PREVIOUS EWC STORIES & ARCHIVES
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Good Neighbors
The Mockingbird and squirrel shared this final release cage for two weeks.
Memorial Day Weekend Eagle Rescue
Eastern Wildlife Center (EWC) was called Friday afternoon by The Raptor Center on a referral of a reported juvenile eagle on the ground in Pantego, N.C.. We contacted the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) in Raleigh with the hopes of getting a wildlife officer to investigate the need for intervention. Within two hours, EWC was contacted by the Georgia-Pacific office in S.C., and informed that their agent, Bob Turton, was still at the site but had to return to Raleigh. EWC advised Bob, per cell phone, to re-enter the woods and verify the position and that we would try to find it on Saturday morning. Shortly afterwards, Bob was called by a local biologist with the NCWRC and was advised to let nature take its course.
About 6 pm, Mark Ansley was called by John Jameson of Georgia-Pacific, and informed that upon re-entry to the site, Bob had found another bird and had determined that someone had deliberately cut the nest tree down but no other trees. Since no logging had yet been scheduled on this land by Georgia-Pacific, this seemed a deliberately targeted and illegal act by someone. We immediately called our local NCWRC officer, Milton Jones, and informed him of the situation as we knew it. Since the grounded fledglings were a result of a human action rather than natural occurrence, there was great interest by state and federal agencies.
After about 5 phone calls to Mark, a game plan was devised to get the birds Saturday morning at 8 am, 60 miles from Greenville, N.C.. Mark met agents from The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) , NCWRC, and Georgia-Pacific. We were led into the woods by Bob, who moved thru the bush with the ease of a deer.
About one half mile into very old woods, we came upon the nest tree and the two eagles who were sitting beside it. They were very large and a little disoriented on the ground. Because of the dense cover at ground level, a tentative decision had already been made by USFWS to take the two birds away, fearing harm to them if they were left in place.
EWC has always, in the case of any fledgling bird, refused to remove them when the parents are alive. We could clearly see both parents flying overhead and clucking as they went by. As the officers were investigating the tree that had been cut, the concerned land owners also arrived having driven from Raleigh that morning..
After Mark examined both birds, they weighed about 7 lbs each, he was consulted on his opinion of their chance of survival. After his input, it was decided to let Mark do what he believed would be their best option. The land owners, Bob, and Mark began constructing a platform 100 feet away, in a clearing, to allow the parents room to fly down and care for their young.
The two eagles were then placed on top of the platform,
which was a more familiar situation for them.
They seemed very happy to be up again and Mark felt certain
that they would be flying any day. And so we left them.
A week later, from good sources, EWC learned that the birds were no longer on the platform, and there was no sign of feathers or carcass. A week and half later we were informed that the birds had been spotted about 100 feet from where we had left them and a parent was seen flying up from their midst. She had simply moved them to a better site for her. This was very normal behavior bird behavior and a good sign. 2 weeks later, we were informed that both birds were seen in a tree and, after a warning call from a parent, flew 100 yards to another tree. They had returned to a normal life. Another happy ending!
EWC would like to express its heartfelt appreciation to Georgia-Pacific, Bob Turton, John Jameson, and the landowners for their continued interest in the 2 eagles. Instead of being taken to EWC and transferred to Charlotte, costing us both hundreds of private dollars, we were able to let mom and dad raise them in their own environment.
Some environmentalists have painted all logging as bad, yet without the vigilance of the staff at Georgia-Pacific, and their request for help, these birds would have never been able to get out of where they were and the parents would not have been able to reach the fledgelings without walking in. This would have subjected all of them to the threat of ground dwelling predators. The loss of these two would have been a loss to this great country.
Links for agencies in this story:
Eastern Wildlife Center
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Georgia-Pacific
Carolina Raptor Center
LOYALTY TO MATES IN WILDLIFE
As we are all aware, a lot of animals mate for life, especially larger birds and mammals, including humans. At EWC this year, we have been reminded of the strong bond that exists between mates and their devotion to each other.
January 1, 2001 we were referred to a call on an injured Bald Eagle on the Roanoke River. Accessible only by boat, and reported by a fisherman, we enlisted the help of the local game warden to get it for us. When he arrived, a mature bald eagle was down with a horrible wing fracture. He reported that eaten fish were laying on the ground around the bird. Suddenly its mate appeared overhead screaming and circling which sent the other eagle running. Finally getting the bird, the warden was amazed at the strength this bird had.
We transported the bird to ECU school of medicine for it's exam. It had a compound fracture of its left humerus that was at least two weeks old, maybe older. Its weight was amazing despite the fact it had not hunted. Apparently its mate had brought fish to it during this whole time never giving up. Unfortunately we had to euthanize the bird, because the injury was so bad.
A few weeks later we received a call on a Mallard Drake in the Median of a busy highway. When we arrived we observed the Drake sitting beside its mate, who had been killed. We approached and he flew off quite viable and we left. The next day several calls came in about a duck dodging cars at the same spot. We arrived and saw the same duck sitting by it's deceased mate. This time we removed the carcass and buried it and the calls stopped. We normally don’t do carcass removal but we learn every day.
Last Autumn, we released a Red Tail we had rehabbed for over 6 months because of fractures. We went to the exact spot it was found to release it, about 60 miles away, because it would be in familiar hunting grounds. In front of 6 people we watched as it flew across the field to a tree. After sitting there awhile it flew into the open air over the field. Suddenly another Red Tail appeared and flew towards it screeching. It returned the call and we watched stunned as they circled each other screeching the whole time going in a circle, side by side, up, up, and up until they were so high we could barely see them.
EWC was reminded of the strong bond some animals have and release to the same area, if possible, could help re-unite these life long mates.
Wildlife Rehabilitators at well attended State Symposium
Fledgling Great Horned Owl #1
Showing its threat stance, this flegling was blown out of its tree after a strong nor-easter.
After growing like a weed, it was transfered to CRC to be raised by a surrogate parent.
The "wolves" were out at EWC in Jan.
We had a bird identifcation class on what birds eat by looking at their beak.
Troop 330, all 2nd graders, participated and were awarded certificates.
They had to identify 10 birds, which they were quite good at.
There were plenty of birds both caged and wild to enhance their knowledge.
We also lectured them on Rabies and Wildlife.
