Commonplace But Still Sad

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   This was my first week working for Wings Rescue Center in Rockport Texas.  Since I know almost nothing about wild birds I have little to say, but today something happened worth mentioning.  I went on a call concerning a sick brown pelican at Cove Harbor, where my dad had a boat once.  When we got there we spotted the big bird sitting by himself up against a concrete breakwater, my job was to turn on the water at the fish cleaning stand to attract the other pelicans so we could get this one alone.  I turned on the water, my boss netted the pelican and handed him across a fence to me.  I held his beak and wings and placed him inside a carrier in her jeep.  I was expecting more of a fight.  We got him back to the center, he had a throat fungus and was covered in mites.  He weighed 2.8 kilograms, a little light but not severe.  He was barely moving, and we put him in a cage.  While the forms were being filled out the young pelican stopped moving and died, I saw this but did not know what had happened.  No doubt the stress of being captured hastened his end.  A fishing guide had noticed his behavior about a week ago but did not tell us until today.  Had he been brought in earlier he might have had a chance.  While death in the wild is the name of the game I felt sorry for this bird, the first pelican I have ever handled.  I am fond of pelicans, I see them daily from the window I am typing next to.  I live across the street from the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary and exotic birds are in constant view.  Of course the center only helps the tiniest fraction of the animals that need it, there are several such shelters in the Corpus Christi area but nature is harsh and unforgiving.  Oh, well, every little bit helps.


Brown Pelican by John James Audubon, 1832.

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