Replies

biggest reward is to watch them go free," says Cantlon. "It just makes my heart soar."

Reminds me of the story 'bout the Exxon Valdez sea otters that were "released" after having approximately $50,000.00 spent on their cleaning, as the band played and the kids cheered, only to have the killer whale eat them up.

Pity the story wasn't true. I thought is was the greatest example of irony.

That sounds like the time an American Goldfinch flew into one of my windows ... it was stunned, but not seriously injured. I brought the little guy into the house and tended to it until it seemed to have sufficiently recovered. It was alert with no visible injuries so I decided to release him out a second floor window unto a flat roof where I normally feed the birds. (I'd scatter seeds onto the flat roof and the birds would feed there all day)

Well, I opened the window and set the little finch down onto the roof. He just sat there looking back at me. "Come on", I said, "you're okay. You can make it." I offered encouragingly as I reached out and gave him a gentle nudge with my finger.

The little guy took about three hops and then swoosh! ~ out of nowhere, a Sharp-shined Hawk swooped down and nailed the little critter!!!

"Aw geez!" I thought ~ "I'll bet you're sure glad I made sure you were alert to experience that, huh little guy !"

Since I worked with hawks at that time my friends all unjustly accused me of using this poor little finch to chum hawks to my rooftop!

Which, of course I hadn't .... although, as the hawk just sat there with his free lunch staring at me, I'm not so sure he wasn't thinking the same thing!

Reminds me of the story 'bout the Exxon Valdez sea otters that were "released" after having approximately $50,000.00 spent on their cleaning, as the band played and the kids cheered, only to have the killer whale eat them up.

LOL!!! That's hilarious! Life can be cruel, especially when you get eaten by a killer whale. :o)