Saturday, February 27, 2010

To The Rescue!

Today started like any other day. DH woke me up and said he'd treat me to breakfast. In other words, he was taking me to the greasy spoon motel restaurant right up the road ;o) Don't get me wrong, it's a great place if you want to get things flowing. LOL!

We were just about finished when we overheard the owner of the hotel and the waitress talking about this injured bird. At first I thought she was talking about a pet but as we listened a bit more, we realized it was a Herring Gull (also known as a Seagull or Shit Hawk) out in the parking lot. Apparently it had a broken foot/leg and couldn't move :o(

Photobucket

The owner was anxiously trying to contact someone by phone to come and get the poor thing but wasn't having any luck. After a bit of pushing, I got DH to introduce himself and tell her who he was. We talked a bit of strategy and finally decided to capture the bird and remove him from harm's way. DH raced home and grabbed our small portable kennel and a towel.

Lickidy split, the bird was in the kennel! We decided it was best to drop him at an estuary where he would be away from predators and also be able to find food. I joked about the bird getting car sick but the joke was on me! The bread he had just eaten before we captured him came back up :oP What a mess...

We arrived at our destination and DH grabbed the bird and threw him up into the air. He immediately took flight so his wings were okay, which was a good sign. He flew across the water and landed in the middle of the estuary. As we watched him, he floated along, cleaning himself and playing in the water. Whether he will make it or not remains to be seen but it was a good feeling seeing him much happier :o)

Believe it or not, Gull rescuing is second nature to me ;o) When I was a kid, I brought one back to our cottage one day, all wrapped up in my sweatshirt. Just imagine the looks on my parents' faces. LOL! I had been along the shore playing with friends of mine when I spotted the bird. He was all caught up in fishing line and couldn't fly. Dad ended up having to cut a fishing hook right out of the bird's foot. Once he was free and untangled, away he went. Again, a great feeling.

Pumpkin...Rescuer of Shit Hawks! How's that for a title? ;o)


18 comments:

Tina said...

Nothing wrong with rescueing shit hawks, nothing wrong with shit hawks in general. Good for you. I love nothing more than watching seagulls over open water.....peaceful inspite of the noise they can make.lol.

Sharon said...

LOL that title sure would be funny, but I think its wonderful that you and your DH did that. I wish more people were kind and caring like you both. Every time I go to our local little grocer I think of you because he has a great big box of cadbury eggs right on the counter. I must confess to have eaten a few already. LOL My daughter Katie I think has passed your count. She can eat them by the bagful. LOL

Irene said...

How nice of you both to do that. Hopefully he'll get better.

Christine S said...

Kudos to you and your DH for taking care of the seagull!!!

Chiloe said...

Diego, no, Cathey to the rescue !!! LOLGlad you saved the beast. You couldn't bring the bird to the vet? They don't have a special place for birds over there?

Annie said...

You did your good deed for the day. Nice to hear heartwarming stories!

JOLENE said...

Heartwarming and funny all rolled into one. I love the expression "shit hawks" you used for the seagulls. I am still giggling over that!!! Here in Utah, the seagull is our state bird, so know I will call them the Utah Shit Hawks!!!! That's hilarious~

Anonymous said...

never heard as our stupid seagulls called shit hawks had to laugh at that one

Leeland said...

Great story! I too hope the bird did make it.
Your Sabrina is already stunning, it's not all about the dress, it's also about the face...
The Doxie lamp is a must have!
HUgs, fav Pumpkin!
Lili

Danielle said...

How great that you were able to do that! You were in the right place at the right time. My heart always goes out to injured animals. My two dogs may drive me nuts sometimes, but I love them to pieces!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Good for you and DH for rescuing the SH! We call Canadian Geese the same thing - they leave deposits all over our work parking lot - it's nasty!

Carol said...

"Pumpkin the Gull Rescuer"--good for you! Hope he survives...

Alberta said...

Beautiful uplifting blog! I hope he makes it also.

Stitchabilities said...

What a lovely thing for you to do, I hope it makes it. My cats brought in a Magpie, but sadly it didn't make it :0(

Tammy said...

Aren't you the softest heart. Good for you and DH taking the time to help the SH!

Hugs!

Crazee4books said...

Hi Cathey,

So was this Seagull Gertrude or
Heathcliffe??

Are you old enough to remember
the late Red Skelton and a pair
of seagulls that he use to do
in skits on his TV show??? One
was Gertrude and the other was
Heathcliffe.

You and your DH did your good
deed for the month indeed. Too
bad the bird repaid you by being
car sick. Hope he manages to
heal and survive.

When you brought the Seagull
home to your parents did you
ask if you could keep him???

Cheers!!

Siobhán said...

Awww, that's so nice that you both helped the sea gull! That's a great story--good for you.

♥ Nia said...

What a great day! :D