Bald Eagle Release

Raptor releases never get old. We were invited to watch a Bald Eagle Release a few days ago. We leapt at the opportunity. This marks or 10th or 11th release. Mostly eagles, bus we have also done a Short-eared Owl, American Kestrel, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It never gets old seeing a bird that has been rehabilitated emerge from a crate and reenter the wild.

This particular Eagle was a female, at least 4 years old and she had come into the rehab center with lead levels her blood that were off the chart. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered she also had a fracture wrist bone. So, 8 weeks of rehab was dictated by the fracture. The lead would need to be chelated out- typically a 10 day course of action. She needed two, back-to-back lead treatments. Lead shot and lead bullets are, simply stated, toxic to many animals even they do not get shot by them. This beautiful Bald Eagle was one of the lucky ones.

We drove up to Choteau, Montana for this release. The drive was amazing. We stopped several time and just got out of the van to look and listen. January 24 never felt so wonderful. It was in the mid 30’s and there was no wind. The sun was still a little low and off to the south-east, so the front of the rockies was simply stunning. The silence was amazing. This was a quick trip (6 hours and 250 miles) that totally refilled our souls.