Cannon Beach Gazette: Stories

Those enjoying the beach near Haystack Rock on the evening of June 20 witnessed something seldom seen by most human beings.

Around 7:30 p.m. that night a peregrine falcon took issue with an adult female bald eagle while both raptors were in flight and abruptly hurtled toward it, splintering its wing and plunging it into the ocean.

“The peregrine went into a stoop and hit the bald eagle right in mid-air,” said Matt Sroufe, a Haystack Rock Awareness Program (HRAP) interpreter, who was on duty at the time the incident. “It went straight for the wing. The eagle was about 40 feet in the air before it happened, and the peregrine was about another 60 feet above that. I’ve seen the peregrine chase the eagle before, but I’ve never seen it make a move like that.”

Following the impact and subsequent nosedive, “the eagle kind of washed and swam ashore with the help of some surfers,” said Sroufe. He then called Sharnelle Fee, director of the Wildlife Rehab Center of the North Coast (WRCNC), which is based in Astoria. As Fee was en route, those on the beach gathered around the fallen bird of prey. “Once the eagle washed up, there was a constant crowd of people,” said Sroufe.

Jeannina Vinyard and her family, of Glenwood, Wash., were heading to the beach that evening when a surfer told them about the incident, which had just occurred. “I grabbed my camera and went to take pictures,” she said. “The bird had broken its wing, and as I took pictures, it was very noticeable.”

When Fee arrived on the beach about 9 p.m., she saw the bird “covered in sand and looking pretty miserable.”

“She was angry and wet and in pain, and her feathers were sticking up,” said Mark Albrecht, of the eagle. “I was the one who held the darned thing.”

A Tolovana Park resident and WRCNC volunteer, Albrecht arrived on the scene at Fee’s request. “Sharnelle called and asked me to help her capture her.”

Although Abrecht has assisted with his share of injured raptors and other large birds over the years, this particular bald eagle will always stand out in his memory. “I don’t think I’ve ever held legs on an eagle like that,” he said. “She was strong – a big, beautiful bird.”

Fee and Albrecht covered the eagle with a sheet after a slow, careful approach, and transported her to the rehab center. The raptor, which was in pre-op status as of press time, sustained a compound wing fracture, said Fee. “Its wing is like a human forearm. Imagine an extreme break like that.” In addition to the messy compound fracture, the bird suffered soft tissue damage, she said.

It’s little wonder the eagle appeared to have been surprised by the evening’s turn of events. As a large bird, it tends to loom over most other fowl. According to the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, an adult bald eagle averages a height of 28-38 inches and boasts an 80-inch wingspan. An adult peregrine falcon, on the other hand, typically stands 14-19 inches tall and has a 39-43-inch wingspan.

“There’s about a three-to-one size ratio between them,” said Sroufe. “Peregrines are only a little bigger than a crow.” Despite the disparity in size, the peregrine had an advantage where velocity is concerned, he noted. “It’s the fastest animal in the world. It can fly up to 200 miles-per-hour. The peregrine is an incredible animal – it’s very impressive.”

This spring a number of residents and visitors spotted a pair of peregrine falcons perched in a snag near Sea Ranch RV Park. Since then, HRAP staff and volunteers and others have observed a pair of peregrines frequenting the rock and have speculated that they are nesting on the monolith.

Whatever the case, recently “the peregrines have been working the rock just like the eagles have,” said Fee.

Both species feed on a variety of birds and small mammals, with the bald eagle preferring fish. While they compete for many of the same food sources, peregrine falcons and bald eagles “usually don’t interact to that extent,” said Fee.

As of press time, the eagle remained in Molalla where a veterinarian versed in operating on large birds was attempting to stabilize her condition so surgery could be attempted, said Fee. “The fracture is very severe, but they’re going to give it a try and see if the wing can be pinned. You never know until you get in there and start mucking around what the chances are.” If it appears the wing can’t be restored to full functionality, the veterinarian will likely “euthanize her right there on the table,” said Fee. However, if the surgery goes well, the eagle will likely spend one month recovering at the clinic, followed by an undetermined length of time rehabilitating at WRCNC, including time spent with Fee in the flight cage.