MAY 2: Second Eaglet Rescued - The value of having many eyes on the eagles

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After the failure of the rescue crew to locate the second downed eagle on Wednesday, April 30, our hopes were dashed. After that we watched for the adults and listened for any eaglet calls. Volunteers heard no eagle calls during multiple visits on Thursday and Friday. Then, late yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, Richard stopped by on his bicycle and heard a call which he recorded and then confirmed was indeed the cry of an eaglet. Phil notified Florida FWC and arranged to meet an officer at the nest in the morning.
 
I arrived at the eagle nest this morning at 6:50 AM, just after sunrise. At first all was quiet, but at about 7:10 AM there were the unquestionable 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 counted over a dozen calls 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, 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 as 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 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.

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 last night he renewed the search. To top it off, it was Richard who spotted the eaglet just before the search would have again been suspended.