Around the Inn

The Eagle has landed at the Allegan Country Inn! 

Although, not another Neil Armstrong and Apollo II landing on the Moon, things are majestic around here.  It was 8:00 AM when I saw the Bald Eagle laying on the ground next to our white fence.

The Eagle did not appear to be bothered by my presence or that our dog was walking in the yard.  I let the dog back into the house so she would not harm the bird as I believed it was already wounded and could not fly. Why else would an eagle be laying on the ground, right?  I called our Veterinarian for advice and was instructed to call the Department of Natural Resources.  Sharon from the DNR was genuinely interested and informative.  I was a little confused when she was glad I put the dog in the house for the safety of the dog, not the bird.   And when she asked me to place a canvas or blanket over the big bird to protect it from any further harm, I was a little apprehensive to say the least.  So I called a friend who has two sons that may be interested in assisting, but she said she was in Minnesota and gave friendly advice to talk to the bird like a bird whisperer.   So I called my adopted sister who came to the rescue with her neighbor. They were coming up behind the eagle with a large comforter, since we did not have a canvas.  I walked toward the eagle facing it. As we approached the eagle, I kept chanting, “We are here to help you, we will not hurt you.”  The bird watched me and chirped back at me, but did not move.   My heart was breaking for this wounded Eagle.  I kneeled beside the Eagle with tears in my eyes and took pictures.  That is when I realized another bird was partially under the larger bird.  Was it a dead bird? To my surprise, an eaglet’s head stretched upward and we made eye contact! 

Next, there was a lot of squawking and wings flapping.  I fell backward off my knee trying to get up and run.  The eaglet continued flapping its wings.  Its wingspan was enormous and looked to be as big as the elder’s, who was already airborne and hovering about 15 ft. above us. Finally, the eaglet and I loomed lift off at about the same time.  Gasping with fear, I ran toward the Inn, albeit my head turned toward the sky watching the airborne eaglet flying over the open field with the elder. As they soared and circled around, we could hear their chattering and I wondered if the eaglet was being scolded or praised. We are not sure if this is a typical behavioral pattern for eagles or if the eaglet was fledging and encountered a not so graceful hard landing. Or as DNR Sharon suggested, maybe I interfered with the graduation talk.  You know when our kids graduate from school and we give them the gift of luggage!
Whether it was first flight or graduation day, it was a memorable experience of a lifetime!

Please Join Us

Enjoy a relaxing evening at the beautiful Allegan Country Inn. Nestled among fourteen picturesque acres, this lovingly restored Civil War Era gem has managed to escape the present and envelop its visitors in an atmosphere of days long past.  

 Contact innkeeper, Sheila Dever, for details @ 616-307-5803. Take a step back in time and join us for a unique experience you won’t soon forget. 

Photos from the Kalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com