Wing healed, feisty eagle soars to freedom.Byline: REBECCA NOLAN NOLAN Nascom Operational LAN The Register-Guard She hesitated for only a moment before thrusting herself toward the sky, her powerful wings carrying her across the Willamette River Willamette River River, northwestern Oregon, U.S. It flows north for 300 mi (485 km) into the Columbia River near Portland. Oregon's most populous cities are in its valley. The Fremont Bridge, a steel arch with a main span of 1,225 ft (373 m), crosses the river at Portland. , away from the crowd of people who'd gathered to witness her first flight in many months. She alighted on a tree and watched warily as the humans who had nursed her back to health observed her movements through the lenses of camcorders and binoculars. Jason Hamar, 27, and Jeff Coleman, 17, of Springfield captured the wounded bald eagle bald eagle Species of sea eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. Strikingly handsome, it is the only eagle native solely to North America, and it has been the U.S. national bird since 1782. The adult, about 40 in. on the banks of the Willamette in November. She was dragging a wing behind her as she scrabbled scrab·bled adj. Covered with sparse vegetation; scrubby: "We can stand . . . and look out toward the scrabbled, snow-covered mountains in the west" Russell Banks. over rocks and brush, unable to fly. "We cornered her against some blackberries," Coleman said. "She didn't want to get caught." They called Oregon State Police, who contacted Cascades Raptor Care Center in Eugene. A volunteer met them near Island Park, and they handed her over. The bird had six broken flight feathers (Zool.) the wing feathers of a bird, including the quills, coverts, and bastard wing. See Bird. See also: Flight , but that wouldn't be enough to keep an eagle on the ground, said Louise Shimmel, the raptor center's director. Her talons were dull, an indication that she had been walking, instead of soaring, for some time. Extensive testing ruled out disease, parasites, poison and other common disablers. Volunteers concluded that she had tangled with a fence or power line, causing a muscle tear or deep muscle bruising bruising discoloration and actual hemorrhage at the site of injury, and a serious disadvantage in the meat trade. In the first 12 hours after injury the bruise is bright red, at 24 hours it is dark red, at 24 to 36 hours it loses its firm consistency and becomes watery and at 3 or . At least 5 years old, the eagle was thin and clearly had not enjoyed regular meals for a while, Shimmel said. Even as her tenders worked to feed and heal her, the eagle fought them. "She's got some talons, and this one happens to be a biter," Shimmel said. Gradually, she grew stronger and her impulse to fly overwhelmed her cage and her caretakers. Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
Shimmel unlatched the wire door. The eagle paused, hopped out of the container, took a few running steps and, with a flap of her giant wings, glided across the river to safety. Hamar recorded the flight with his camcorder. His 5-year-old daughter, Chelsea, will take the tape to show-and-tell so other children can see the good that a handful of caring humans can do. CAPTION(S): Jason Hamar, one of the duck hunters who found and rescued the injured eagle, videotapes the release of the bird on Sunday. |
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