Tom the "great" tit who stayed and stayed
A quiet drive in the countryside (and great observation skills) led to one kindly motorist discovering an injured great tit beside the road. Here’s what happened next…
When a lady called Ruth found Tom lying at the roadside near Woolacombe last autumn, it wasn’t hard to tell that he’d been hit by a car or truck. One of his eyes was damaged, he had no tail feathers, and one leg and foot was badly swollen. Fortunately, the quickthinking motorist called the NDAA immediately, whereupon Diana collected him in the animal ambulance and put him in one of our intensive care units.
As winter had set in with a vengeance, Tom enjoyed five-star care for over a month and made a good recovery. Even so, by the time he was better, he’d been in warm conditions so long that the team decided to delay his release until the worst of winter had passed. Even when the weather was warmer, spring storms meant his release had to be delayed further. Meanwhile, Tom made the most of NDAA hospitality as he was acclimatised in the open porch at our Treasurer’s house and then in our new aviary where he gained strength flying around with the other winged visitors.
Eventually, conditions were judged right for his release. After three weeks in the aviary Tom was released to a new life with the other great tits in the NDAA treasurer’s garden.
