Two bald eagles took over an osprey nest beginning last year. This spring, they returned and laid eggs, a first in the natural history record books for the Vineyard.
Noah Galley was carrying grain to the family barn when when he saw a large bird flying in short bursts across the property. He identified the bird as a juvenile bald eagle. The young bird has been rescued for possible rehabilitation by noted naturalist Gus Ben David.
Gus Ben David's newest feathered friend is seven weeks old, and subsists on a diet of rats and mice.
That may not sound very appetizing, but this baby is awfully cute. Mr. Ben David, the director of the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown, is rearing a Eurasian eagle owl.
The creature, a male, is smaller than a football but in the months ahead, its size will eclipse any owl Mr. Ben David has ever cared for: Fully grown, the bird's wing span will extend six feet.
A juvenile bald eagle that has been in recovery for over a month was released back into the wild on Tuesday afternoon. Augustus Ben David, the owner of World of Reptiles and Bird Park in Edgartown, had cared for the animal for weeks after it was found disoriented and malnourished on a Chappaquiddick beach.
Mr. Ben David released the bird at South Beach beneath a bright autumn afternoon sun in a stiff east-northeast breeze.
When he opened the cage door, the two-year-old bird immediately took flight and headed toward Edgartown Great Pond.
The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), inland waterway, or the Ditch, as it is also known, is an incredible piece of water. It offers the boater, whether by sail, paddle, oars or motor, a fascinating peek into the history and natural history of the Eastern Seaboard. The ICW doesn’t officially start (mile marker number one) until Norfolk, Va., and ends in Key West, Fla. (mile marker 1241). However, many seamen believe it starts at Cape Ann and goes to Brownsville, Tex.
I may have to change the name of this column to the raptor report. Great excitement on Chappaquiddick, first the Fowle family observed four merlins on August 14. Two were immature merlins. How did they know they were immature? One merlin was being fed by the adult female and the other was begging food and fluttering its wings. So the Chappaquiddick merlins fledged at least two birds!
An emaciated juvenile bald eagle is getting special care and eating well on the Island after being captured on Chappaquiddick on Saturday, August 16.
Gus Ben David, who runs World of Reptiles and Bird Park in Edgartown, has the bird in a cage. He is feeding the animal road-kill rabbits and laboratory mice, and so far he thinks he can save her. The prognosis is good for the eagle’s eventual release back in the wild, although recovery may take months. Mr. Ben David said he wonders how the two-year-old bird got in trouble.
