WHERE EAGLES SOAR

PALMER — An American bald eagle soars over the Matanuska River in the bright Saturday afternoon sunshine while onlookers clap, cheer and shed a few tears.

It was an inspiring and patriotic experience that almost never happened.

As a handful of Valley residents and bird enthusiasts prepared to release the mature bird at the river near Palmer, Kent Briske recalled the first time he saw the eagle.

“He was down by the river and the wind was blowing,” said Briske, executive director for Alaska Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center. “He was right on the edge of the river, and the wind was blowing and he got a good gust, went up and landed on the other side of the river.”

But something wasn’t right. The eagle was weak and allowed people to get close.

“I went around and just picked him up.” Briske said. “If they let you walk within 20 feet or so, something’s wrong. … It’s pretty impressive to be able to work with him. To see a bird that can’t even stand up, can’t do anything and thinking he’s dead (to releasing him) is quite exciting.”

Apparently, the eagle had consumed something that didn’t agree with him.

“He must’ve ate something that was toxic, poisonous,” he said. “We pretty much narrowed it down that he had botulism.”

That was about six weeks ago. After some “touch-and-go” moments, the eagle was healthy and eager for his release on Saturday. Briske estimates the bird’s age at more than 5 years old “because he has a full, white head and tail.”

At about 4:20 p.m., along the riverbank, the top of the eagle’s carrier was taken off and the bird wasted no time leaping into the air. It soared past the north shore, turned east and continue to circle higher and higher.

Because the eagle was released in the same area it was found, Briske thinks it was looking for something.

“He’s either looking for his mate or he’s looking for something else,” he said. “That’s very specific (behavior) when they’re looking for something — making those big circles on the thermals. He’s most likely looking for his mate.”

Liz Carrier works with the center and clapped as the eagle soared away.

“Oh, it’s wonderful. It always is,” she said. “To see him take off and soar like that, you know he’s good and healthy again.”

Not all rescues for the rehab center end as happily, Briske said, which makes the success stories so special.

“It’s always awesome when you release them back into the wild,” he said. “I don’t care if it’s a chickadee or an eagle.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.