Bird rescuers release eagle, seek new home

WILLOW — Having watched the rehabilitated bald eagle soar off into the bright Monday afternoon, The Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center celebrated by signing an agreement to make sure they get to do that sort of thing for decades.

Houston Mayor Virgie Thompson said that after months of hearings and discussions, the city has agreed to a long-term lease of some city-owned land for construction of a new center.

“We actually clapped at the council meeting when we finally finalized it,” Thompson said.

The center’s executive director, Kent Briske, said he teared up when the city and center representatives signed the contract.

“We grew out of our facility the first year,” he said.

By “facility,” he means his garage. The center has been in operation for seven years, nursing sick and injured birds back to health and bringing birds to schools and fairs to spread the word about the work they do.

Briske said now that they have the land secured, the center can begin looking for grants to build the facility.

Thompson said the land is near Houston High School, across from Houston’s animal control building.

Briske said that part of the appeal of the site is its proximity to major roads. It means the center will be able to draw in tourist traffic and raise awareness and revenue.

Speaking of which, the center’s annual fundraiser is Saturday at the Best Western Lake Lucille Inn at 6 p.m. There will be birds and Mr. Whitekeys, an auction and wine.

But back to the bird.

Bruce and Karen Mattson found the eagle outside their home six weeks ago.

“I just got up early in the morning it was pouring rain,” Bruce Mattson said. “I looked out and the poor little eagle was standing out there with his head down.”

Acting on instructions from the center, he threw a towel over the bird and scooped it into a box.

Karen Mattson said it was great to see the bird restored to health and flying off on its own.

“It was pretty exciting. It didn’t waste any time at all getting out of here,” she said.

Briske said that the care for the bird was pretty textbook. Tyler Strode, the center’s rehabilitation director, said she didn’t think it was at first, though.

“I called Kent I was like, ‘what’s wrong with him? He’s got maggots in his ears.’ (Kent said), ‘That’s normal, that’s normal.’”

Eagles line their nests with meat and other things that tend to attract fly larvae. Usually, mother birds clean out the babies’ ears.

Strode said that when the bird was moved from the indoor cages to outdoor cages, one of the center’s otheer birds took him under his wing, literally.

“I thought that was really cool,” she said. “They’d never ever seen each other before and it was a male, so that was really, really cool.”

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.

WHAT: Alaska WildBird Rehabilitation Center annual fundraiser featuring Mr. Whitekeys

WHERE: Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

WHEN: Saturday at 6 p.m.

COST: $55