Bird lady closes cage

North Shore’s bird lady is retiring after 35 years caring for birds brought to her by the community.

Sylvia Durrant said that at 85, and after a few health issues, it was time to take it easy.

She has nurtured tens of thousands of birds over the years and is well known as the bird lady with people taking injured birds to her Rothesay Bay home.

“All my birds have gone, they have been farmed out. DoC has taken my wood pigeon and Auckland Zoo has the blue penguins,” she said.

Previously a nurse, Durrant started looking after birds while caring fulltime for her disabled husband.

“I didn’t want to be sitting around all day watching TV.”

A favourite memory was caring for an albatross that was injured after crash landing on a fishing vessel bound for Auckland.

The vessel contacted Durrant as they reached port. She kept the bird for a few days, nursing it back to health before they took it back out to the ocean.

Durrant isn’t completely withdrawing from the work, saying people could still call up for advice on what to do and where to take birds for treatment.

Other bird rescuers would also be visiting her to learn about her methods — “all the information I have will be passed on”.

Durrant will continue to give talks about birds to schools, retirement villages and community groups during the winter, having done so for the past 30 years. — Kristin Price