Following on from our post earlier in the year about a young Great Crested Grebe that was released
in the valley, last week Jean appeared with another GCG, this time a splendid
adult male in superb breeding plumage. It had been found in a garden in York
with superficial stab wounds to its face and had rather sore feet – it had
likely wandered into the territory of a breeding pair on one of the nearby
ponds and been attacked, forcing it to struggle on land (for which they aren’t
well adapted for) or perhaps forced into crash landing in an unfortunate
location. Unable to take off from land very well it was kindly rescued and sent
to Battle Flatt Vets where they treated it with antibiotic’s, and deemed it fit
enough to go straight back out. Jean thought it would be unwise to return it to
the nearby water bodies near to where it had been picked up, for fear of it ending up
in the same situation again, so she released it here onto the reserve, which
following the extensive flooding still has several non-breeding Great Crests
remaining.
Jean has also been busy working her magic with a Little
Owl recently, from Melbourne. The unfortunate owl had been found in a local garden, after
being brought in by a cat, and in the process had suffered a broken wing.
However, as wing breaks go this one was in a good place for healing and was a
clean simple break. Three weeks rest and TLC at Jean’s with all her skill and
expertise, soon saw it fighting fit and raring to go again. Jean
brought it into the NNR base on the day of release to show our two new
apprentice’s, before returning it to Melbourne village where it could hopefully
be reunited with its mate.
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