A juvenile magpie that became tangled in string up a 12-metre tree at Shellharbour has paused to get a look at its rescuer before flying to freedom.
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Shellharbour firefighters were called to a fig tree behind Addy’s Cafe, off Addison Street, about 2.30pm Saturday, after a passer-by noticed the bird in trouble.
The crew called for Wollongong station’s 37-metre ladder platform when their own 12-metre ladder wouldn’t get the job done.
Andrew Sefton, Shellharbour station commander, said the bird’s mother stayed close throughout its ordeal.
“She was attending to the young ‘un, fending off a nest of attacking pee wees on the other side of the tree,” he said.
“It had string wrapped around its feet, that became more tangled around the branch of a tree every time the bird tried to fly away.
”It was very calm while we were just waiting for the truck, but became a bit panicked once the guys got close to it.”
Firefighters Paul Camilleri (Shellharbour) and Con Spyrou (Wollongong) were sent up the tree.
Though the bird had struggled for its freedom, it did not instantly fly away once freed.
“Once they released it, it just sat on Paul’s hand and looked at him for a minute,” the commander said. “Then it took off and landed in the branches.”