Hooked bird :( and Katie's closet :)

Katie and I took a walk around the "berm" again this afternoon, but we went the other way.  When we walked about a half hour, I realized we were at the end, it doesn't go around.  I don't know what I was thinking, there are boats moored inside, of course they have to get out!  So, I got some photos of birds along the way:

 A flock of Seagulls

I love it when they all fly off, but I don't usually get the shot.

There were a couple of different types of ducks.

And these little black guys.

So we're walking along, and I see this black bird by himself at the water's edge.  He was going under the water, jumping back up, ruffling his feathers, kicking up a bunch of water.  I thought he was catching some kind of wonderful dinner for himself.  I started taking photos of him as we walked up to him.  

Surprisingly, he didn't fly away.  When I got closer, this is what I found:

 

 He had fishing line coming from his mouth.

 Poor thing, I could hear him breathing.

I wasn't sure what to do, no one was anywhere near us, and we were on the other side of the bermed off area from any activity, about a 20 minute fast walk.  So I tied Katie up a bit away, put my camera on the ground, rolled up my jeans legs, and went into the water a couple of feet so I could get close to him.

I held onto the fishing line, and he went crazy, then calmed down.  If the crazy spurt didn't dislodge whatever was in his mouth, I knew I wouldn't be able to pull it out without hurting him.  I tried to pull the line up from the water side, and something in the wet weeds was sharp; when I pulled the weeds off, there was a three barbed hook.  I pulled on it, and it broke off.   I was left holding the line with a bird at the end of it.  I figured the best I could do would be to shorten the line and he could swim away, with whatever was at the other end still in his mouth.  

I couldn't break the line closer to his beak and had no tools.  So I got two rocks and sawed the line off as close to the bird as I could.  And he turned around and swam away.  What a relief!

If we hadn't walked by when we did, he would have been tethered to the shoreline and since it was starting to get dark, I doubt anyone else would have come by to help him.  What a scary thought.  I don't know if he'll live with the thing in his mouth and a little fishing line coming out, or if he'll die, anyway, but I couldn't have left him there.  I'm hoping for a full recovery. :)

 Fly away, little guy!

 Yellow flowers in black and white shot

 

 Resident campground cat

Some people have mentioned Katie's wardrobe, but she only has four things and her vest for walks.  She has a princess dress, a blue sweater dress, a pink jacket and a raincoat.  She also has a Christmas sweater dress, but that's put away until December.  Here is her closet door where I hang her clothes on hooks:

 Katie's Door

 

 ...and her pink walking vest, with loops for the leash.

Can you see the blur where her wagging tail is?

 And finally, here are tonight's sunset shots:    

 

 I wanted to try a black and white shot and pick up the color of 

the clouds in the sunset.  Four ducks flying through.

Beautiful.

From Me and My Dog, have a great Thursday night, everyone!  :)