• Crested Tern

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Crested Tern

A Crested Tern had been rescued near Trigg Beach and brought into Native Animal Rescue. It was in a bad way and very underweight. It had to spend several weeks under our care nursing it back to health and building up its strength until it was ready for release.

On the day it was released, I put it in a small cardboard box to keep it safe and calm and drove from Malaga back to Trigg where it had been rescued. There was not a sound from the box until we had almost reached West Coast Highway when suddenly the bird started to call out – it must have recognized that it was getting close to the ocean and was going home.

I climbed down the sand dunes onto the beach and opened the box. Without hesitation the Tern took off and headed out to sea. I stood there watching it get smaller and smaller and then just when it was almost out of sight, to my amazement, it turned around, came back and did the most amazing fly over as if to say thanks. After this brief return contact, the bird took off again out to sea until I could see him no more. I told him we’d send the bill!