Baby loon, saved from a tumor, reunited with parents at Oakland lake (Maine)

[jpak]

https://www.pressherald.com/2019/08/07/baby-loon-saved-from-a-tumor-reunited-with-parents-at-oakland-lake/

OAKLAND — Gary Bennett gently removed the 2-week-old loon from a box and cupped the chick in his gloved hands as the boat drifted Monday in the sparkling waters of Messalonskee Lake.

Then came the high-pitched cry from the baby, whom he had named Jordan. Just three days ago, Bennett, who runs Snow Pond Cruises on the 9.5-mile-long lake, had captured the chick after noticing a grape-sized tumor on its leg. An animal rehabilitation center in Freedom surgically removed the tumor and Jordan was returned with a clean bill of health.

Monday afternoon, the chick’s parents paddled near the boat and responded with a series of distinctive wails that loons are known for when searching for a mate or a baby. The eerily serene wails heralded an emotional reunion for both human and bird, as Jordan came back to the waters of the lake and back to its parents.

Bennett, 68, is a registered Maine guide and licensed commercial boat operator who has lived on the lake for 33 years and has been running Snow Pond Cruises since 2014.

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Video of release and reuniting at link

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[Lulu KC]

1. Theme of the week: Happy bird stories from Maine

This is the third I've seen. Also that the puffin and plover populations are thriving this year. Go, birdies, and the people who love them.

A book I want to read is Bird Therapy. https://birdtherapy.blog

[Princetonian]

2. Lovely. Thanks for the uplifting story. Bennett is an angel.