International Rescue! A bird in the hand …

Walking the dogs yesterday afternoon we came across a Spotted thick-knee, also know locally as a Dikkop, marching up and down on a piece of open land close to the road  looking quite agitated.

A few metres further along it became apparent why. Lying on a patch of scrub was it’s fledgling. At first we thought it was done for, but approaching cautiously, primarily at the insistence of Bobbi who had initially spotted the chick, it turned out the youngster was very much alive and made a pathetic attempt to move under a bush.

But it could hardly move and while I took both leads, Ems bent down for a closer inspection.

Broken leg, was the verdict.

Now what? Leave alone or take home?

We opted for the latter and as soon as we arrived home we called a bird rescue place in a nearby suburb. Two ladies jumped in their car and drove over to collect the bird.

As a ground dwelling bird, I don’t know how optimistic  are the chances for it’s long-term survival, but at least it now has a fighting chance whereas left alone it would likely have been abandoned or mauled by a predator.

You do what you can, I guess.

 

 

Ark.