More Eagles

UPDATE August 10

Message Received today from Ojai Raptor Center

 It is with profound sadness that we share that Patient 26-519 passed away in the early hours of this morning, following more than three weeks of intensive medical care.

 Over the past several days, her condition continued to deteriorate despite intensive treatment and the combined efforts of our veterinary team and consulting specialists. She remained critically ill, receiving oxygen therapy, supportive treatment, and around-the-clock monitoring in our intensive care unit.

Throughout her time at Ojai Raptor Center, every decision was guided by the available medical evidence, her welfare, and our responsibility to do what was in her best interest.

Her remains have been transferred into the care of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).

We know this news will be deeply felt by the many thousands of people around the world who have followed her journey, hoped alongside us, prayed for her, and supported the people caring for her.

Our team is heartbroken. It has been an extraordinary privilege to care for her.

We ask for patience and kindness as our staff process this loss. We are working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and will provide a more comprehensive statement including additional information on her treatments and test results.

To everyone who cared about Patient 26-519, thank you. Thank you for your messages, your prayers, your encouragement, and for standing beside our team throughout these past weeks. We are deeply grateful for the way Patient 26-519 brought people together through a shared love of wildlife.

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UPDATE August 1

A few days ago, I sent a donation to the Ojai Raptor Center in appreciation of the care they are taking of our Big Bear Bald Eagle, Jackie. On July 31, I received an email from Chris Eksteen, Executive Director, Ojai Raptor Center which included the image above and I’m sharing his message below.

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Before we begin, I simply want to say thank you.

Tomorrow marks two weeks since Patient 26-519 arrived at Ojai Raptor Center, after being found grounded and unable to fly near Big Bear Lake. These past two weeks, your kindness has been overwhelming, every message of encouragement, every thoughtful gift, every donation, every prayer. We have felt all of it.

Where Things Stand

In those two weeks, our veterinary team has worked around the clock alongside specialists from across the country. She has had repeated physical examinations, comprehensive bloodwork, advanced imaging, toxicology screenings, a blood transfusion, and ongoing consultations with experts in wildlife medicine.

Here is what we can tell you. The encounter with the juvenile eagle likely left her grounded, but we do not believe it caused her illness. What we're seeing suggests she had been unwell for some time before she was found. We have ruled out zinc and lead toxicosis, aspergillosis, rodenticide toxicosis, and renal disease. While these results are encouraging, they have not yet told us what is making her sick.

Her bloodwork still shows anemia, and leukocytosis, an elevated white blood cell count, which tells us her body is responding to inflammation, stress, or possible infection. Her packed cell volume (PCV), which measures the percentage of red blood cells in the bloodstream, is at 17%.  While this is an improvement, we would ideally like to see her PCV above 30%. Clinically, she is stable. She also remains very sick.

We will continue monitoring her blood and white cell levels closely. We are also testing for less common heavy metals through a highly specialized panel, though those results will take several weeks to become available. Her lungs are being monitored with radiographs, and an additional CT scan is planned once her PCV is a little stronger. Throughout all of this, patient 26-519 has received individualized care from an extraordinary team of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, wildlife rehabilitators, animal care staff, volunteers and state agencies. Every day brings new challenges. Every day also brings another opportunity to help her.

Wildlife medicine often requires patience, arriving at a diagnosis can be a slow process of ruling conditions out, one at a time, while watching closely for how a patient responds. Recovery will take weeks, if not months.

UPDATE July 27

From FOBBV Facebook

UPDATE July 23

Jackie, of the Big Bear Eagle Nest, was involved in an altercation with 2 other Eagles, Friday July 17. A short video below describes the situation. 

[Note: The audio on clip below may be a bit tricky. After clicking the start button, when the video starts to play, you will see a small button bottom near play/pause which turns audio on/off. Click to adjust.]

My take on this ... After reviewing many of the media reports on this incident, it seems that Jackie may have been sick even before the attack. The good news is, she has been taken to a professional raptor recovery facility and is receiving good care. In the meantime, Shadow has continued to deliver food to Sandy and Luna at the nest. We are still waiting for evidence that the little birds are learning to hunt and feed themselves.

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In February I started watching 2 Bald Eagle eggs in a nest in California where activity is streamed on YouTube 24/7. Those of you who’ve been with me in my posts this year will know the story. For others, the eggs were laid on February 24^th and 27^th, and hatched on April 4^th and 5^th, and the two chicks, Luna and Sandy, fledged the nest on June 28^th and 29^th.  So, here is an update on what’s still going on at the nest, some 2+ weeks later.

Here is a short video showing a July 16^th dinner feed for Luna and Sandy. The little birds have continued to visit the nest daily and the parent birds, known as Shadow (the dad) and Jackie (the mom) have been bringing fish to the nest to feed the little ones. APPARENTLY (I capitalize as it is my assumption) the chicks have not learned how to hunt and fish for themselves and are still dependent on the parents. We shall see how long this continues to be the case … my hunch is they will be trained soon as all of the documentation I’ve read about Bald Eagles has said they abandon the nest after fledging and establish their own new territory so as not to be competitors to their parents. I would love your comments on the video. By the way, the YouTube stream is provided by Friends of Big Bear Valley, near Big Bear Lake, California.

Daylight Time and Ships

Have you heard? The US House of Representatives has passed a bill to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. No more switching back and forth. It now needs to pass the Senate and the experts say that is up-in-the-air. We shall see. Personally, I don’t like switching back and forth but I would rather see permanent Standard Time. Scientist say it is healthier and aligns best with the human body's natural circadian rhythm. On the other hand, humans love to tinker with things and they love to see if they can make the days last longer. Of course, they can’t change daylight but they can change their clocks.

My reason for bringing up Daylight Time is early mornings are darker. I’m an early riser and I enjoy seeing the cruise ships come in early like the Virgin Brilliant Lady in the photo below. So, see … I do enjoy one aspect of DST.

I have been fascinated by the comments I get on my cruise ship photos. Well, some folks have said they are not too interested in cruising, and OK, I get that, but if you’ve never tried it … how do you know you won’t love it? Ok again, enough said on that.  The photo below shows the Oceania Riviera departing Seattle on a recent afternoon, Alki Beach (West Seattle) in the background, and Vashon Island in the distant background. Oceania Cruises claims to be "The world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused luxury cruise line.” I haven’t tried it, so I can’t confirm that.  😊

Speaking of cruising, I’ve got to mention my voyage this summer to Glacier Bay, Alaska. I sailed on the Holland America Eurodam. (Incidentally they name all their ships somethingDAM … I guess it’s a Dutch thing 😊) Anyway, as a confirmed “clickernut” I wanted to share a couple of my photos. First, Margarie Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park. You can read all about Margarie and see some images better than mine HERE.

Sailing into Glacier Bay National Park makes the whole 7-day voyage worth it, especially if you are lucky enough to get clear blue sunny skies!

Thanks for stopping by John’s Island. Take good care and enjoy the rest of your summer (or winter if you’re way down South! 😊)

Critter lovers be sure to check out sharing site Saturday's Critters.