Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Martha Returns

Those of you who followed the story of the Wilson Bridge eagles might remember that the female eagle, Martha, was injured in a territorial battle with another female at the beginning of April. While she was taken to a clinic in Delaware for rehabilitation, the male, George, was left to care for the nest. The eggs hatched, but the chicks died from either cold or inadequate nourishment, and George eventually abandoned the nest.

Now Martha's rehabilitation has ended, and she is back at the bridge. She was released from the Tri-State Center on May 6, and made her way back to her own nesting territory on her own. Photographs of an eagle consorting with George recently show that it is indeed Martha, because injuries to the eagle's bill match those incurred in the April fight.

In other bald eagle news, two eagle chicks from Prince William County, VA, were taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center after their nest was blown down in a storm.