Bald eagle rescued in Kalispell on the mend at Wild Wings

When one Kalispell woman spotted an eagle resting on top of a hay bale, what she thought was a photo opportunity soon turned into a rescue operation.

Lucinda Layne was driving down Danielson Road Sunday morning on her way to church when she spotted a young male bald eagle perched in a field. On her way home, she noticed the eagle still sitting in the same spot. Thinking he was hunting, the photographer hurried home to grab her camera.

Before she could get back, however, she was caught by a friend who stopped by her house to visit. Later, as her friend was leaving, Layne still had the eagle on her mind and asked her friend to keep an eye out for it as she passed the field.

Moments later, Layne got a call from her friend who said the bird was still there, but it didn’t look good.

Layne grabbed her camera and rushed over, using her telephoto lens to get a better look. Through her camera, she could see one of the bird’s wings hanging at an odd angle and feared it might be broken.

The photographer sprung into action, calling on her longtime friend, Beth Watne, to help.

Watne is the founder and executive director of Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center, a wildlife rehabilitation program that serves everything “from grizzly bears to song birds” and takes in up to 100 of Northwest Montana’s wild creatures annually.

Watne and her husband, Bob Watne, arrived on scene less than half an hour later, equipped with what Layne described as a large fishing net and heavy gloves.

As the crew maneuvered through the field’s barbed-wire fence and slowly approached the eagle, Layne said the injured bird tried to take off but did not get far on his injured wing.

An expert bird catcher, Watne rushed toward the eagle in one swift motion, scooping him out of the air with the net as he attempted another take off.

Careful to avoid the beak, Watne and her husband gained control of the eagle’s talons and freed him from the net, carrying him back through the fence and loading him into a large crate in the back of Watne’s vehicle while Layne photographed the event.

As the team was capturing the bird, Layne said she noticed another adult bald eagle circling the area and keeping an eye on the situation.

Once safely contained, Watne took the bird, which she believed was around two years old judging by the lack of the signature white plumage on his head, back to the Wild Wings center to begin his recovery.

Though she had not yet completed the X-rays necessary to determine the extent of the bird’s injury, Watne said she believed its wing was either sprained or broken.

By the way the bird ate, Watne said she believed he’d been injured and unable to hunt for a while.

“He was hungry,” she said. “He really chowed down.”

Watne said the bird is currently doing well in the care of her Wild Wings team, and she expects him to recover.

The Wild Wings Center takes in dozens of birds every year, including various species of owls, hawks, falcons and eagles.

The staff consists of a team of volunteers with years of experience in areas such as veterinary care, medical care, wildlife handling and more.

People are encouraged to visit the facility that serves an area spanning from the Canadian border to Ronan and from the Continental Divide to the Idaho border.

The center is funded by donations and fundraising events and is open to visitors from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday and from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

For more information or to schedule a tour, visit the Montana Wild Wings website or call (406) 250-1070.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.