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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Eurasian Scops Owl takes refuge on HMS Illustrious | Eurasian Scops Owl takes refuge on HMS Illustrious |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| An owl which "ran out of steam" during its migration and "took refuge" on a Royal Navy warship has been returned to the wild. | |
| Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious was patrolling off Yemen when the Eurasian scops owl was spotted cowering under a crane on deck. | Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious was patrolling off Yemen when the Eurasian scops owl was spotted cowering under a crane on deck. |
| Lt Chris Patrick, a member of the Royal Naval Bird Watching Society, spent several days nursing it back to health. | Lt Chris Patrick, a member of the Royal Naval Bird Watching Society, spent several days nursing it back to health. |
| He said the "poor little thing must have seen the ship and took refuge". | He said the "poor little thing must have seen the ship and took refuge". |
| 'Waiting to die' | 'Waiting to die' |
| Lt Patrick, from Weymouth, said the owl had landed on the vessel while on a migration route south towards Sub-Saharan Africa. | Lt Patrick, from Weymouth, said the owl had landed on the vessel while on a migration route south towards Sub-Saharan Africa. |
| He said it had "looked as though it was simply waiting to die". | He said it had "looked as though it was simply waiting to die". |
| Weather conditions meant the bird would not be able to make it to shore, so he took it to his cabin and fed it pieces of meat. | Weather conditions meant the bird would not be able to make it to shore, so he took it to his cabin and fed it pieces of meat. |
| Within two days, it was trying to fly again and Lt Patrick, the ship's meteorologist, calculated the best location to release the bird when wind conditions were favourable. | Within two days, it was trying to fly again and Lt Patrick, the ship's meteorologist, calculated the best location to release the bird when wind conditions were favourable. |
| Lt Patrick said it had looked "in good condition" when it was released near the coast of Oman and was "heading to shore with the prevailing winds". | Lt Patrick said it had looked "in good condition" when it was released near the coast of Oman and was "heading to shore with the prevailing winds". |
| "We all hope it made the journey safely," he said. | "We all hope it made the journey safely," he said. |