A Bird Mini-Adventure at Carolina Beach

Yesterday in Carolina Beach, a beach resort town near here, a pelican was spotted with a broken wing.  The wing was hanging and droopy.  The pelican was on a small lake in the center of town. One of Sea Biscuit's volunteers tried to catch it, but it kept swimming to the middle of the lake. Today they were going to use a police boat to try to catch it.  The police here cooperate well with the sea turtle and bird volunteer groups (and perhaps others AFAIK.)  I joined them all so I might learn something. The city department of public works decided for reasons known only to them to drain the lake resulting in a couple of shallow ponds or big puddles surrounded by muck.  The volunteer tried to go out to the bird but sank almost up to her knees in the muck.  With almost all the water gone there was no use for a boat. 

It was rather frustrating but a nice day for a drive.  Tomorrow I will call the city to see what I can learn about the lake.  The volunteer will check the lake daily to see when the level is restored.  If the pelican can catch fish it will be fine, with the possible exception of losing part of a foot to snapping turtles or frostbite.

Tom