Rescue
With the unsurprising great British weather, over the bank holiday weekend, it is no surprise that some of our patients, quite literally, got caught out in the rain. This red kite was reported to us after he had become grounded the day before, and been unable to find shelter when the torrential rain arrived.
Rescuer, Winston, headed out and, despite some initial flight response, the kite cornered himself, allowing Winston to easily secure him.
Rehabilitation
Once the kite had been observed in our isolation unit for any AI symptoms, WAF vet, Paddy, was able to give him a full work-up and some much-needed rehydration.
Due to his water-logged condition, the kite was placed into one of our incubators, where he could dry off in some peace and quiet. With no obvious reasons for his grounding, once the kite was stable he underwent a series of diagnostic tests including an x-ray, blood test, and faecal sample. With the x-ray only revealing a very empty digestive tract, we suspect the bird had been having a tussle with the local corvids and become exhausted and grounded.
After just a few days in care receiving support feeds and a little pain relief, the kite was almost ready to return to the skies.
After a quick, very successful, flight test, the kites release was put in to motion.
Release
And off he went in magnificent red kite style! We mean, seriously, look at that wingspan! What an incredible bird!
