Eagle Update

I spoke to Shannon at West Sound Wildlife today about Bob, the juvenile eagle. 

Bob suits him don't you think? 

Bob, was not injured, rather he was starving to death.  He did not have the energy to fly or get away.  They estimate him to be a yearling and most likely booted from his parents when they started nesting again this year. 

He has already gained a pound since Sunday.  Given his size and weight they are assuming he is a 'HE', rather than a she.  Female Bald Eagles are larger than males. 

West Sound Wildlife will keep him in a private enclosure for now, then move him into the 'flight' enclosure in a while so he can gain his flight feathers back.  The larger enclosure has two other eagles in it right now.  An adult and another juvenile.  After they are assured he can fly they will coordinate with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to release him back where he was found. 

Hopefully if nature is kind, we will never find him on the ground again. 

West Sound Wildlife Shelter is a wild animal medical facility that is able to rescue, diagnose, treat, and release injured and orphaned wildlife. Their important work relies on the energy, dedication, and continued wisdom of volunteers, participating veterinarians, staff, associate state licensed rehabilitators, and board members.

Presently they are raising money for the Take Flight Project Capital Campaign.  The money is needed to build a state-of-the-art flight cage and waterfowl enclosure.  Please donate to the campaign and help save the lives of thousands of local wild animals, including eagles, owls, and great blue herons that you love.  

If you are able to assist this amazing shelter in their mission to improve the lives of wild animals please visit their website and make a donation. It is VERY EASY!  I just did it and it took me a couple of minutes.  Just click on the "Make a Donation" button, enter your information and viola - you are done!  In exchange for making the donation you will receive their news letter and a WSW gift (for donations over $100.00). 

To make it very easy, here is the direct link - click on the picture below. 

If you would like to read news letters as well as many success stories and "what to do" articles - click on the link below.  Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did. 

West Sound Wildlife - A Center for Rehabilitation and Education

Détente

Good news! We seem to have entered into a period of détente between Beth and Bonnie.

What it has boiled down to is obedience, hyper-vigilance and separation. 

If one of them is inside, the other is out.  If they are both inside (it has been bitterly cold) then they are separated in different areas of the house.  When they are in the same room they are both dragging a leash.

My primary objective is to remove any incentive for fighting.  Prevention is key.  Watch the body language (stiff legs, raised stiff tail, hard stare etc...) when I see something I do not like, I distract their attention from each other and onto me.

It is E.X.H.A.U.S.T.I.N.G.

They both know the jig is up and Mom is going to lower the boom on their heads - and they are united in watching me for any sign of correction.   I am also working with all four (separately) of them in many different things like obedience, perch work, contacts, jumps and other things to keep their minds engaged and focused on me as the source of all things good. 

When I see Beth giving the ole stink-eye to Bonnie - I correct her (sharp 'Beth, knock it off").  If I see Bonnie heading straight toward Beth - like a moth to a flame - WHAMMO I correct her (grab her leash, or call her to me - or removal from the room). 

I have been watching them like hawks.  I still not entirely sure what the heck is going on.   Beth has been avoiding Bonnie.  Averting her head when she is in the room, hiding behind the couch etc.  In general Beth doesn't want to be any where near Bonnie.  She is receptive and and affectionate to both Ranger and Brynn. 

Bonnie on the other hand can't seem to get enough of Beth, and seems to want to 'suck up' to her constantly.  She wants to smell her, sniff her, lick her face. 

Saturday morning dawned clear and cold, so John and I bundled up and took them all to the river.

Both Beth and Bonnie started out on leash..  We slowly let them go (dragging leashes) when it became apparent that Beth had no interest in starting any type of fight with Bonnie. 

Beth was not deterred by her leash, nothing diminishes her pursuit of the all mighty ball.

The dogs took turns playing off leash away from each other at first. 

If Bonnie got to far ahead of me, I called her back.  A simple task, she is rarely more than 10 feet away from me.

Have I mentioned in this post how much I love my new camera? 

I have been playing with the manual settings.   Now if I can just get it all in focus, shutter speed and the lighting figured out I will be doing good.  I actually love this picture.  I love the ball is in focus, but the dogs behind are not.  The composition sucks..but I still love it.   I digress...

Can you tell Beth is addicted to the ball?

Ballaholic.  I wish she had this same passion for sheep.

When things became apparent they were not going to rip each others face off the leashes slowly came off.  

It seemed that Bonnie wanted to appease Beth.  Beth pretty much just ignored her.

She even ignored her when Bonnie kept doing this (see Bonnie's tongue stuck to the side of Beth's face below?).  It was VERY HARD to not correct this or jump in. 

Bonnie is licking Beth's face. 

Finally when they were good and tired....we saw them start to relax a bit.

I saw a scene I never thought I would see again.   All of them together.  No one bleeding. 

Beth and Bonnie - in the same frame - fur not flying. 

I cannot afford to relax or become complacent.  We are still going to be working with Packworks next weekend and a behaviorist to make sure there is not something more going on, or more I should be doing. 

For now, this makes me smile.

Now, for something fun. 

Do you notice something in this picture?  Look closely (click on picture for larger view) in the trees above the dogs. 

Our eagle friend met us on our walk again.  I forgot the lens I needed to get a really good shot.  So you will have to be happy with these. 

Looking at the dogs below

Looking at me. 

Eagle food?

Beth, Squeaker & The Eagle

Beth worships this ball. 

Today we were walking along the levee on the Carbon River.  I have been taking the dogs on their walks two at a time rather than all four at once.  This time I had Beth and Ranger.   Beth was in Heaven chasing her squeaker ball.  Ranger was in Heaven sniffing and  peeing in the bushes.

As usual I would throw the ball as we were walking at a nice clip, Beth captured it, then squeaked and squeaked and squeaked.

Today we learned one other species is intrigued by this ball. 

As Beth was obsessively squeaking her ball I heard a very loud "SCREEEECH" right above my head.

I was confused...

Then I heard it again, "SCREEEEECH" this time closer...

Strangely enough the 'screech' sounded amazingly like the darn ball.  Just louder, longer, a bit gravelly and for some reason airborne. 

I looked up.  Swooping approximately 20 feet above my head was a very large bald eagle. 

I saw his eyeball peepers.

He saw my eyeball peepers.

I saw what he was looking at...one Border Collie laying on the ground squeaking her ball over and over and over again.

I calmly asked Beth to leave it...which she did.  I picked the ball up and put it in my pocket and called the dogs close. 

The eagle was entirely too curious for my taste.

As we walked back to the car, he followed us...flying from tree to tree...

Watching....

The Bald Eagle was easily as  big as Beth...if not a tad bigger.  The salmon run on the Carbon has been record numbers - good eating for all of Orting's bald eagles.  The salmon habitat restoration and conservation efforts have increased the amount of nesting pairs of bald eagles in our area..  They are plentiful, healthy and oh so majestic. 

Thankfully a Border Collie wasn't lunch today. *whew*

Here is a neat video of a nesting pair of bald eagles filmed less than 1/2 mile from my house.