Bainbridge Island -
Three baby eagles rescued from Kitsap County are recuperating at West Sound Wildlife Shelter.
The birds fell out of two separate nests in Indianola and Kingston at only six weeks old. Mary Richards first spotted the baby eagles in early June and one day saw something that worried her.
"My son noticed them fall to the next branch below their nest. We assumed they were trying to fly, but then we heard some more crackling and they fell again," says Richards.
Richards, her daughter, son and husband ran into the woods where they found the two baby eagles on the ground. She says one had a broken wing and both were very frightened.
"We called the shelter and they told us to wrap the eagles in a sheet and bring them right over. So we rode in the car, one on my lap with its head sticking out. The one on my husband's lap was fully out of the sheet and just staring at me," says Richards.
Once at the shelter, the eagles were paired up with a third around the same age. It had fallen out of a nest in Kingston two weeks earlier. The birds have been growing, and healing from their injuries.
"Now we've moved them to an intermediate enclosure where it imitates the wild. They'll be jumping around on things in here they would normally do in their own environment," says Mike Pratt with West Sound Wildlife Shelter.
The baby bald eagles will get their white feathered heads when they turn five years old. They join two adults at the shelter, one recently shot in the neck. As for the babies, they only have a little while longer here.
"We'll practice them in flight and make sure they're finding food alright and then we will release them in August or September," says Pratt.
The birds will be released right back in Kitsap County, near Mary Richard's home. The woman who saved them says she will keep her eyes peeled for the beautiful birds.
"We feel very connected to them and are happy they survived and are going to be released here," says Richards.
Mike Pratt with West Sound Wildlife Shelter says there are now 16 eagle nests on Bainbridge Island where the shelter is located. The cost of care for the baby eagles is adding up, about $400 a week for food alone. If you would like to sponsor a bird, you can call 206-855-9057 ext. 5.
The birds fell out of two separate nests in Indianola and Kingston at only six weeks old. Mary Richards first spotted the baby eagles in early June and one day saw something that worried her.
"My son noticed them fall to the next branch below their nest. We assumed they were trying to fly, but then we heard some more crackling and they fell again," says Richards.
Richards, her daughter, son and husband ran into the woods where they found the two baby eagles on the ground. She says one had a broken wing and both were very frightened.
"We called the shelter and they told us to wrap the eagles in a sheet and bring them right over. So we rode in the car, one on my lap with its head sticking out. The one on my husband's lap was fully out of the sheet and just staring at me," says Richards.
Once at the shelter, the eagles were paired up with a third around the same age. It had fallen out of a nest in Kingston two weeks earlier. The birds have been growing, and healing from their injuries.
"Now we've moved them to an intermediate enclosure where it imitates the wild. They'll be jumping around on things in here they would normally do in their own environment," says Mike Pratt with West Sound Wildlife Shelter.
The baby bald eagles will get their white feathered heads when they turn five years old. They join two adults at the shelter, one recently shot in the neck. As for the babies, they only have a little while longer here.
"We'll practice them in flight and make sure they're finding food alright and then we will release them in August or September," says Pratt.
The birds will be released right back in Kitsap County, near Mary Richard's home. The woman who saved them says she will keep her eyes peeled for the beautiful birds.
"We feel very connected to them and are happy they survived and are going to be released here," says Richards.
Mike Pratt with West Sound Wildlife Shelter says there are now 16 eagle nests on Bainbridge Island where the shelter is located. The cost of care for the baby eagles is adding up, about $400 a week for food alone. If you would like to sponsor a bird, you can call 206-855-9057 ext. 5.
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