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<BR><BR>Follow up on the eagles born on SCI this year and routed from their nest.<BR>> <BR>> Healthy young eagle returning to Santa Cruz Island <BR>> <BR>> <A href="http://venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jul/15/healthy-young-eagle-returning-to-santa-cruz-say/">http://venturacountystar.com/news/2008/jul/15/healthy-young-eagle-returning-to-santa-cruz-say/</A> <BR>> <BR><BR>> --------<BR>> <BR>> Ventura County Star<BR>
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<H1>Healthy young eagle returning to Santa Cruz Island </H1>
<H2>Third-graders say goodbye to 3-month-old</H2>
<P class=byline>By Terria Smith<BR>tsmith@VenturaCountyStar.com<BR>Tuesday, July 15, 2008 </P>
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<DIV class="inline inline-left photothumb-inline"><A title="Click to enlarge photo" href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/photos/2008/jul/15/44584/"><IMG alt="Photos by Juan Carlo / Star staff Dr. Peter Sharpe, of the Institute of Wildlife Studies, explains to third-graders from Lemonwood Elementary School in Oxnard how the eagle chick will be tracked. " src="http://media.venturacountystar.com/vcs/content/img/photos/2008/07/15/20080715-000136-pic-932974456_t220.jpg" align=center border=0></A>
<P class=caption>Photos by Juan Carlo / Star staff Dr. Peter Sharpe, of the Institute of Wildlife Studies, explains to third-graders from Lemonwood Elementary School in Oxnard how the eagle chick will be tracked. </P></DIV>
<DIV class="inline inline-left photothumb-inline"><A title="Click to enlarge photo" href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/photos/2008/jul/15/44585/"><IMG alt="The students get a closer look at Skye, left, at the visitor center, while teacher Regan Nelson, below, and her student Vicky Vildosola, 8, watch the chick. " src="http://media.venturacountystar.com/vcs/content/img/photos/2008/07/15/20080715-000136-pic-308250233_t220.jpg" align=center border=0></A>
<P class=caption>The students get a closer look at Skye, left, at the visitor center, while teacher Regan Nelson, below, and her student Vicky Vildosola, 8, watch the chick. </P></DIV>
<DIV class="inline inline-left photothumb-inline"><A title="Click to enlarge photo" href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/photos/2008/jul/15/44586/"><IMG alt="" src="http://media.venturacountystar.com/vcs/content/img/photos/2008/07/15/20080715-000136-pic-222236051_t220.jpg" align=center border=0></A> </DIV>
<DIV class="inline inline-left photothumb-inline"><A title="Click to enlarge photo" href="http://www.venturacountystar.com/photos/2008/jul/15/44587/"><IMG alt="" src="http://media.venturacountystar.com/vcs/content/img/photos/2008/07/15/20080715-000136-pic-634877356_t220.jpg" align=center border=0></A> </DIV>
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A 3-month-old bald eagle huddled in the back of its carrier crate Monday as cameras flashed in the auditorium of the Channel Islands National Park visitor center in Ventura.<BR>
Skye, as the eagle is called, was scheduled for release Monday to a hack tower on Santa Cruz Island following his recovery from a broken wing. The bird, and his sibling Spirit, were both injured in May when another bald eagle attacked them in their nest — an incident watched by hundreds of people via the Channel Islands live EagleCAM.<BR>
Behind the cameras and spectators at the visitor center were 18 third-graders from Lemonwood Elementary School in Oxnard. Regan Nelson, their teacher, said the class has watched on the Institute for Wildlife Studies' EagleCAM since the birds' eggs were laid in February.<BR>
This was the first time the students got a live viewing of the bird.<BR>
"Today we got to see Skye, and we learned about his brother too. It's exciting because I never saw a bald eagle before," 8-year-old Lexis Martinez said.<BR>
Nelson said she has been watching the EagleCAM for the past three years.<BR>
"I have a passion for the environment and animals. I wanted to share it with them," she said of her students.<BR>
She said her class watched the eagle chicks every morning as they grew, fought for food and learned to fly.<BR>
The two chicks were first placed on the island this spring. On May 19 they were attacked in their nest by a sub-adult bald eagle. The chicks were taken from their nest by the bird and dropped more than 30 feet. Spirit's beak was cracked, and Skye's wing was broken.<BR>
When the eagle chicks were attacked, Nelson said her class was going through state testing, and she waited until the testing was done to tell them. She said some of the students were in tears.<BR>
"Me and my friend were crying. It was sad because I thought we wouldn't get to see them out in the nest," Lexis said.<BR>
Nelson said she made a shrine of flowers and candles for the class. The students made get-well cards, which she took to a veterinary facility where the birds were kept.<BR>
Spirit was released back to the island in early June. He took his first flight July 1, according to a release from the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program.<BR>
Wires and pins were used to help heal Skye's broken wing. Once they were removed, the eagle was ready to return to the island.<BR>
Nelson said Channel Islands National Park invited the class to the celebration of Skye's release. The park even rented a bus for the trip, and the students were given cake before they had a chance to ask questions of Dr. Peter Sharpe of the Institute of Wildlife Studies. Then they got to see the bird.<BR>
Sharpe said the island program has been very successful.<BR>
"We're very happy to have a high retention rate and high survival out there on the island," he said.<BR>
Sharpe said 61 bald eagles have been released on the islands as a result of the Montrose Settlements Restoration Program, and close to 35 remain there.<BR>
At this stage, Skye's biggest obstacle to survival will be finding food, Sharpe said. Although food is left out around the tower for the eagles, sometimes the birds don't stay there.<BR>
"They're scavengers for the first year," Sharpe said.<BR>
— On the Net: The EagleCAM can be found at: <A href="http://chil.vcoe.org/eagle_cam.htm"><U><FONT color=#0000ff>http://chil.vcoe.org/eagle_cam.htm</FONT></U></A>.<BR></DIV></DIV>
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