Red-throated Diver part 2

Red-throated Diver part 2

After catching and force feeding the bird on the Thursday 31st October I was pleased when I peered over the edge of small rearing pen to see the bird looking at me. Dave arrived soon after with Morg and Rose. Dave and I force fed the bird while Morg watched. He was there to help me feed the bird that afternoon and over the weekend if need be as Dave was away that weekend.

This photo might not look much to you with the bird lying flat like this. The bird is trying to hide the thing that pleased us was that the bird was able to exit the water, the day before it couldn't manage to do that.

Morg and Rose turned up as requested and helped feed, Rose took the photos, this has allowed me to document this once in a lifetime event for all of us.

You couldn't take liberties with the bird, if it got the chance it would strike like a snake and grasp whatever piece of flesh it could.

On the Saturday morning the bird had eaten the fish that we had left the previous afternoon. It also ate one that I had thrown in which was a good sign also.

The bird was looking fitter by the day, it had a sparkle in its eyes and it's posture and movement though limited was better.

Not that we saw it, but it was exiting the water and being found at the back of the box. This hopefully meant that it's legs were getting stronger. On the Monday afternoon it consumed 6 fish without any help from us, that was very promising. We had discussed how long should we keep the bird. The longer it stayed the greater risk that it's muscles wings and legs even though they were being used it was't powerful exercise, like it would use when chasing prey. We thought the sooner it goes the better. On the Tuesday I phoned several wildlife rescue centres;@wildathillswick @ScottishSPCA and finally Mousehole Bird Hospital. The Scottish cenres were more mammal focused and the vet I needed to talk to was out. The Mousehole Hospital agreed with our assessment that the sooner it was put back in a suitable location the better. It just so happened that I was having 2 days leave at the end of this week so would be able to release the bird on the east coast of Norfolk.

We gave the bird one more meal and boxed it up. He looked keen to be on his way.

The planned site for the release of the diver was the beach at North Gap, a mile north of Sea Palling. This stretch of coast has a good number of wintering Red-throated Divers. This location the northern most reef is a great birding area. The reef was created protect this stretch of coast and to stop the sand from moving down the coast and blocking the entrance to the docks at Great Yarmouth. It is a site that I can have all to myself (early birder) to enjoy 100's of Little Terns and their chicks in early summer and in winter a flock of up to 60 Snow Buntings.

Even though there was very little wind there were some large waves crashing against the shore. This was a slightly worry both for the bird and for me. I had planned to release the bird from far side of the rocks you can see me standing near. The slightly worrying aspect of this was every now and then waves crashed over the top of them. I was contemplating releasing it in this quiet area of stillish water. But thought the bird needs to be out beyond the rocks. So not the easiest of rocks to clamber over with a box and camera and these rocks are at least 5ft square but not knitted together, some gaps are quite wide.

These granite reefs are at least 12ft high.

Well up I went and even though I got slightly damp from the breaking waves I wasn't washed off. The result you can see below, a Red-throated Diver where it belongs. It left me with a trickle of blood seeping from a small wound on my hand and I left him/her with slightly ruffled feathers as the last few metres from rock to water he had been thrown.