Sandy the Sanderling with Marilyn
I knew there was a problem on Captiva’s new beach at Blind Pass when I walked by this little Sanderling and she didn’t move an inch. I guess most shore birds here know that “other” shellers are friendly folks so you can get pretty close to them before they fly away. This was different. This little girl was standing upright but completely still. I crouched down to see if she was hurt and realized that her beak was trapped in the “jaws” of a live PEN SHELL.
I tried to pry the shell open but I didn’t want to move the bird too much to irritate her bill. I had to get help. Near the parking lot, I found the perfect person….. I’ll just call her Mother Earth Marilyn. She just looked like she was ready for any beach rescue mission with fanny packs, nets, a big, wide, uv protected brimmed hat and the right attitude. She took charge and held Sandy The Sanderling while I tried to pry the shell open. I still couldn’t budge the shell so I recruited another couple of guys… one with a pocket knife and another to pry the shell open. She was released from the grips of that pesky PEN SHELL!
Unfortunately, the tips of her beak were broken off and she was losing lots of blood. We quickly emptied Mother Earth Marilyn’s shell bag and put Sandy The Sanderling safely in her pouch to rush her to CROW (Clinic for the Rehabilitation Of Wildlife).
I just got the latest diagnosis on our little patient at CROW…. Sandy The Sanderling is doing well!!
Sanderling
We hope that her beak will heal well enough to feed herself so she can be released back in the wild. Let’s all give good wishes for our new little bird friend and a big thanks to Marilyn for getting her in the caring hands of Dr. McNamara at CROW.
The nice cousin of the evil pen shell that chomped on Sandy
PS- After telling this story right after it happened, I was told several times…..”The moral of this story ….. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong”.
UPDATE: January 31- Sandy The Sanderling was released back to the wild! With the help of Dr. McNamara at CROW, Sandy’s beak was healing nicely enough for her to eat and manage her life on her own. That a girl!
Yeah, that’s funny! (I mean the part about not sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong!!) Lucky for Sandy you were there to round up some help for her. I’m sure she’ll be well taken care of at CROW!
Wow….fantastic story and I hope Sandy continues to do well…… I worked in wildlife rehab for 12 years in IL before moving to FL a few months ago…….love a great wildlife rescue any day!!!!!!!
bravo!
Hip Hip Hooray for Saving the Day and Sandy the Sanderling!!!!! Three cheers for the Shellers!!!!! Thank you for saving that darling little Sandy Sanderling. She is adorable.
Great story!
Glad to hear you all knew what to do, to save the little birdie. I would have not known and felt terrible! What a lucky birdie!
I love hearing happy ending stories! CROW is a great place!
I love good stories like this with happy endings.
Lucky you saw the poor bird…I wouldn’t have known what to do. Good for you and the gang!!
Kudos to all who were involved with the rescue!
Makes me better believe all those stories about Giant Clams drowning divers!
I was just on Sanibel for Christmas and was amazed at how close I could get to the local wildlife. I am sure that little bird knew a loving soul when she saw you coming! I am sure that bird is eternally grateful for being saved. What a great story.
Such sweet & funny little birds… Sandy’s lucky that ya’ll came along.
Would make a great children’s book.
Yes, it would!! Pam could sell it at her store! :)
Aww! What a sweet story! The right person walked up at the right time! Lucky little bird.
You were a true angel to that little bird! God bless you for helping her out…. ♥ and God bless all the CROW employees, too. :)
xoxo laurie
Thanks for sharing!!!
I just spoke to the vet at CROW and she said that Sandy the Sanderling was released yesterday. She said that Sandy was eating on her own and would make a full recovery. She felt that she would get back to normal quicker in the wild than in captivity. It was a privilege to play a small part in this rescue.
I love these kinds of stories! How awesome that you guys were there! And a good reminder for me about CROW in case I ever spot injured wildlife..