Bald eagle #2 for the year, and a rant (unrelated to eagle)

Yup, the second bald eagle of 2024 came into LWR last week. This guy’s a fledgling, a little thin at 3.14kg/6.9lbs. DNR and FWS agreed that rather than move him from pillar to post, he could remain at LWR while boots on the ground in the area looked to see if a previously undocumented nest might be found—the only documented nest is apparently some 20-30 miles from where he was picked up. If no nest can be located to place him near his parents, he’ll go to colleague Kathryn Dudeck at Chattahoochee Nature Center. She and I are hopeful he can be reunited with his parents and sibling(s) but it’s looking less and less likely this will happen. Meanwhile, he’s eating well at LWR, making up for meals lost when he was somehow separated from his parents.

When he was at Smalley’s Animal Hospital for x-rays and a general physical exam, we all were amused because he’s young enough to give outraged juvie chirps at being handled—never had a baldie who vocalized before, so that was interesting. He stayed inside for a couple of days; we had rough weather on tap for basically the entire state for several days after he came in. As soon as it was clear, he was moved into the main flight, where he seems quite content to hang out and receive regular meals while we wait to see if he’ll be reunited or transferred.

And perhaps I overdid the photos of the big young feller, but dang it, he’s actually almost cute…

Shortly after his arrival LWR received a text out of the blue from a person who sent numerous photos of a nestling hawk with no explanatory info. I immediately called to get more info and see if the baby could be reunited with its parents. This person claimed to’ve had the baby for TWO WEEKS, asserting that they’d raised numerous birds previously. The person was at a relative’s graduation when they sent the photos and assured me the bird would be at LWR the next morning. They had second thoughts and brought the baby that evening, proceeding again to tell me about their previous illegal bird raising and asking how to become a rehabber. I explained the procedure and answered their questions about the birds I currently had in rehab. During this discussion, they handed me a baggie with what appeared to be a small amount of dried gray pocket lint and said the baby had “thrown it up” and they were unsure if it was normal.

Aha! THAT is most likely the reason they even attempted to find a rehabber—they were unfamiliar with raptors casting pellets…and that poor, withered excuse for a pellet was indeed worrisome to me.

Oh, but the best is yet to come… Said lawbreaker then texted me after they’d left, asking if I had CashApp for a donation “when they got paid” (if I had one measly dollar for every time I’ve heard THAT line, LWR would be almost totally self-funded) and asking for regular updates on the bird. After I’d stopped steaming, I replied with a negative on both accounts and was then treated to an unhinged text rant about how they KNEW they made a mistake leaving the bird with me (like they had a choice; I’d’ve sicced DNR and FWS on their butt so fast it woulda made their head spin, and the authorities don’t play around when it comes to raptors.), I had no people skills (DUH. There’s a reason I work with animals and not people, sweetie.), and would I PLEASE make sure that baby lived (As long as your arrogant stupidity didn’t irreversibly damage him, he should be fine.)…I ended up blocking the number so I have no clue how long this went on after the first two messages.

Y’all…I may utterly despise the person who brings me a bird but that bird will NEVER suffer at my hands just because its finders are entitled, arrogant jackasses who think they can break the law with impunity, endanger the health and welfare of a protected species, and then get offended because I don’t pat their heads, tell them “good boy/girl” for their lawbreaking, and offer a tour of the LWR grounds (which is strictly prohibited by the terms of my permits) to reward their asininity.

And now for photos of the subject of the rant…He appears to be a nestling red tail who still, as of this evening, has his egg tooth, so he’s actually only about 10 days old, giving lie to his having been in the person’s illegal possession for two weeks unless they found and hatched an unnested egg… ANYway, enjoy his glorious little downy gorgeousness!

The same day the red tail nestling came in, a young couple provided an example of how to do things right. They were driving and saw what they initially thought was a quail hung on a barbed-wire fence. Upon stopping to release it, they realized it was, in fact, a screech. With their priorities firmly in place, they first gently removed the bird from the fence, secured it in their vehicle, and sought out a rehabber. LWR was the closest, so even though it meant nearly a two-hour drive for them, they proceeded to bring the injured screech to LWR that very evening. They were also interested in the process to become a rehabber, so I gave them the same information I’d given the unhinged lawbreaker earlier. Oddly enough, not only were they not “offended,” when they found out they’d need flight pens they asked intelligent questions about the general setup of a flight. Guess one’s level of “offense” depends on whether one has broken the law or, as this couple had done, proceeded to put the welfare of the bird above their own egos. So yes, should this young couple decide to seek their rehab permits, I’d be willing to aid them where I could.

Nothing feels broken but that’s a nasty puncture wound. He’s on antibiotics, as the couple indicated the barbed wire was rusty.

Meanwhile, the barred twins are in the mini-pen, where they delight in threatening me with fearsome displays of beak clicking while glaring daggers at me.

The great horned, bless his heart, is stuck inside till the eagle is moved, not that he seems to care right now, as long as the “buffet” remains endless.

And we’re still in “hurry up and wait” mode on the screech awaiting transfer to become an ed bird.