Over the years, thousands of Westminster golfers have been entertained by the big hawk as it hunted prey and hovered in the blue skies over the course.
However, an errant golf shot on April 18 shattered the hawk's wing and a nearby homeowner, Herb Atchison, helped an animal control officer corral the badly injured bird.
Dr. Lee Eggleston, a Colorado Springs veterinarian, pinned the hawk's broken wing back together during a one-hour surgery. Eggleston has operated on nearly 2000 raptors since his career began in the early 1970s.
Eggleston retired and sold his practice shortly after saving the big white hawk.
Wednesday at noon, however, Eggleston and Sigrid Ueblacker, the director of the Birds-of-Prey Foundation in Broomfield, led an unusual procession of golf carts to the center of Legacy Ridge Golf Course.
Their mission was a closely guarded secret, known only to a handful of volunteers at the center.
Together Eggleston and Ueblacker released the big hawk.
It flew a hundred yards to a stand of trees, where it perched for a number of minutes.
The white hawk's nest is near the 14th hole.
"He'll find his mate again," said Ueblacker. "He knows right where he is. This is his home."
For more information about the Birds-of-Prey Foundation, visit www.birds-of-prey.org.
