When the door of the giant crate opened Tuesday afternoon, the 6-year-old bald eagle sat on his make-shift perch — not quite sure what do upon his first glimpse of daylight in a week.
Then, like a flash, he burst out the cage and was back soaring through the Sammamish skies.
“To put them back in the wild, it’s always nice,” said Tim Brown, who played a crucial role in rescuing the male eagle March 2 after it got caught up in a rope attached to a dock on Pine Lake.
Brown, who lives in Snoqualmie, just happened to be passing through Issaquah on a bus when he got a call from his mother’s long-time friend, Polly Ek.
“I said ‘I can come and get you,'” Ek noted. “He says ‘I’m getting off.’ His first priority was the bird.”
The eagle had landed in the middle of the lake where it caught a duck. Too heavy to carry out of the water, the eagle swam toward shore with its prey locked in his talons. That’s where he got in trouble. His feet suddenly became entangled in a rope attached to Ek’s dock — in about 2 inches of water.
“He got over to the dock area … and I said ‘Something’s wrong,'” said neighbor Dennis Brown.
Dennis, who is not related to Tim, immediately hopped in his canoe and paddled across the lake.
Neighbors called the Department of Fish and Wildlife, who said they couldn’t come out until the following day. Concerned for the birds safety, Ek did the only thing she could think of — call Tim.
“It was so incredible that Tim was available and actually in town,” Dennis said.
Tim, who calls himself a restoration expert, worked several years with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as the U.S Forrest Service. In that time, he spent countless hours working with birds of prey, including eagles.
Using a calming whistle, Tim wrapped the eagle in blanket. Neighbor Jason Wright then brought over his empty dog carrier, normally used for his 85-pound black lab. They transported the eagle to an animal hospital in Bellevue where it was held overnight until members of Arlington’s Sarvey Wildlife Center could come pick it up.
“All these guys, Tim, the neighborhood, whoever was involved, saved this bird’s life,” said Sarvey worker, Kerstrel Skyhawk.
She noted that bird didn’t suffer any serious injuries, but did have what is called “White Muscle Disease.” More common in mammals, she said it can also happen to birds. When muscles are overused, they exert chemicals that make it difficult to move. Skyhawk said if the bird had immediately been released, it could have very well not made it.
“Another Eagle could have come along and he wouldn’t have been able to defend his territory,” she said. “He probably couldn’t sustain himself by feeding himself.”
After a week of rest, the eagle was ready to return to his mate Tuesday afternoon. Tim received the honor of opening the cage.
Moments later, the eagle made another pass, perching itself across the lake, looking down at the large group who gathered to watch his release — possibly as a gesture of gratitude.
“It’s funny, when you go to help a bear or an injured bird, they know you’re trying to help them,” Tim said.
