I am doing that, and now on a maintenance schedule, I go in tomorrow for hydrogen peroxide iv, to clear up some congestion, in my chest, then back to chelation. That is a beautiful bird there. How did you come by her?
Wayne
Put on your sassy pants and eat that chelation therapy like corn flakes, Wayne! Life is good!
I got a call from a Conservation Officer. He would tell me the general area she came from but said he was unable to discuss further due to a possible ongoing investigation. No idea what he is investigating and I know to stop asking questions when that phrase comes up.
Wow, gorgeous bird! Also what a stink eye she has!
The bowed head is a side effect of the neurologic damage ongoing from lead poisoning. It is also a fairly natural threat posture for eagles and other raptors. It shields much of the vision from talons, or in the case of baldies...beaks. Few raptors willingly bite, but I theorize that because bald eagles live communally at times and will congregate on feeding sources, they fight over scraps and have evolved the biting response as a normal fighting technique. Most of the time, the instinct is to lay back and protect the eyes while flipping up your meat-hooking talons to do the damage!
This is eagle #18 for me, and still never been grabbed. (silently thanking any powers that be that have stood between me and them talons!)
They're opportunistic feeders, they'll eat carrion, steal food from other predators and birds, pretty much eat anything they can get away with. Takes a lot of calories to power that large a bird. I've seen five Bald Eagles gnoshing on a dead deer once.
Osage Outlaw has posted pics of a juvenile redtail hawk feeding on the scrap left over after boiling out a deer skull. Then a year later, posted pics AGAIN of the scraps from boiling out a deer skull, only this time it was an adult redtail hawk! Always avoid saying always, and never say never. The rule is more calories for less work. They will only repeat a behavior that had a rewarding outcome at the end.
