Imping The Eagle

[den]

I wrote about this here so here are the photos.


Wedge-tailed Eagle


Helen holds the eagle.


Gillian spreads the bird's wing to show the damage to the outer soaring feathers.


Drilling out the core of the feathers prior to inserting the donor feathers. You thought I was joking about using the Ryobi drill?


Gil measures the donor feathers prior to cutting them from the wing of a dead eagle. The length of the repaired feathers have to equal the length of the original feathers.


Inserting a skewer into the donor feather. We used Araldite epoxy to hold the sticks in place. (Photo taken while we worked on the second eagle)


Donor feathers ready to insert into the wings. The labels were so we knew which feather was which.


Inserting the new L9 feather into the broken feather. L10 and L3 are already in place.


The left wing finished - Feathers L10 to L4 have been replaced. The scraps of paper are to stop the feathers from sticking to each other. (That's me holding the wing)


The wing of the second eagle showing the damaged feathers after Gil and Helen trimmed off the worst bits.


And the wing after our repairs.


I missed getting a photo of Gil and Helen ironing the tail feathers of the second eagle.

Comments

[tropism.livejournal.com]

...Vicious looking little bugger. Err, big bugger. ;)

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

it had 8 claws each as long as the beak. VERY scary birds.

[ngarewyrd.livejournal.com]

Ironing the tailfeathers? somehow this sorta raises an odd thought in my mind..

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

they used a steam iron to straighten the feathers.

bird

[djedhi.livejournal.com]

it's BEAUTIFUL!

[woodrunner.livejournal.com]

I'm amazed and impressed by the work that goes in to help a wild bird (or any wild animal) recover so that they can be returned to their natural environment. You're a hero! :)

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

Oh shush. I'm going red.

[dabroots.livejournal.com]

That's an amazing bird, and an amazing procedure. Here in the US, of course, we're familiar with the Bald Eagle and a few other eagles, but to a lesser extent. This one is new for me. I am very impressed that this kind of repair can be done, and that people like yourself are willing, and able to do it.

Amazing

[qhjj2aaaq49q.livejournal.com]

What I want to know is how do you keep that beak under control? It looks like it could take out a big chunch-o-skin or an eye! Scary.

Re: Amazing

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

The head was wrapped in a towel for most of the day.

[circumspectly.livejournal.com]

this is awesome!! i really, really appreciate people in this world that care for animals...in a world where most people have forgotten to care about other *people*, you are really special. thank you for doing what you do.

[(Anonymous)]

That is hands down the freakiest episode of Martha Stewart that I have ever seen.
-strangerlucy

Okay, you

[bearblue.livejournal.com]

just had me giggling with that image.

And...yeah, what a cool thing!

Amazing!!

[wabbitcalif.livejournal.com]

...Especially with the Drill -- gives "Do - it - yourself" a whole new level of meaning.

You, Batty, and the rest of the people involved in helping that bird (quite beautiful!) are all heros!

[smof.livejournal.com]

How'd the eagles damage their feathers?

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

They were tangled in fences and tore their wings up.

i'm sure he thanks ya

[grygon.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the eagle thanks you. :) Us b-o-p's like our wings to work.