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January 8, 2006
Bald eagles eager to soar again after injuriesWings of Wonder helped birds recoverEMPIRE - The cage for three bald eagles that recovered from injuries over the past year offers plenty of room for them to spread their wings and fly, but these eagles are itching to get outside.Later this month, the immature eagles, two females and a male, will get that chance when they are returned to the wild courtesy of Wings of Wonder, a Leelanau County nonprofit that specializes in raptor rehabilitation. Don Shikoski, president of the board of Wings of Wonder, attended an eagle release last year and said it's worth the drive to see firsthand. "The massive power of these birds is just inspiring," Shikoski said. "I saw people with tears in their eyes after last year's experience." Wings of Wonder took in seven eagles in 2005, but four were too badly injured and died, said Rebecca Lessard, founder and director of the nonprofit. "I've never had this many eagles in a year," Lessard said. "In any other year, two was a lot. It just happened to fall that way." The three that survived have been revived to full health and are ready to be released, Lessard said. One was found July 6 on the Old Mission Peninsula. That eagle suffered trauma to her wrist, an injury Lessard believes happened in a crash with a car or because the eagle flew into something. The injury grounded the bird, but the eagle's troubles didn't end there. "She had a sibling, and the parents abandoned her when she was grounded," Lessard said. "She was starving to death when we found her." Another eagle was found in Manistee County on Aug. 25, apparently ill from eating something contaminated. Lessard said that eagle was rehabilitated by flushing the bird with fluids so the poison was washed out of her system. A male eagle was found in Evart in Osceola County on Sept. 3. That eagle apparently had been hit by a car, Lessard said. The eagles were all born in 2005 and none of them had been tagged. They are full grown now, Lessard said, but because of their young age they have not developed the trademark white head and tail, which will begin to appear in a year or so. The three will be released Jan. 29. Details have not been finalized, although Lessard said the location likely will be at Tippy Dam in Manistee County. For details, go to www.wingsofwonder.org.
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