Sometimes things don't work out well for Eagle chicks in a nest (but don't worry this story has a happy ending!). The three new chicks at the Sydney nest on Vancouver Island in British Columbia were doing fine for their first 4-5 weeks until one of the chicks got a talon entangled in fishing line (brought in with a fish) and became tethered to one side of the nest. His younger siblings were not at all concerned. They were getting first dibs on all the food being brought in for a change, and "Flyer" (he or she) was getting a few left-overs when a parent happened to notice him frantically jumping up and down on his tether.

Now this nest has a set of webcams run by the David Hancock Wildflife Forum and it wasn't long before members and volunteers were discussing the options for a rescue. Well, the nest is in an old rotted tree; you don't climb up an old rotted tree and risk bringing down the entire nest with you as it self-destructs. The nest is also located in the middle of a very wet field, making it very difficult to bring in a crane, and it would have to be a big one that could extend over a hundred feet high.

Well, after considering helicopters (too much down-draft), captive balloons, and even more innovative schemes, someone suggested laying out mats as a temporary road for the preferred crane. Here's a link for a summary of what happened: click here for video!

The team in the bucket were able to capture little Flyer, remove the fishing line from his talon and determine that his talon was not permanently injured, and return him to the nest. While they were up there they also cleaned the lens of the webcams, which had become fogged with poop.

Within an hour the parents had returned to the nest, fed all the chicks, and the last time I saw them they were all kind of hanging out relaxing in the sunset.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble