Eagle takes wing

MARBLEHEAD — One, two, three — be free. A crowd cheered those words as the door of a transportation crate was opened for a bald eagle to fly out at the Marblehead Lighthouse State Park on Tuesday. But nothing happened immediately. The crowd chuckled and waited for the bird to be ready. "He was facing backward, so I don't think he realized the door was open," said Jill Stokes, the clinic supervisor at Back to the Wild. After about a minute, the eagle stepped onto the grass. He looked around, took off from and headed over Lake Erie. People took photos and videos of the special moment. On May 24, the male eagle was taken to Back to the Wild by Ottawa County wildlife officer Reid Van Cleve. The Castalia-based nonprofit, through a medically approved rehabilitation process, returns injured and sick animals into their natural habitats. It was founded in 1990. The eagle was found on the ground near Gypsum and was very muddy. "When wild animals are down on the ground and people can pick them up, they're very sick at that point," Stokes said. The eagle was also emaciated, missing skin on his abdomen and wing, and there was soft tissue swelling in his wing. Fortunately, an x-ray showed no breaks. He received medication and he was ready to go after a month at Back to the Wild. The Marblehead Lighthouse State Park was chosen as the release location because it was close to where the bird was originally found — familiar territory for the bird. Stokes was especially excited for Tuesday's release because it was her first time releasing an eagle. She has been with the center for about three years. "We take in between 2,500 to 3,000 animals a year," Stokes said. "About 60% of them get to be released. "With the eagle being the national bird, it's an awesome experience to see them go back out and have a second chance at life," she added.