Case Stories
Case Y-059
Lucky Lindy From Luck Wisconsin
General Information
Species: Bald Eagle
Date Admitted: March 10, 1998
Recovered From: Luck
State: Wisconsin
Sex: Unknown
Diagnosis and treatment: The eagle suffered a
broken wing, soft tissue injuries, and a penetrating wound in his chest. The
tip of his upper
beak was also cracked.
The eagle had surgery to repair his wing on March 16, 1998. A regular exam
on April 8, 1998, found that he was healing well.
Update, May 18, 1998: The
Raptor Center and Boise Cascade announced that "Lucky
Lindy" will be released as a part of the eagle track study on May 20,
1998, along the St. Paul's Indian Mounds Park. Lucky Lindy's satellite tracking
data
will replace Lindbergh's data. After his promising released on Friday, Lindbergh,
Eagle Track's second eagle, was found walking around a railroad yard beneath
the bluffs near where he was released, and was caught up by Raptor Center biologists
after Friday's storm. Despite previous successful practice flights the week
before, Lindbergh was seen sitting atop a small dirt pile and refused to fly
above 4-5
ft. when caught. Nothing obviously wrong has been found with Lindbergh, and
he is being monitored and retested back at The Raptor Center. It's important
to
the overall study to continue to collect data on released eagles, so another
eagle case Y-059 from Luck Wisconsin and has been named Lucky Lindy has been
test flown and ready to go! Transmitter 2191, removed from Lindbergh, was attached
to Lucky Lindy on Monday May 18. Lucky Lindy will be test flown on Tuesday,
and released in Indian Mound Park in St. Paul at 10:30 a.m. on May 20, 1998.
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Lucky Lindy during his presurgery examination |
Post-op x-ray of Lucky Lindy's wing with pins in place to stabilize the
fracture |
Post-op x-ray 2 weeks later |
prerelease x-ray |
On May 18, Matt Solensky, Raptor Center biologist holds Lucky Lindy under
aneathesia while project coordinator Mark Martell fits the transmitter
and harness |
Update, May 20, 1998 |
On May 20, volunteer Ernie Olsen captures Lucky Lindy from the flight pen
and brings him into the clinic for his final check before release. |
Transmitter 2191 is still secure on Lucky Lindy's backpack. |
The antenna and backback straps are checked. |
Lucky Lindy is ready to be released.. At the count of three, the eagle
is set free! |
Lucky Lindy flies to the very same branch on the tree that Lindbergh flew
to, but note that most of the branch has been blown off in a storm that
occurred the afternoon Lindbergh was released. |
After several minutes of resting, rousing, and preening in the tree, Lucky
Lindy takes off and flies towards downtown St. Paul along the Mississippi
River with a couple of nearby crows in pursuit. He is seen flying along
the river front for approximately over mile before we loose sight of him
heading up river toward the junctions of the Mississippi and Minnesota
rivers.
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