2019 Rescues
8 May 2019 - Bald Eagle. Skagway PD contacted John McDermott about an injured Bald Eagle that seemed to have a broken wing near the confluence of West Creek and the Taiya River. John searched from the rafting put-in to the West Creek confluence, but did not see the eagle. Dorothy Brady also searched several times, but did not see the eagle.
UPDATE: 18 May - A second report was sent to Klondike Park on 18May saying that the eagle was seen again and still seemed injured. We are monitoring to try to determine if the bird has a minor injury and can still feed itself.
UPDATE: 22 May - several more reports on the eagle have come in. It is being seen on the ground, usually along the shores of the Taiya River. We hope to observe and evaluate it as soon as possible.
UPDATE: 24 May - Dorothy was able to observe the bird, which was flying with difficulty for only short distances, and looked weak. She consulted with JRC and the decision was made to capture it for rehabilitation.
Bald Eagle (photo by A.Beierly)
Bald Eagle - continued (click here for photo record for updates below)
UPDATE: 25 May - Dorothy assembled a crew, and they attempted to capture the eagle. It was perched in a logjam next to the river. Two people were lookouts, two teams of 2 people were positioned to keep the eagle from going into the river, and the capture team approached the eagle by raft. The eagle was alert as the humans slowly approached, and made a low, short flight to a different log. When people got closer again, it made a long flight with elevation gain into a tree. All those who had seen the eagle trying to fly in the past days agreed that it seemed much stronger and was flying better. It was decided to halt the capture and monitor the eagle with the hope that it would continue to improve.
Many thanks to the crew: Sam Guilliams, Brooke Jasky-Zuber, Deb Boettcher, Peter Yager, Andrew Beierly, Katlyn Fuentes, Elaine Furbish, Lynnette and Jim Proffit.
UPDATE: 26 May - The eagle is perched on wood at the river bank. Right wing still held awkwardly, somewhat out from body.
UPDATE: 27 May - The eagle is spending more time away from shore. Flying ability seems to be improving.
UPDATE: 31 May - The eagle was observed sitting in the top of a small spruce, near the same bend in the river at Hackett's hill. It was alert and didn't seem weak, but the left wing was folded awkwardly. It did not fly while we were there.
UPDATE: 5 June - Several people have been looking over the past few days. The eagle hasn't been seen since it was in the top of the tree. No dead eagle carcass in the area. Presumed that the eagle gained enough strength and flight ability to leave the area.
9 June 2019 - Northwestern Crow. Skagway PD contacted Elaine about a crow that had been hit by a car near 2nd and State. Elaine contacted Betsy Albecker, then joined her to assess the crow, which was on the ground near the gate to Betsy's garden. The person whose vehicle was involved described the crow flying in front of his van, and prior to impact his impression was that the bird was flying awkwardly. The crow was acting the way birds often do when they fly into a window: lethargic, disoriented and drifting in and out of sleep. It could stand and walk when it was more alert. One eye was closed but not swollen. It did not try to open its wings. A couple of other crows watched for a short time, but did not alarm call or try to get close. Other members of the rescue group had received phone calls, not from police dispatch, in the past week about a possible injured crow. Each time those calls were checked, the crow was not readily flying, but also did not show signs of injury and was being actively protected by other crows. This crow may or may not have been the same crow. We left it in the garden, under vegetation shelter and with some water to drink, to give it time to recover.
UPDATE: 10 June - the crow became more active that evening, drank water and moved around some. This morning it was gone, with no signs of being hassled or predated by other animals.
UPDATE: 11 June - the crow returned to the garden and perched for awhile in a lilac tree. It has been coming and going periodically, and is strong. Some missing flight feathers seem to be regrowing
crow (photo by B.Albecker)
26 June 2019 - young American Robin. Police dispatch contacted Elaine about a baby robin on the ground and being attacked by crows. She responded to the house, where Penny had collected a young, almost fledged robin and put it in an open box to protect it from the crows. About 5 crows were perched only 3-4 yards away, watching intently and following closely whenever the robin was moved. The parents were calling in the trees, and the young bird was in good shape, but it couldn't be put out for the parents to find with the crows so close by. We decided to move the young bird to a hidden location for an hour or two, to let it calm down and let the crows lose interest and move on. After that time, the crows were gone, and the robin was put out near the trees. Soon the robin took some short flights into a patch of tall grass, and the parents were seen in the trees nearby. All indications are that the parents can finish caring for the young bird, which should be able to fully fly within a day or two.
7 July 2019 - fledgling gull. Wendy A. (associated with rescue group) noticed a number of gulls flying close around her house midtown. Investigating in her yard, she found a young gull trapped in her pallet raised garden area. She moved the bird to an open area, where he flew a few feet but didn't have enough lift to make it over the 6 foot fence. She kept the dogs out of the yard, set out a bowl of water, and left the gull to recover under the watchful eyes of the adults who chased off crows and people. Sometime by the next morning all the gulls, including the juvenile, left the area. Wendy concluded a fledgling gull got tired and disoriented and just need some time to calm down and regain strength.
14 July 2019 - young swallow. Police dispatch called Deb about a person who had a bird. Deb picked up the juvenile swallow that had been rescued by the man the day before in the street by the coffee shop on 3rd. Bird seed was in the box with the bird. Deb contacted Juneau Raptor Center who agreed to take the swallow. It was sent out on an Alaska Seaplanes flight that afternoon. --- Thank you to Alaska Seaplanes! ---
16 July 2019 - Northwestern Crow. Rhonda called Skagway PD about a crow having trouble flying at 3rd and Spring. Elaine got the call and contacted Rhonda, who said the bird was holding its wing askew and had been walking around the Westmark courtyard area all day. It had recently hopped up a stairway out of sight, and presumably glided or flew away because it wasn't on the ground below or seen in the area. She will call again if it comes back and still has a bad wing, and we will look for the bird when we're in the area over the next few days.
UPDATE: 18 July - Rhonda reports that the crow is coming and going and seems strong but still only attempts to fly for short distances. Elaine observed the crow perched in a low branch of a tree for about 15 minutes, it looked healthy and during the entire time it energetically preened its wing feathers and repeatedly stretched both wings out in several positions.
UPDATE: 20 July - Joanne and Andrew B. looked for the bird, but couldn't find it. Some residents told them that the crow was getting better and seemed to be recovering.
young swallow (photo by D.Boettcher)
21 July 2019 - Northwestern Crow. Skagway PD contacted Deb about an injured crow. When she looked at the location, she was unable to find the bird.
24 July 2019 - Northwestern Crow. Police dispatch contacted Elaine about a dead crow at 4th and State. Elaine went to the site to collect the crow, but could not find it. A person working nearby showed her the location where the crow had been, but it was gone.
24 July 2019 - Northwestern Crow. Skagway PD contacted Deb about an injured crow. Deb passed the info to Elaine, who met Wendy B. in her yard at 7th near State. Wendy and her husband had collected a crow with an injured left wing and injured left leg that was being attacked by other crows. They placed it in an empty hot tub with straw, food and water, and covered the top with planks so the other birds couldn't hassle it. Elaine consulted with Kathy at JRC, who agreed to take the crow. It was settled into a kennel for transport, and went to Juneau that afternoon on Alaska Seaplanes. THANK YOU as always to Alaska Seaplanes for transporting injured birds for us!!!
13 August 2019 - grouse. Deb responded to a call from Skagway PD about an injured ptarmigan near the railroad dock. She contacted Betsy to assist, they looked in the area but did not find the bird. A person who saw the bird earlier said it looked like a grouse, and took them to the site where had been seen - it was not there, presumed uninjured and to have flown back to the hillside.
28 August 2019 - injured bird. Elaine was contacted by Cruise Line Agencies (CLA) about a bird with an injured wing on one of the docked cruise ships. The ship's staff collected the bird and had treated a cut on a wing. Elaine agreed to take the bird after it had been put in a cardboard box with padding and brought to the CLA office. Before that could be accomplished, the bird died. Size, species or type of bird unknown.