Lily turned out to be a male but who cares!!
Eagle Update: 12/28/2015
More good news, more bad news.
Much to our surprise, Lily's lead poisoning levels are back up above normal and we have resumed the chelation treatment. It's unusual but not unheard of for lead levels to shoot back up like this. There are several possible explanations, though whatever the cause, we need to treat it. Not the best news.
Lily seems to be fending off the infection at the gunshot/surgery area reasonably well. We removed the pin from his leg during surgery yesterday and did not see signs of any further infection. Still, that area of the leg was badly traumatized from the gunshot wound, and further traumatized by infection and multiple surgeries. While we do see some ability to move the muscles in the leg, it's not enough yet to say confidently that the leg is healing well and the bird - a top predator - will need full use of that leg in order to be released back into the wild.
One bright note: yesterday Lily ate on his own. Not much - a little fish - but it's the first time in the nearly three weeks he has been in our care that he has eaten on his own. He's been perky, angry and alert since he came in, and now he's beginning to eat independently. Lily has a long way to go and we are still very cautious about predicting any sort of outcome, but we like seeing this kind of fighting attitude.
Thanks once again to the Heath Family of Pittstown, NJ in whose yard much of the initial interest in this case began. Help support Lily and learn about the Heath family's fundraising efforts here:
https://www.crowdrise.com/lilythebaldeagle/fundraiser/Thanks and Happy New Year,
All of us at The Raptor Trust
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