One evening at dusk, a bald eagle’s nest came tumbling down out of a tall tree near the beach at Southview Road. There was much hoopla as one eaglet and the nest fell to the ground but the other eaglet was caught in a branch halfway down.
The eaglet’s parents, the eaglets and the homeowners were all equally alarmed, so Powell River Orphaned Wildlife Society (PROWLS) was called.
With the help of headlights, PROWLS president Merrilee Prior was able to catch the one on the ground in a butterfly net. They were nestlings, covered in both down and feathers, unable to fly or feed themselves.
The following day the parents tried to feed the one still in the tree but the branches were too dense to allow them access. A tree climber was on the ready to assist but the second eaglet soon finished her tumble and was finally on the ground, too.
They were both sent off to Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL) in Delta to learn how to be eagles.
Eight weeks later, arriving back in Powell River and chauffeured to Southview Road, they were none too happy after their flight on Pacific Coastal Airlines.
In spite of their size and imposing appearance, they showed themselves to be tentative youngsters still, reluctant to leave their cages once the doors were open. Essentially dumped out, one flew off and the other chose a perch in a tree nearby.
They both will need time to settle and learn the routine of being an independent eagle. By then their parents were off in Alaska having a holiday.
