Konstantinos
Well-known member
Dear Friends of the Bird Forum:
For the past two months, we have had the privilege of living with a little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) who was hurt and found in a very poor state outside of Mr. Christofis’ Hotel Irini in Livadia.
A hotel guest found her injured on the patio outside of his room. He took the bird to Mr. Christofis who gave her to Tasos Aliferis, our Island Doctor and Mayor, who promptly brought her to us along with oral rehydration salts and a syringe. When we held her to administer the water infused with salts through a syringe that she desperately needed, we saw her frightened, in a state of shock, exhausted but instinctively trying to survive. She captured our hearts, earned our respect and so she became known as Zoë meaning “Life”. We immediately contacted Mr. Philippos Dragoumis of the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital who suggested that since Zoe was in such poor health she could not survive the long voyage to the island of Aegina where the Hospital is located. Zoe was hungry, dehydrated, exhausted, missing feathers along the top ridge of her entire neck and, most disconcertedly, was unable to use and stand on her left leg. Mr. Dragoumis advised us to feed her fresh, raw fish twice a day along with sufficient water to replicate her natural diet. He also reminded us that Zoë would naturally miss the October migration to Africa due to her anticipated long period of recovery. Making a special place in our home for her has been a real joy. Since she is immobile, we take her out during this beautiful autumn weather for feeding and she is alert to every sound of nature including the nightingales, rednecks, owls, and night herons that recently left Tilos for Africa.
Zoë has been more than a patient to us: she has actually been a teacher. We watch her relentless struggle to find the life she previously knew, her refusal to give up, her creative ways of balancing herself and moving about in her nest by using her left wing in place of her left leg and her courage in accepting us as a potentially threatening species when we handle her and feed her. Her proven adaptability and character during this transitional period following her injury from which Dr. Dragoumis said she might not survive is a good lesson for us all. It serves as an inspiration to us to accept the reality of life’s adversities and work constructively to improve the conditions that confront us. I try to imagine that in a few months she will hopefully be free to join her family of birds as they return to our island to give life to another generation. We will have to wait and see.
Little Bitterns are the smallest members of the Ciconiiformes family which include herons, storks and ibises. They breed in extensive or small reed beds, overgrown reedy ponds and ditches. They are summer visitors to Europe and they winter in Africa. They nest on a platform of reeds often raised above water-level in reedbeds or bushes. They are very reclusive and often retreat from danger by climbing and running instead of flying. They frequent Tilos and can be seen where they used to live by aquatic ecosystems before they were dried out for tourism development or agricultural use.
We would like to thank Nikitas Asimakis (Municipal Water Co. employee) who was the first contributor of fresh fish for Zoë, followed by Michalis Papagregoriou (Waste Disposal Plant employee) and Michalis Kypreos (Eleni Supermarket owner). Pavlos Charalambakis (Municipal bus driver) made a special trip with the Tilos bus to ensure Zoë’s food supply. Their genuine eagerness to provide for this little bittern reflects the growing sensitivity on the island to preserve our Aegean wildlife heritage.
Warmest regards,
For the past two months, we have had the privilege of living with a little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus) who was hurt and found in a very poor state outside of Mr. Christofis’ Hotel Irini in Livadia.
A hotel guest found her injured on the patio outside of his room. He took the bird to Mr. Christofis who gave her to Tasos Aliferis, our Island Doctor and Mayor, who promptly brought her to us along with oral rehydration salts and a syringe. When we held her to administer the water infused with salts through a syringe that she desperately needed, we saw her frightened, in a state of shock, exhausted but instinctively trying to survive. She captured our hearts, earned our respect and so she became known as Zoë meaning “Life”. We immediately contacted Mr. Philippos Dragoumis of the Hellenic Wildlife Hospital who suggested that since Zoe was in such poor health she could not survive the long voyage to the island of Aegina where the Hospital is located. Zoe was hungry, dehydrated, exhausted, missing feathers along the top ridge of her entire neck and, most disconcertedly, was unable to use and stand on her left leg. Mr. Dragoumis advised us to feed her fresh, raw fish twice a day along with sufficient water to replicate her natural diet. He also reminded us that Zoë would naturally miss the October migration to Africa due to her anticipated long period of recovery. Making a special place in our home for her has been a real joy. Since she is immobile, we take her out during this beautiful autumn weather for feeding and she is alert to every sound of nature including the nightingales, rednecks, owls, and night herons that recently left Tilos for Africa.
Zoë has been more than a patient to us: she has actually been a teacher. We watch her relentless struggle to find the life she previously knew, her refusal to give up, her creative ways of balancing herself and moving about in her nest by using her left wing in place of her left leg and her courage in accepting us as a potentially threatening species when we handle her and feed her. Her proven adaptability and character during this transitional period following her injury from which Dr. Dragoumis said she might not survive is a good lesson for us all. It serves as an inspiration to us to accept the reality of life’s adversities and work constructively to improve the conditions that confront us. I try to imagine that in a few months she will hopefully be free to join her family of birds as they return to our island to give life to another generation. We will have to wait and see.
Little Bitterns are the smallest members of the Ciconiiformes family which include herons, storks and ibises. They breed in extensive or small reed beds, overgrown reedy ponds and ditches. They are summer visitors to Europe and they winter in Africa. They nest on a platform of reeds often raised above water-level in reedbeds or bushes. They are very reclusive and often retreat from danger by climbing and running instead of flying. They frequent Tilos and can be seen where they used to live by aquatic ecosystems before they were dried out for tourism development or agricultural use.
We would like to thank Nikitas Asimakis (Municipal Water Co. employee) who was the first contributor of fresh fish for Zoë, followed by Michalis Papagregoriou (Waste Disposal Plant employee) and Michalis Kypreos (Eleni Supermarket owner). Pavlos Charalambakis (Municipal bus driver) made a special trip with the Tilos bus to ensure Zoë’s food supply. Their genuine eagerness to provide for this little bittern reflects the growing sensitivity on the island to preserve our Aegean wildlife heritage.
Warmest regards,
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