Photo: Wayward kestrel chick taxis for take-off

On Friday afternoon, July 27, one of the Rockaway kestrel chicks got loose from the nest and got stuck in an underground garage, unable to fly. While Tim Brand snapped pictures and his son Evan (above) kept the grounded kestrel chick company, Peninsula Humane Society animal control officer Sarah Henry arrived and quickly scooped up the stranded bird. 

She called the humane society’s wildlife expert and they decided to release the chick right across the parking lot in the quarry area. So there are two chicks left in the nest and they’ll probably be flying away in the next few days. Evan and Tim will make regular rounds and say that if any of the other chicks fall into the garage, they will just scoop them up and escort them to the field as they did with the first one today.

"We’ll make refueling stops at Rock’n Robs, I’m sure," says Tim. "I’m disappointed that the fire department wouldn’t come help. Oh well. At least we did the right thing. While we were waiting for animal control, one of the parents swooped in and gave the two still in the nest a mouse."

Used with permission of Pacifica Riptide.