Wings of Wonder is forced to turn away sick, injured raptors.

Rebecca Lessard is still in the business of rehabilitating raptors. But she had to turn some away this summer because her bird “hospital” was at capacity.

Calls to the county sheriff’s department about sick or injured birds of prey late this summer were referred to the Department of Natural Resources.

“I had to turn away a number of birds because I’m full,” said Lessard, director of Wings of Wonder, a non-profit organization whose mission includes wildlife education and rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned raptors. “This is the first year I’ve ever had to turn birds away.”

Unusually high numbers of red-tailed hawks have been reported throughout the county this summer — either resting on fence posts or utility poles along roads. They appear tame, but what they really are is hungry, Lessard said.

She explained that the rodent (rabbits, mice, chipmunk and squirrel) cycle is currently at a high level, meaning there was an ample food supply for the new hatches this spring.

“There was so much food … all the babies made it,” she explained.

Those same birds, called “immatures,” have made it out of the nest and are looking for food of their own.

“There are many more, because they all lived,” she explained. “They may appear tame, but they’re so thin … They don’t have any energy.”

Lessard has seen redtails, which should be about 1,200 grams in size, weigh in at 400 or 500 grams.

Space at Wings of Wonder was occupied by four bald eagles, two of which have been rehabilitated and are set to be released at the St. Mary’s Cement plant in Charlevoix Sunday at 4 p.m.

The two eagles were hatched this year, one in Leelanau County and the other in Manistee County. Both were admitted to Wings of Wonder in early July with symptoms of starvation and dehydration.

Over the past several months, as they matured, they gained some weight. Now both are healthy, considered “feather perfect” and fully aerobically conditioned.

St. Mary’s Cement was chosen for the eagle release because of the massive land restoration project that has been undertaken there over the years. St. Mary’s has put up several made-made eagle nest platforms, mounted kestrel nest boxes, created new ponds, replanted land with native plants and much more.

Wings of Wonder cannot guarantee that the two young bald eagles will stay in Charlevoix, but it is Lessard’s hope they will at least spend the winter together in the general area, hunting over the water and shoreline.

There will be plenty of opportunities to take photos of the release, which the public is invited to attend.

Further information is available at 326-4663 or at www.wingsofwonder.org.