The quick action and compassion of four women at a Truro seniors’ residence recently saved the life of a distressed merlin. Enjoy this story written by Lynn Curwin, one of our wildlife heroes and CWRC board member.
Ethel Matthews, Pat Burridge, Caroline Connors and Joan Allen knew there was something wrong as soon as they spotted the bird, on Aug. 5
“When we went out, he was on a post,” said Connors. “When I saw the little round face, I thought it was an owl first. I didn’t know what kind of bird he was, but he stared at us like he was asking for help.”
When the women stepped toward the post, the bird went onto the ground and into the bushes.
“There were five crows around, cawing,” said Burridge. “They stayed around the whole time, but the bushes were thick and this bird knew enough to stay in there.”
The women decided to call the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre where they spoke to operations manager, Brenda Boates. Boates alerted the Bible Hill office of the Department of Lands and Forests who dispatched a pair of wildlife officers; the DLF officers safely caught caught the bird and took him to the CWRC for assessment.
“The bird was with us for more than a couple of hours, and it was exciting to be so close to him for that length of time,” said Allen.
Matthews said it was the first time they’d seen the bird around their building.
“We felt really bad for him and we’re so thankful we were able to help,” she added.
Dr. Jessica Rock, a veterinarian who volunteers at the CWRC, said the merlin, who was found following several hot days, was suffering from heat exhaustion and, because he hadn’t been feeding much, his energy levels were very low. He was given fluid therapy for a couple of days, and then refed slowly...
To read the full story click here. Spoiler - as you can see from the photos this story has a happy ending - the little merlin was released!