2020 rescues

Rescue Group activities in 2020

29 March 2020 - adult Bald Eagle.  Skagway dispatch contacted Elaine about a possible injured BAEA.  Steve and Kim B. described an alert energetic eagle that seemed to have an injured leg or foot.  Elaine arranged to start monitoring to try to determine the nature of the leg injury and whether signs of an internal injury develop.

UPDATE:  30 March - Mike Konsler, Steve & Kim B. checked on the eagle in the morning.  They noted that a second adult BAEA was being seen in the area, and could have been a mate.  Kim consulted with JRC, who advised capturing the BAEA soon so that it could be kept hydrated.  Police chief Ray Leggett came to block the road and help move the eagle.  The eagle was found to be weakened and was corralled and put into a travel kennel without much resistance.  Some blood on the injured foot was observed, and although a smudge of blood may have been on a wing, it spread both wings before capture and they seemed uninjured.  Arrangements were made to send it to Juneau on an Alaska Seaplanes flight  --- Thank you to Alaska Seaplanes! ---  After stabilizing the BAEA, JRC will send it to the Alaska Raptor Center in Sitka with recommendation that it be returned to Skagway and its potential mate, if possible.

UPDATE:  2 April - The eagle spent the night with Steve and Kim when high winds prevented the flight out on the 30th.   After getting to JRC the next day, the foot wound and possible wing injury were examined, and then the BAEA was sent to Sitka.

UPDATE:  11 April - The eagle was found to have a broken corocoid bone (one of the heavier bones behind the wishbone).  He's standing and eating, and the prognosis is hopeful.

9 June 2020 - young Northwestern Crow.  Elaine received a Skagway dispatch call about an injured crow near 8th and Alaska.  She found the bird and talked with the person who was there when the crow was hit by a vehicle, and who moved it off the street to a corner under a spruce tree, and set a dish of water near it.  The crow didn't struggle and seemed stunned when she moved it, she didn't notice any blood.  The property owner where the crow was placed said that it was probably from a nest she knew of in the spruce tree.  Several adults were vigorously protecting the young crow.  The property owner was willing to have the crow stay under the tree to give it a chance to recover, if possible.

UPDATE: 10 June - the young crow moved a short distance into the street, where it was noticed by a passerby who moved it back under the tree.  That person described the young crow as aware, but without any struggling when she picked it up, and the adults still vocally protecting it.

17 June 2020 - young Northwestern Crow.  Deb Boettcher received a Skagway dispatch call about an injured crow in the gutter near 10th and Broadway.    From Deb: when I arrived, the crow was crouched down alongside the curb. Several crows were in a nearby yard. I thought it might be a young one waiting for it’s mother. Walking up behind the bird, I caught it in both hands, put it in a kennel, took it to the adjacent yard and opened the kennel door. The crow flopped out and flew low then up into a spruce with at least 3 others cawing and accompanying it into the tree. I don’t think the bird was injured at all.

3 August 2020 - Northwestern Crow.  Elaine received an evening  Skagway dispatch call about an injured crow at 4th and Broadway.  Lisa H. pointed out the crow in her backyard, and said it couldn't fly.  Although other crows were in the area, no crows were near the injured crow.  It was subdued and only put up a small fight when collected.   The crow was put in a kennel with padding and moved to a quiet, dark place, with some water to rest overnight.  In the morning, a quick exam found an injured wing and leg.  JRC agreed to take the bird, and it was sent on the afternoon flight to Juneau.   THANKS AGAIN TO ALASKA SEAPLANES FOR TRANSPORTING INJURED BIRDS FOR US!!!!

       UPDATE: 4 August - the crow had a broken leg and wing, and had to be euthanized.

10 August 2020 - young Dark-eyed Junco.  Deb B. responded to information from Skagway dispatch about a swallow with a head injury, possibly from a dog.  She connected with the woman who called in the injured bird, who had the bird inside her house.  She told Deb that her cat had injured the bird.  The woman took the kennel inside, put the bird in it, and returned it to Deb.  Betsy Albecker assisted with evaluating the bird, and offered to release the bird within her chicken pen.  The bird, a young Dark-eyed Junco, flew immediately to a side of the pen and perched.  There was no sign of injury or weakness, and it seemed to fly just fine, so they opened the door and the junco flew out.

13 August 2020 - dead Northwestern Crow.  Deb B. responded to a call from the Skagway Police Dept. about a dead crow in the parking lot of Sgt. Preston’s lodge on the side by the post office.  The distraught woman who called it in wanted to know what she should do.  Deb collected the bird and buried it in the woods.

22 August 2020 - juvenile sparrow.  Skagway dispatch contacted Elaine about a small, injured bird at the Lower Dewey trailhead.  There she met Ben, who said the bird could only flutter a bit along the ground, with one wing not working.  The bird was a recently fledged sparrow, probably Savannah's sparrow.  JRC agreed to take the bird, it was placed in a kennel and quickly sent to Juneau.  Thank you to ALASKA SEAPLANES for transporting injured birds for us!

UPDATE: 23 August - The bird had signs that were typical of a cat injury, but the rehabiliator was hopeful that it might recover.  However, it was dead the next morning.

24 August 2020 - sparrow.  Betsy A. received a call from Skagway dispatch about an injured bird at the Eagles club.  She collected a small, very agitated bird in a shoebox.  Betsy took the box to open it in her shed with netting on walls and roof, and found a sparrow having convulsions inside.  There was no sign of blood or injury, but it was having muscle spasms in its head and tail, along with extreme wing flapping and twitching and one shoulder may have been dislocated.  She tried to calm the bird to prepare to call JRC, but it died shortly after.

5 October 2020 - duck.  Skagway PD contacted Betsy A.about an injured duck reported at the Moore bridge up the highway.  She was unable to get to the site, but Mike Konsler looked for it on 8 October and could not find it.  Mike spoke to Tim C. who said the duck was seen by truckers on (maybe) Friday and Sunday, but not since.  They reported that it was beside the road, south of the bridge and not visibly injured, but not inclined to fly away at that time.