Group effort saves bald eagle in distress at dam

About 2:30 p.m. Saturday, a Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research volunteer was set to return an eagle to the wild in the Conowingo area. Miscommunication between the volunteer and the nonprofit resulted in the bird being released at the top of the dam, however, rather than the usual site at Conowingo Park off Route 222, said Lisa Smith, Tri-State executive director.

Perhaps disoriented and confused, the bird did not return to one of the bald eagles’ prime nesting grounds, like nearby Rowland Island in the middle of the Susquehanna River, but instead fell to an outcropping at the base of the Conowingo Dam.

Candy Thomson, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police spokeswoman, said Ofc. Veronica Bruns, who was nearby on her usual rounds responded to the base of the dam along with Tri-State Bird Rescue volunteers. The scene drew concern and offers of help from members of the public who were enjoying the pleasant weather at the fishing pier on the Darlington side of the river.

“Members of the public gave up their kayaks to allow the rescuers to get to the bird,” Thomson said. “Exelon employees who saw this happening also helped to coordinate the effort to coax the eagle back into its crate. Everyone kept their cool, worked together and it resulted in a positive outcome.”

Thomson said that responding near the base of the dam was a routine part of the job for Bruns because NRP is the state’s primary maritime Homeland Security agency, meaning officers routinely check things like dams, ports, bridges and power plants.

“It was a fortuitous series of events in this case,” she added. “Our hats are off to Exelon for coordinating the rescue of the bird in that difficult spot.”

As of Tuesday, Smith said the bird, a hatching-year female, was doing OK and had returned to the flight cage at the rescue. The Newark, Del., based nonprofit hoped to continue to rehab the bird and try to reintroduce her to the wild once again, Smith added.

“We accept full responsibility for this and are deeply upset by this incident,” Tri-State wrote in a message on its Facebook page. “We are working to make sure this kind of miscommunication does not happen again.”

The release attempt Saturday is just one of thousands made by Tri-State every year, Smith explained. Of the 2,500 or so birds cared for by the nonprofit each year, they treat and rehabilitate about 40 to 50 bald eagles, roughly two-thirds of which come from Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

“Where we try to release an eagle depends of the age of the bird, where it came from and what time of year it is,” Smith said. “If it’s an adult in a breeding season — and we can safely transport it — we try to reintroduce near the nesting site. With this younger bird, we tried to reintroduce near a plentiful food source. Right now, the birds are not as territorial because breeding season has not started yet and many are migrating.”

While the release attempt wasn’t a success, Smith said it was “wonderful to get so much help, both from NRP and the public.”

“Every day, we hear from people who are rescuing birds in need,” she said. “It’s great when people come to the aid of wildlife.”