabilitators limit their contact with the eagle so that he will not "habituate," or become too comfortable around people. They use hydrotherapy to help the healing in his feet.  "He needs those for hunting. There are lots of tendons and muscles we need to protect," said Erickson.

Golden eagles, which are protected, typically eat reptiles, birds and small mammals, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They also are known to scavenge carrion.  Keller said golden eagle females are slightly smaller than the more-famous bald eagle and tend to hunt more and scavenge less. Their particular favorite prey in northern Utah is the black-tailed jackrabbit.

The resident of suburban Salt Lake City studies golden eagles and provides population information to state wildlife authorities. Erickson called Keller "the hero in this story."

It's too early to tell whether Phoenix will be able to fly in the wild. Rehabilitation will take at least a year and his feathers won't fully moult until mid-2013.  "We are fairly confident, but there could be follicle damage we do not know about that would prevent feathers from coming in," Erickson said.

The nonprofit center, which treats about 1,800 animals a year, is accepting financial and food donations to offset the cost of caring for the golden eagle.  "He is doing well and we are very positive about his outcome right now," said Erickson. "(But) these types of things can turn at any moment."  In her 12 years of wildlife rehabilitation, Erickson said, the eagle's story is among a few cases she considers "nothing short of a miracle."

Offline msdolittle

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #58 on: July 07, 2012, 16:25 »
Nice story, thanks for posting RCF.

Offline RCF

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #57 on: July 07, 2012, 16:18 »
Axed eagle's nest rebuilt by B.C. residents   8)
Posted: Jul 4, 2012 9:38 AM PT

A pair of bald eagles is resting safely in their new nest after some Vancouver Island residents scrambled to build them a new home when their old tree was chopped down. Residents of Campbell River's Galerno Road were outraged and devastated in February when an eagle nest tree was cut down by a property owner.

http://soc.li/E4hR0eE

Offline RCF

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #56 on: June 05, 2012, 06:05 »
Thanks bcbird,  I'm glad the eagle is doing ok!   8)

Offline bcbird

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #55 on: June 05, 2012, 00:05 »
Thanks for the news link and video of the eagle rescue, RCF.
There is a Facebook page for the rehab group who took in the eagle after the rescue
There are some good photos and information about the progress of the eagle's recovery.

https://www.facebook.com/mars.comoxvalley

Offline RCF

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #54 on: June 04, 2012, 21:42 »
An Incredible Eagle Rescue   :)

Maj received a call in the evening of May 29th about an eagle tangled in kite string in a tree in Royston. The eagle was at least 40' up and it became obvious that a tree climber was necessary. At 6 am the next morning everyone assembled to watch Steve Harding of Timberwolf Tree Service, in Campbell River, climb up and free the eagle. He did this on his own time, as he has done in the past, for other birds.

http://youtu.be/gMeuO1L6wuQ

Published on May 30, 2012 by MARSbirds

Offline Kinderchick

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #53 on: May 23, 2012, 19:50 »
Very beautiful story, cadria. Thanks for posting it. :) That is amazing that the parents returned.

Offline irenekl

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #52 on: May 22, 2012, 22:15 »
Fantastic!  And I agree, help out sometimes.  Why not!

Offline allikat

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #51 on: May 22, 2012, 20:04 »
That was a beautiful story and heartwarming video! 
It certainly is wonderful to be able to give a lending hand, and then see that lending hand create a happy reunion!

Offline birdcamfan

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #50 on: May 22, 2012, 19:55 »
Ah! What a nice thing to read. Thank you.

Offline susha

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #49 on: May 22, 2012, 18:03 »
Thanks for sharing this story, Cadria!  Beautiful!!

Offline MayShowers

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #48 on: May 22, 2012, 17:42 »
What a wonderful story.  Brought a tear to my eye.  :)

Offline cadria

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #47 on: May 22, 2012, 17:11 »
I just wanted to share this story with all of you in case you hadn't heard it.  There is a Bald Eagle cam in central Minnesota and, at the beginning of April, 2 chicks hatched.  This nest has had a rough time.  At the end of April, one of the chicks fell from the nest.  Sadly, he did not make it.  Then, a few days later, after a lot of rain and Mom doing some nestoration, Harmon, the remaining chick, got his wing stuck in a hole in the nest.  For 24 hours, we watched and waited and begged the powers that be to help him out. Finally, after a lot of consideration and obtaining a permit from their Fish and Wildlife Service, a man from the Raptor Center went up the tree to check out Harmon.  He checked him over and decided that he needed a bit of rehab, so he was taken off to the Raptor Center.  He was incredibly distressed from trying to get out and his injury had maggots on it!   :o  He did remarkably well and in just under 48 hours, they were able to return him.  Apparently, after that amount of time, it is very unlikely that parents will return to a nest.

Everybody watched and waited and prayed...and waited and watched.  He had been fed, but was pretty young to be taking care of himself.  We were all devastated when he had to spend that first night alone.   Then, as if all the prayers had been heard, just after 7:00 CST ( about 26 hours later), Dad just plopped down on the nest!!  It was the most glorious sight!!!  The volunteers had left cut up fish so that when the parents came back, they could feed him right away instead of having to go out and hunt.  Within about 5 minutes, Mom dropped down onto the nest.  Harmon was just delighted and squealing!!  They both started feeding him and stuffing him.  The parents have been so attentive.  Unbeknownst to us, the crew was on the ground, about 30 minutes away from going up and getting Harmon, as they did now want him to be alone another night with predators.  However, they saw the parents circling and held their breath and hoped and we were all rewarded....especially Harmon!

It was such a happy ending and while people might comment that we should let nature take it's course, my thoughts are that there is no reason a helping hand should not be offered out, especially since man causes loads of problems for animals.  :)

Anyway, here is a link to one of the stories and if you follow it, you can read the other blog stories.

http://theraptorcenternews.blogspot.ca/2012/05/what-amazing-finale-to-very-busy-few.html

Here is the reunion video:

http://youtu.be/s0BsVUr8UT4

It was such a marvelous sight to behold.  Unfortunately for my mom, I was on the phone with her when Dad landed.  I yelled, "OMG, Dad's back!" into the phone. ....heh, heh...good thing we were on speaker phone! :)

Offline Kinderchick

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Re: News: Eagles
« Reply #46 on: March 14, 2012, 20:38 »
Hmmm... That is a very strange article. Never heard of the killing of bald eagles to be an acceptable practice by anyone, legally or otherwise. :'(