Date: 10/2/24 1:44 pm From: 'PAUL ROBERTS' via Arlington Birds <arlingtonbirds...> Subject: [Arlington Birds] GOOD NEWS. Juvenile Arlington Bald Eagle 91/C Released Today.
Hi, Early this afternoon juvenile Bald Eagle 91/C from the Mystic Lakes in Arlington, Mass. was released by Mass Wildlife following two months recovery from a broken wing in late July. 91/C recently had been held in a large flight barn at the Tufts Wildlife Clinic in Grafton for weeks as she healed and eventually learned to fly (again). She had company, a juvenile male from the Haverhill area (banded at Grafton as 92/C) who had been recovered entangled in fishing line. The two birds became buddies, learning to fly and "capture" dead prey together. Today they were released together on the Merrimack River in Chelmsford. 92/C, the newly banded male, was released first and did a tight half circle before landing in a tree just behind his "cage." 91/C was then released and flew east towards the river, just missing some baseball netting and landing on a large, branch low in a mature, deciduous tree. She remained there for about a half hour before she flew west, soaring up gradually before she headed north. It was exciting and moving to see her doing her first real soaring in her short life. The birds might well return to their natal areas sooner or later, or they might hang out together for a while, looking for food. Just before 91/C was released, I spotted a juvenile Bald Eagle flying west up the river. Recently fledged eagles tend to look for other eagles because they might know where there is free food, or at least food. Juveniles are often injured or killed because they tend to look for easy meals, such as roadkill along highways, or rats suffering from rodenticide. It is hoped they will take advantage of the Merrimack to look for fish and ducks, developing their hunting skills while it is still relatively warm. It was thought beneficial to release the two kids together. Releasing them or just 91/C in Arlington might be riskier because of the rodenticide issue and the fact that 91/C's two older siblings had died unexplained deaths shortly after she fledged. (There is no firm evidence that rodenticide was a factor in those deaths, but several other eagles in Arlington had been the victims of rodenticide poisoning.) Releasing 92/C or both birds on the lower Merrimack would be putting them in a fairly dense eagle population, whereas the Chelmsford area and points west and north seem to offer more opportunities for them. Meanwhile, 91/C's parents, FAE and KZ, have been spending minimal time lately around the Mystic Lakes. KZ has been seen in Wakefield and possibly Stoneham. Both adults are still molting and right now and have no obligations other than to protect their territorial rights on the lakes. Strangely, we have not seen any adult visitors intruding on the lakes despite a heavy Bald Eagle migration now. We've had at least brief visits by two juveniles and 1 year-old-bird. Check out any juveniles for band 91/C or 92/C. We'd expect to see the adults working on the nest more as foliage season draws to a close The lakes have been pretty quiet lately, with highlights being a passing Caspian Tern (my first on the lakes) several days ago, and two days ago we had a Large V of 16 Great Blue Herons flying south fairly high. Best, Paul Paul M. Roberts Medford, MA <phawk254...>
