SAGLE — Another bald eagle found injured in Bonner County was released back into the wild on Friday.

The 8-week-old female was discovered on July 20 along Cocolalla Creek.

Landowner Mimi Taylor said her husband was mowing a path down to the creek to prepare for incoming family when he spotted the bird of prey.

“The bird was sitting on driftwood and wouldn’t go, so he knew. He could tell because its wing was dropped,” Mimi Taylor said.

Dave Taylor said he used a pool skimmer to carefully immobilize the bird.

“I held it down so I could get close enough to grab it,” he said.

Even at its young age, it was bigger than any animal crate the Taylors had on hand, prompting the couple to improvise with a Rubbermaid storage tub with ventilation holes cut into it.

Birds of Prey Northwest was contacted, although its director, Janie Veltkamp, was out of the area. The call was lateraled to Judi Lundak, a Birds of Prey volunteer in Bonner County.

Concern for the injured raptor was high.

“It was hot and that bird was in black Rubbermaid tub — even with holes and in our garage quiet — I was afraid it was going to suffocate,” said Mimi Taylor, who feared they would have to cut the bird loose before it could be seen by a vet or treated.

Lundak assured Taylor that it would be OK.

“I said, ‘Don’t worry. Help is on the way,’” Lundak.

Lundak intentionally neglected to mention that she had at that moment just then been involved in a minor traffic collision in Sandpoint, which left her without a vehicle. Lundak managed to contact her daughter, Mya Jinright, also a Birds of Prey volunteer and qualified vet tech. Jinright handed the bird off to Sandpoint falconer Tom Stephen, who happened to be heading to Birds of Prey’s area the next day.

The youthful eagle convalesced at Birds of Prey in Benewah County and was fed a steady diet of Lake Pend Oreille lake trout en route to its release on Friday.

Veltkamp said the bird suffered a fracture to one of its delicate shoulder bones, although it’s unclear how. It could have been hit by a passing vehicle or clipped a utility wire, she added.

“They don’t talk when they come in,” Veltkamp said.

Facing a gentle headwind, Veltkamp flung the eagle into the air. She gained a bit of lot, briefly touched down on the ground before hopping back into the air. She made for tall grass upland from the creek, but Taylor later used her camera to capture the eagle wheeling overhead later in the afternoon.

Birds of Prey Northwest, a privately funded nonprofit, is seeking volunteers in Bonner and Boundary counties. Those interested may call volunteer coordinator Judi Lundak at 208-610-6123.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.