Police come to the rescue of trapped ducklings

This baby great horned owl.was returned to the wild after experts determined it was ready.Billerica & Tewksbury Animal Control

Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and nonevents, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our suburbs.

DUCKLINGS SAVED FROM DRAIN

At 8:20 a.m. May 2, Melrose police were dispatched to Oak Grove Avenue for a report of ducklings that had fallen into a storm drain. Upon arrival, Officer Daniel Riordan and Sergeant Nikolaus MacIntosh found seven ducklings trapped inside the drain. With the help of Bob Divola from the city’s Department of Public Works and an employee from a nearby apartment complex, MacIntosh and Riordan were able to use a pool skimmer to extricate the ducklings from the drain. According to police, all seven of the ducklings got out safely and were reunited with their mother.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

A group of Bridgewater firefighter-paramedics helped deliver a baby in Whitman recently. The fire department announced the news on Facebook on May 1. “It’s a girl!” the Facebook post said. “We are happy to share that we had a special delivery last night! Ambulance 5 responded to a call for a mother in labor. While en route to South Shore Hospital, our crew had to pull over to the side of the road in Whitman to deliver the baby. We are pleased to share that mom and baby are doing well! A job well done by FF [Sean] Peters, FF [Nicholas] Furey & FF [Joshua] Sproul!”

SHOTS FIRED?

At 2:42 p.m. April 16, Peabody police got a call from a resident of Loris Road who reported that his neighbor was on his back porch and shot what looked like an assault rifle three times in the air, and then said, “Oh my God.” The log entry stated that police were dispatched to find what happened. Thankfully, it turned out to be “an accidental discharge of a paintball gun.”

HE DIDN’T ORDER THIS COFFEE (OR GRASS)

At 5:12 p.m. April 13, a man came into the lobby of the Peabody Police Station to report that “coffee and a clump of grass” had been dumped on the front of his vehicle. The log entry stated that he said “this type of incident had occurred several times since January.”

HOMECOMING FOR BABY OWL

On May 7, Billerica and Tewksbury Animal Control shared a photo and story about the rescue of a baby great horned owl. According to the Facebook post, the person who found it came extremely close to it, but got very little reaction from the bird. “Sightings of fledgling owls are not concerning, but the lack of response from the bird was concerning,” the post said. Animal control then assessed the fledgling and took it to a local falconer, who further examined the bird with the help of a licensed raptor rehabber. They determined that the owl was healthy and could be released back into the wild. “If you find a fledgling owl you should be seeing a defensive response with its wings high and clicking noises,” the post said. “If you are fairly close and not seeing these responses please contact your local Animal Control Officer to further assess. We are glad this beautiful girl did not need further assistance and is back where she belongs!”

Last week Animal Control responded to a report of a downed baby great horned owl. The reporting party was extremely...

Posted by Billerica & Tewksbury Animal Control on Saturday, May 7, 2022