SEQUIM, Wash. — A pair of errant eaglets are under the watchful eyes of neighbors in Sequim.
The birds fell from their nest and could've easily died. But thanks to a curious dog, some concerned animal lovers, and a whole lot of luck they're back in the nest.
Kathy Pitts was out walking her dog last week when she was stopped in her tracks.
"All of a sudden he stopped would not move," Pitts explained. "I looked over and saw one of the babies."
It turns out her Shih Tzu named Sebastian is more of a bird dog. Sebastian had discovered the two baby eagles under a bush along the side of the street.
They had apparently fallen from their nest and somehow ended up about 50-feet away. The eaglets were up an embankment and across a frequently traveled road.
"It seems like mission impossible for them," Pitts said.
That's an understatement considering the birds are still so young they can't walk, let alone fly. Which raises the question, how did the eaglets cross the road?
"That's the million-dollar question," said raptor expert Jaye Moore with Central Valley Animal Rescue. "I don't know if they fell or got grabbed and taken out of there."
For Moore, the more pressing question was how to get the babies back in their nest.
"This was a unique situation," she said.
Despite their fall, the birds were in good shape.
Moore called on Casey Balch with Pacific Northwest Tree Service for help. She was able to place the birds in a duffel bag while Balch climbed the tree and brought them back home.
It's tricky work, especially with a pair of protective parents helicoptering.
"Mom and dad were circling around," said Balch. "At one point I saw mom sitting in one of the fir trees directly behind us, just keeping an eye on everything."
Photographer Keith Ross captured the rescue with his lens.
On Thursday, mom could be seen feeding her babies while dad was keeping watch from his nearby perch.
It has become a neighborhood watch of sorts, with everyone keeping an eye out for falling feathers until the helpless birds are ready to fly from the nest on their own.
"All these people out here are watching daily and reporting to us daily," Moore said. "They tell us the chicks are still in the nest. They're having crab, today, or salmon. They keep watch and let us know our efforts paid off."