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Wildlife photographer Steve Berliner recently captured this photo of an eagle that was injured in a fight with another bird several years ago in Lake Oswego. The Audubon Society of Portland says released birds are rarely spotted again after they have recovered.

(Steve Berliner)

A bald eagle that was found injured in Lake Oswego has recently been spotted along the Willamette River alive and well nearly four years after being released into the wild.

Wildlife photographer Steve Berliner recently moved to the Milwaukie area, where he began seeing the eagle – a male estimated to be about 9 or 10 years old – over the summer flying by with a female companion and young offspring of their own. Berliner believes the birds have settled on nearby Elk Rock Island.

"On average, we probably see them fly by once a week," he said. "Its appearances are very sporadic, and that's why I think it's from further up the river."

Berliner managed to get clear enough photos to reveal the identification number on the bird's tag. He's also captured videos of the bird, one showing it perched on a tree branch and tearing apart a fish.

Berliner later confirmed it was the right eagle with the Audubon Society of Portland, which nursed the bird back to health before releasing it in April 2010.

Deb Sheaffer, who manages the organization's Wildlife Care Center, said the eagle suffered a number of puncture wounds to one of its knees in March 2010, most likely in a territorial fight with another eagle. Neighbors were alarmed to hear the screaming bird outside their homes.

"We were able to see there was a little fracture in there," Sheaffer said. "Probably the large talon from the other bird went right into the knee."

Previously injured birds are hardly ever spotted again once they are released, she said.

"This is what we do all the time; we do rehabilitation on these birds and release them but we hardly know what happens to them," she said. "We rarely get that information, because very few birds are banded."

-- Justin Runquist