Second Eaglet Rescued - The value of having many eyes on the eagles #963

This is a follow-up to the events described in my earlier post: EAGLETS DOWN

After the failure of the rescue crew to locate the second downed eagle on Wednesday, April 28, our hopes were dashed. We watched for the adults and listened for any eaglet calls. Volunteers heard no sound of an eaglet during multiple visits on Thursday and Friday. Then, late on Saturday) afternoon, May 1, Richard stopped by on his bicycle and heard a call which he recorded and then confirmed as indeed the cry of an eaglet. Phil notified Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and arranged to meet an officer at the nest in the morning.

I arrived at the eagle nest on Sunday morning at 6:50 AM, just after sunrise. At first all was quiet, but at about 7:10 AM there were the distinct calls of an eaglet from an area very close to the sidewalk and a short distance east of the nest tree. With other watchers, we heard over a dozen eaglet cries before the arrival of FWC, at about 8:15 AM.

Phil and the FWC Officer entered the woodland and searched through the tangle of fallen trees for over two hours. Probably because the eaglet was startled by the presence of the rescuers, it fell silent, calling only about twice but never near enough for Phil and the Officer to determine its location. Then at about 10:45 AM they finally felt that, because of the  nearly impenetrable undergrowth and tangle of fallen trees left by Hurricane Irma, it was necessary to suspend the search.

The FWC Officer was just preparing to depart when Richard looked into a break in the foliage and said he could see the eaglet! I waved down the Officer just as he was departing. It was amazing because I found it almost impossible to see the eaglet in the dark and dense forest floor. Richard did his best to point it out, saying, "Look for its yellow feet." That did it and I got partial views of the eaglet standing tall on a fallen log, only about 20 yards from our position at the edge of the woodlands. 

We watched as the Officer, carrying a large net, got within a yard or so from the eaglet. It suddenly ran into a hole between the limbs of the fallen tree. It was crouched down and quite inaccessible. Phil and his wife Mary joined the FWS Officer in trying to access the eaglet. They brought some fish, in case it might entice the hungry bird to come out into the open.

Pembroke Pines Fire & Rescue then arrived with longer poles and a chain saw. The latter was not needed as the eaglet responded to gentle probing by moving to a spot where is was finally captured. 

It was brought to a local wildlife rehabilitation facility for examination and treatment as necessary. Except for mild anemia and hookworm infestation, it was hungry but uninjured. 

Kudos to volunteers Phil and Mary for being part of the exhausting search effort. Richard was doubly a hero for this eaglet. By hearing and reporting its presence the night before, he renewed the search. To top it off, it was Richard who spotted the eaglet just before the search would have again been suspended.

As we were listening for the eaglet to betray its presence, an Eastern Screech-Owl looked out of its nest from a woodpecker hole in a dead palm tree in front of the abandoned nest. The adult appeared first:

Then, a downy juvenile peered out:

The eagles have kept me so busy that I got behind in processing my photos. After losing a couple of days worth of pictures from our visit to Illinois, we did get out one day to local parks. I also clicked a few shots while relaxing on our daughter's back deck. Here are some backyard birds framed by the bars of their iron fence.

Northern Cardinal:

Red-winged Blackbird:

Brown-headed Cowbird at their feeder:

Back yard male House Finch singing:

At nearby Jones Meadow Park, a pair of Canada Geese tended to five goslings:

A demure Field Sparrow at Nelson Lake:

An American Crow carried a stolen robin's egg:

At home in Florida, view from the back patio before sunrise on May 11:

A fish disturbed the surface of the lake:

Later, on our morning walk, I found last year's antler of a young buck, the first I have ever found:

Near where I found the antler, a young white-tailed buck in velvet walked out into the open and stared at me from a distance. Could this have been the one who donated the antler?:

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Linking to:

Fences Around the World

Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

Wild Bird Wednesday

My Corner of the World

Timeless Thursday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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Crops & Clips: I saw a Sora

During our brief stay with our daughter's family in northeastern Illinois, I enjoyed watching the birds from the deck in their back yard. We had visits from local breeding birds and even one species which had not departed for its nesting grounds to the north.

Several White-crowned Sparrows brightened up the surroundings by perching on the fence:





The presence of black in front of their eyes (lores) and pinkish bills indicate that these belong to the East Tiaga population which breeds in the eastern Canadian tundra. They will soon be departing. One took a perch in a blooming cherry tree:



Song Sparrows breed locally and were singing from the fence and nearby spruce trees:





Other visitors included Eastern Goldfinches. A female was eating the catkins of a birch tree (I learned that people can eat them too):



Male House Finches were in full song...



...and visited the freshly stocked feeder...



...as did House Sparrows...



...and Brown-headed Cowbirds:



The fence also hosted a cooing Mourning Dove...


...and a male Northern Cardinal:





American Robins were starting to nest:



A surprise visitor was a Blue-headed Vireo which posed for a few photos as it foraged among the buds and flowers:





I glanced out the kitchen window and saw that I was not the only one attracted to the yard birds. An immature Cooper's Hawk perched for a moment before plunging into a small bush after an unidentified bird. It was not successful and flew away empty-taloned. My photo is soft because I shot through the window:





My first venture outside was a single-minded search for a Sora in nearby Jones Meadow Park, which I hoped had already returned for the summer. They winter in Florida, but I rarely see them near our home. I succeeded, though my glimpse of one was momentary:



On a subsequent visit the Sora appeared at closer range but was very shy and elusive:





The cool outside air made me feel better. Seeing the Sandhill Cranes (described in my prior post) also lifted my spirits!

Back home in Florida, a rare Seasonal Blue Moon made its appearance on May 19. The more common "Blue Moon" occurs as the second full Moon in a month with two full Moons. This happens about once every two or three years. The Seasonal Blue Moon is the second of three full Moons which appear during one of the four seasons, in this case between the spring equinox and the summer solstice.

The Seasonal Blue Moon descends in the southeastern sky just before sunrise over our local wetlands:



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Linking to Misty's  CAMERA CRITTERS,

Linking to Eileen's SATURDAY'S CRITTERS,

Linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY by Yogi, Sylvia and Sandy

Linking to WEEKEND REFLECTIONS by James

Linking to BirdD'Pot by Anni

Linking to Our World Tuesday by Lady Fi

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday by Stewart

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) by NC Sue

Linking to ALL SEASONS by Jesh

 Linking to Fences Around the World by Gosia

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Please visit the links to all these memes to see some excellent photos on display

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