SPCA

(This column was published on March 3, 1997.)

   The little merganser dove after a minnow and unfortunately followed its 
prey into the enclosed water intake at the Huntley Power Plant on the Niagara 
River. Now it swam desperately to avoid being sucked by the swift current 
against a screen where it would suffocate. Trapped, its chance of survival was 
essentially nil.

   Ted Janese found it there when he made his last inspection of the area late 
one afternoon. He and his Niagara-Mohawk co-workers Fran Gunning, Bill 
Stratman and Mike Galas, stayed on after their shift ended to extricate the 
valiant bird but, try as they might, they couldn't free it.

   End of story?

   Not quite. Concerned about the ill-fated merganser, Janese went in early 
the next morning to check the intake area. To his surprise he found the duck, 
near exhaustion but still struggling pitifully to stay away from the metal 
grate. Alerted by phone, Gunning brought in a large minnow net. With it the 
men were able to rescue the fatigued bird.

   A male red-breasted merganser is one of our most attractive ducks. It is 
the same size and has a green head like a mallard but it would never be 
mistaken for that species. A slimmer bird, it has a thin, serrated bill, which 
gives mergansers their alternate name -- sawbills. This one gobbled the dozens 
of minnows the men provided until its crop bulged and a fishtail hung from its 
mouth.

   A call to the S.P.C.A. brought wildlife rehabilitation program 
administrator Diane Obusek to care for the merganser. She examined it, treated 
the leg that had abrasions from rubbing against the cement wall of the intake, 
continued to feed it and finally released the anxious duck back into the 
Niagara River.

   I didn't see the happy conclusion to that story, but I joined Ms. Obusek 
and Jeff Everett at the foot of Sheridan Drive to watch them release a 
rehabilitated great blue heron. The disoriented bird had been dug from the 
snow on a suburban rooftop and cared for until it was now ready to return to 
the wild. Unceremoniously tossed into the air, the feisty heron quickly 
recovered its aplomb and flew slowly out over the river. Through binoculars I 
watched it join companions on Strawberry Island. I wonder if they would 
believe the newcomer's story.

   This was my first interaction with the Erie County Society for the 
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and I took the opportunity to rejoin the two 
rehabilitators at the Ensminger Road S.P.C.A. headquarters.

   Clearly this was homework I should have done long ago. It's difficult to 
express strongly enough my favorable reaction to this remarkable organization 
that is entirely supported through public contributions. Like many others, I 
thought of it simply as a place where you adopt a pet dog or cat. It certainly 
plays that role, but the building is also a state-of-the-art facility for 
injured animals including wildlife. Last year alone, for example, over 1600 
wild animals were treated.

   Senior Veterinary Technician John Lattimer, who started the wildlife 
section six years ago, showed me the operating room where veterinarians like 
Dr. Michael Bonda perform surgical procedures. It rivals similar facilities 
for humans.

   But the news is not all good. Ms. Obusek showed me their kestrel, screech-
owl, red-tailed hawk and bald eagle, each with injuries from which it will not 
recover. The eagle is one of three shot in the region this winter. Such birds 
and animals "repay" the Society for their care by appearing in educational 
programs.

   We should be proud of this excellent facility, its fine staff, its many 
volunteers and contributors and the services they provide.