LOST & FOUND Plea to find missing parrot as marine adventurer is cared for
A Stirling pet owner is desperately trying to track down his parrot which has gone missing from his city home.
Paul Midgley is hoping to be reunited with Chick the green-cheeked conure which took flight from his Albert Place home on the evening of Monday, September 6.
Paul has two parrots – Chick and Loki – both of which are free-flying and regularly can be seen flying around Paul’s back garden, Kings Park and the King’s Knot in Stirling.
The 8-month-old female bird was flying around the garden when Paul suspects she was chased and never returned home.
Paul has owned Chick since April this year and she had been enjoying her 101st day of free-flying when she disappeared.
Paul said: “I have lots of photos of the adventures we’ve been up to over the summer with her, and my other parrot Loki. They’ve been to loads of different rural locations and even visited Loch Lomond in a kayak.
“They have their own Instagram account which documents their journey.
“It’s a bit of a mystery as to why Chick was lost since she is an experienced free flyer, and this was her 101st day of free flight. Maybe she was caught by a cat or sparrowhawk or had an accident, but she is a very fast and agile flyer so this would be surprising.
“More likely someone found her and either decided to keep her, or hasn’t been able to get hold of me. I’ve been spreading the word via social media, leafleting, SSPCA, etc. Chick is a very friendly bird, and may have gone to say hello to a stranger.”
Paul has since printed off 300 ‘missing’ posters and distributed them across the area and has posted appeals on a number of Facebook pages.
He added: “Maybe readers of the Stirling Observer could get the word out and help reunite Chick with me, Loki and the rest of our family, who miss her very much.”
Anyone who spots Chick or may know her whereabouts can contact Paul on 07958512483.
It comes just a month after the Observer reported how one parrot owner was reunited with his free-flying parrot who went missing from his Gartmore home and was discovered more than 40-miles away in Ayrshire.
Relieved owner Brian Patterson was delighted to be reunited with Darby the Derbyan Parakeet who went missing from his home at the Dreamcatcher Cabins site on Station Road.
He was then discovered, much to his owners’ amazement, four days later in the Ayrshire town of Dalry.
A ringed seal - which is a species normally found in arctic waters - is being cared for at Fishcross.
The Scottish SPCA was alerted to the young male seal by the British Divers Marine Life Rescue after he was spotted at Cove Bay Harbour.
The seal had abrasions on his back and seemed lethargic.
He was mistaken for a common seal pup but when he arrived at the Society’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, he was identified as a ringed seal.
Wildlife assistant Sian Belcher said:“We were very surprised to have a ringed seal arrive in our care as they are found in arctic waters and can venture as far south as Greenland or Norway so it’s very unusual that he was found in the Aberdeen area.
“As he is so young, probably only around six to eight weeks old, we think his mum may have been searching for food and it brought her to the north of Scotland.
“She must have then given birth to this wee pup who has now found himself in our care.
“It’s unlikely that she ventured south due to warmer seas caused by global warming as ringed seals need colder water, not warmer.
“We decided to call him Hispi. He wasn’t too underweight when he arrived but is eating well and putting on some weight.
“Hispi is doing well and our team are very excited to have such a rare resident. It doesn’t hurt that he’s impossibly cute.
“He will most likely stay with us till October and then we will need to get as far north as we possibly can to release him so he can find his way home.”
Maybe readers of the Observer could get the word out and help reunite Chick with her family