CASE #06-013 • HALFWAY, VIRGINIA
On New Year's Day 2006, a large adult female Bald Eagle, unable to fly, was rescued from a vineyard near the crossroads community of Halfway, Virginia - halfway between Middleburg and The Plains - in Fauquier County. The eagle was admitted to the Wildlife Center. Center veterinarians did a complete diagnostic workup, including x-rays, blood work, and ophthalmic exams - all of which turned up negative. The bird was treated with anti-inflammatories and given cage rest. She was then transferred to one of the Center's large flight pens, where she demonstrated that she was able to fly.
To give this eagle its best chance of survival, the bird was not taken back for release in Fauquier County where, for whatever reason, it was not thriving. Instead, the bird was taken to the grounds of Westover Plantation (c. 1730) on the north shore of the James River for release. The Plantation is across the river from the James River National Wildlife Refuge. This 4,200-acre refuge was created in 1991 to protect nesting habitat for Bald Eagles and hosts one of the largest eagle roosts on the East Coast.
The eagle was released back to the wild on February 7. Participating in the release were Ed Clark and Colonel W. Gerald Massengill (middle photo), then Interim Director of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Photos: Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
There's a new girl heading for Prince George County. And it's not at all unlikely she'll find love here, settle down and raise her family in the top of a James River tree.
- Hopewell News, February 9, 2006
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