Walkers save life of Goose Creek bird | Local News | Our Gazette

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Walkers save life of Goose Creek bird

Published Thursday, February 02, 2012 9:44 AM

The Gazette

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Marylou Ardrey, Doc Ardrey and Erica Hold with “Nell.”

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Erica Holt holds the bird while Doc Ardrey removes the fishing line – and tries to avoid being pecked.

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Erica Holt calms the bird before the trip to the Avian Conservation Center in Mount Pleasant.

One of the good things about spending time outside is that you just may save an animal’s life.

On their morning walk earlier this month at Crowfield Lake in Goose Creek, retirees Doc and Marylou Ardrey spotted an unusual splashing among the lilypads, just out of reach of the bank. “At first we thought it was fish feeding,” said Marylou Ardrey, “but it turned out to be a young bird in real trouble.”

Unsure of the footing, Doc Ardrey got down on his hands and knees to reach for a stick in the water that they could use to gently herd the bird in … but had no luck there, either.

Then by serendipity, along came Erica Holt and Mistie Slater, two environmentalists and wildlife artists from Charlotte. “They were younger, more agile, and knew what they were doing,” said Mrs. Ardrey.

Together the four of them retrieved the stick and eventually herded in the bird. It turned out to be a juvenile grebe, a duck-like diving waterbird, ensnared in fine fishing monofilament. Exhausted and in shock, it had wounds on its neck and bill.

Holt took out her pocketknife, and the four cut away as much line as they safely could, while the little bird pecked away at their hands and flapped its wet wings. “It was a lot livelier than we expected, and very good at spreading mud over all of us,” said Holt.

Holt and Slater rushed the bird off to the Avian Conservation Center in Mount Pleasant for emergency treatment.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Ardrey decided to name it Nell, after the storied damsel in distress in early “Snidley Whiplash” movie melodramas.

The Ardreys recently received this email from Keely Bargnesi, clinic director, “…wanted to let you know that we successfully released the pie billed grebe!,” Bargnesi wrote. “There was some damage on his neck and lower mandible from whatever he was tangled up in. We cleaned and sutured those wounds, made sure they were not infected and started feeding him. He did great on release. Happy, happy little camper.”

“And all the mud on our clothes came out in the wash,” said Mr. Ardrey.

“Until Erica and Mistie came along, we didn’t quite know what to do,” said Mrs. Ardrey,” but we knew we wouldn’t have been able to leave the bird without doing something.”

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