STUART SMITH MP for Kaikōura stuart.smithmp@parliament.govt.nz 0800 STUART
Funded by the Parliamentary Service. Authorised by Stuart Smith MP, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.
Wednesday 8 January 2025
Ancient art Page 4
Vitor victorious
Wine Fest
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Bill of health for freed falcon PAULA HULBURT
A critically injured falcon who almost died after smashing into a window has been released into the wild. Adult male falcon Bill, needed around the clock care after his accident in May. Kārearea Falcon Trust Manager
Holly Turner got a call from the Clifford family who found Bill on Old Renwick Road and rescued him. And as he was set free, the family, plus other Trust supporters and friends, were there to watch him as he began his next adventure. Holly says Bill had broken the tip of his beak off and was suffering
from a concussion “He was in critical condition and housed in an ICU unit with around the clock care to stabilise him. “Due to his broken and now blunt beak, Bill needed all his food to be chopped up into small bits, he was not able to rip or tear into meat.”
Bill’s beak began to regrow slowly, but some parts grew faster than others, leading to an overbite. To remedy this, Holly and Trustee Phil Bradfield gave Bill regular beak manicures. “Using a small handheld Dremel, we were able to carefully reshape and trim his beak into a more natural shape as it regrew.
“A hood was used during these procedures to keep him calm,” says Holly. Released from the end of Selmes Road by the Wairau River stop bank on 18 December, Bill flew into a nearby tree to get his bearings.
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MAKING A SPLASH: Friends Meila Gardiner, 11, Harriet Cooke, 11, and Leon Cooke, 9, made the most of the sunny spells and school holidays to have fun enjoying the outdoor pool at Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000. Photo: Paula Hulburt.
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