Did stranded Gannet mistake Cleethorpes Leisure Centre for white cliffs of Yorkshire Coast?

                                         

The Gannet was able to waddle from the saltmarsh to a footpath where it would have been  vulnerable to off-the-lead dogs had not Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue come to its aid

THERE are hopes of a full recovery for a Gannet that made a crash-landing near Cleethorpes Leisure Centre yesterday morning.

Gannets, which breed on cliffs in Yorkshire and elsewhere around the British coast, are marine birds which find lifting off from dry land a challenge.

One possibility is that it mistook the leisure centre for a cliff, then, confusing it for sea, landed on shallow saltmarsh water during high tide and became stranded when the water receded.

After its discovery, the team at the National Coastwatch Institution look-out cabin maintained a watching brief until Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue could come to the bird's aid.

CWR takes up the story thus: "Gannets are among the UK’s largest seabirds. 

"When they are  not plunge-diving into the sea at speeds of up to 60mph, they are usually found nesting and resting along steep cliff edges. 

"If they land on flat beaches like Cleethorpes - or are washed ashore after rough seas - they can struggle to become airborne again. 

"We suspect this bird was attempting to continue its journey north towards the cliffs further up the coast."

The statement continues: "Ads  a high-risk species on a high-risk coastline for avian influenza, this bird underwent three separate assessments before entering rescue: the first at the scene before collection, the second outside the rescue centre and the third within our isolation bay.

"We are pleased to report that, aside from a fairly typical ectoparasite burden and being slightly underweight, the bird is in good overall health.

"Our fantastic veterinary partners at Eastfields have since carried out a full health-check and given the all-clear for rehabilitation to continue.

"A huge thank you to local photographer Rob for providing clear images that allowed us to assess the bird safely from a distance, and to Cleethorpes Coastwatch for their monitoring and observations throughout."

                                       

Making progress - there are hopes that the bird will soon be fit enough for release (photo: Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue)

Cliff-like? Cleethorpes Leisure Centre sits next to saltmarsh