Another bizy day

A red philarope flew into a electric line and damaged its left wing. It had to be amputated so obviously it's not releasable. Looks like it might get a new home on Monterrey.

Kendra is a visiting intern from Washington State University. She's been a big help and I know she's having fun. Here she checks out a northern hawk owl.

Our latest bald came with a broken right wrist that wasn't repairable. Unfortunately it had to be amputated at the wrist. After recovery, we'll find a permanent home for him. Here it's still feeling woozy from the surgery.

Taz cracked his beak so he need plastic surgery. Cindy applied some plastic goo for a temp fix until his beak grows out.

The bear didn't have a chance

We continue to get baby birds of all types in. The ducks are the only ones that don't get set up with a Baby Bird Mom. They are a little mom fragile than songbirds and easily imprinted. They love the stuffed animals we put in their hold boxes. Terry picked up quite a few from PET ER this weekend.

We go a specticled eider in from USF&W in Barrow with an injured wing. It was spending the night or two until the Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward could arrange transportation. One of their volunteers took it down yesterday. What a nice looking bird.

This young mature came in on Saturday from the Kenai NWR. It was found on a river bank. It was soak en wet when we received it. It also has a broken right wrist. X-rays today.

It was a busy weekend.

Bald Eagle BE 10-13 released at Eagle River Nature Center

Sylvia heads Fire Lake Preschool in Eagle River. Every year she has several of our presenters out doing presentations to her students and their parents. We held a free drawing at the Great Alaskan Sportsman Show for a eagle release and guess who won.

Before the release her students sung a song to the bald eagle being released. Then Sylvia dedicated the release to "One Wing", Bird TLC's mascot who had passed away last year. And then she asked me to release it, because she said there was no fair way to pick 4 people from her group to do the release.

I have watched, organized and photographed a lot of releases, but this is the first one that I've released myself. Just a couple days before, this eagle had swooped down at me at our flight center leaving a nice mark on my face. Now, I got to tell it to go enjoy its life in the wild, find its own food and to have a awesome long life.

It couldn't have a better place to have a new start.

Thanks Sylvia for letting me be a part of your release and also thanks for your long time support of Bird TLC.

Also, thanks to my friend and fellow volunteer, Britt. She came along to help catch the bird, help organize the release and take photos. Without her help it would have been a real chore. She also took some fantastic memorable photos for me.

For more photo's of the release, click here.

Photo Credit: Britt Coon / Bird TLC

Nothing but tail feathers

This is the view the people of Bird TLC like to see. Nothing but tail feathers from a successful eagle release.

With the help of US Senator Lisa Murkowski, BE 10-26 aka Rocky was released back to the wild at the Potter Marsh Discovery Days Festival.

Quite a crowd was on hand to see the very successful release. Thanks Senator and good luck Rocky!

For more photos of the release, go to the Bird TLC photo gallery here, and Britt Coon's website here.

We have baby ducks!

So far we've taken in about 1 1/2 baby birds, the majority being baby ducks. If this year is like any other, we'll take in about 300 baby birds.