Thursday was a very hot June day. Noah Higgins just finished his day and was backing his logging truck into his drive way in Prentice, WI. While backing, he noticed a large brown object in his yard at the edge of a hayfield. At first glance, he thought it was a piece of cardboard as he looked into his rear view mirror, but then he realized it was an adult eagle with its wings spread open.
As he got out of the truck, he noticed the left wing appeared to be dangling. He went to take a closer look and the eagle retreated into the uncut hayfield.
He immediately called Raptor Education Group, Inc. , and they contacted us. After he spoke to REGI, he took his ATV out to search and locate the eagle. When we called Noah, he already located the eagle in the hayfield. During our half hour drive, Noah kept an eye on the eagle and came out to the road when he knew we were almost there. We followed Noah in his ATV through the hayfield to where the eagle was laying in the field. We took one net, but realized this eagle did not need to be netted. Kevin slowly approached while softly talking to this injured eagle. The eagle knew we were there to help and allowed Kevin to pick him up.
We immediately drove him 1.5 hours to REGI where Marge Cahak Gibson, the summer interns; along with Betty Teller-Peters Fagen and Lenny were awaiting our arrival.
The eagle was dehydrated and fluids were immediately tub fed to her.
Her left wing is broke. A long burn mark/injury and burnt feathers inside her wing are consistent of hitting a power line. The burn mark is an open wound and antibiotic ointment was applied to this wound.
A bird cannot tell us what happens unless someone witnesses it. REGI staff has to be detectives and piece together the clues and find out the circumstances that brings these birds to them. We have to be aware of the area the bird was rescued too. There was a powerline running along the road where the eagle was rescued.
We are forever grateful we have Marge and the REGI
Today we did not have to go far to rescue. Actually the rescue took place right on our lake. A hooded merganser mother was trying to take her very newly hatched chicks across a very busy Holiday weekend lake.
I jumped in my kayak and carefully stayed far enough back from this frantic mother while she slowly took her chicks across the lake to the conservancy bay on our lake
Success, all made it safe and sound and I headed back to shore
That is when Kevin said, there is one still here under our pontoon boat. Sure enough, the beeping little hooded merganser was way under there peeking for mom. On top of that, this little one was already diving.
With Kevin on one end of the pontoon and me in the kayak on the the other end, the little merganser surfaced right by my kayak and I was able to net this wee little merganser
I quickly headed back where I last saw mom and it’s siblings. They were further into the conservancy and I slowly approached this very skittish mom. I took this wee little merganser out of the bucket as it started beeping loudly, which got mom’s attention. She started heading closer also calling out. That is when I carefully released the little one out of my hand and he/she quickly made a beeline to mom and siblings.
In the video the little mergsnser is in the bottom right quickly approaching mom and family ❤️
This morning we received a call from Mark Demos about a loon on Little Trout Lake which is part of the Wabana Chain of Lakes north of Grand Rapids, MN.
This past weekend was MN Fishing Opener. Mark witnessed this loon accidentally hooked and watched as the fisherman tried to help this loon by trying to capture it, but it was strong and evaded capture.
Today after seeing this loon close to shore, they made a few phones call and were referred to us.
Grand Rapids is about 5 hours away from us, and I asked Mark if he would feel comfortable trying to capture this loon who was in shallow water near the shoreline.
Without hesitation, Mark and his daughter, Summer Demos, immediately set out to capture this loon after we advise him the best way to approach this loon.
After they successfully captured and brought this loon to shore, they noticed it was double hooked
The jig was in his leg and the stinger hook was in his wing.
After they successfully unhooked this loon, they face timed us as they were concerned about the position of its leg. After the loon moved, everything looked good and they swiftly released this very lucky loon back on the lake.
We have such admiration to Mark and Summer for their valiant rescue, dehooking, and release of this double hooked loon. Without their quick response, this loon would have suffered and perished.
We are so thankful that Mark and Summer saved this loon’s life❤️❤️. Mark and Summer are true heroes⭐️⭐️
