Saved by Good Samaritans

A kind member of the public first spotted a water bird in trouble on the Tuesday before Easter on the Cooks River near Wolli Creek. The Darter was obviously in trouble with plastic ribbon from a party balloon tangled around her beak.

Unable to eat and growing weaker as each day passed, the bird was in desperate need of some help and a rescue mission was organised, appropriately on Good Friday.

WIRES members from the Inner West branch and members of the Wolli Creek Preservation Society banded together to bring the bird to safety.

Using kayaks, the distressed darter was found 5 km from where she had initially been seen. She was rescued by Gavin and Lee who managed to herd her into some mangroves and throw a sheet over her to wrap her in and paddle back to shore.

Once on shore WIRES volunteers were able to remove the plastic ribbon and take her into care until her damaged feathers had a chance to heal.

Nicknamed 'Spike' while in care she has since been released back into the river, but as the image shows was cautiously checking out what was going on before leaving the safety of her carry cage.

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