Central Hudson employees Bill O’Reilly and George Lamoreaux were in their truck when dispatch sent them to Elise Lane in Cornwall for a baby hawk stranded on a power line.
The bird’s parents had been circling the area and squawking overhead until the truck arrived shortly after 11:30 a.m. Then they retreated to their nest.
Mr. O’Reilly ascended in the cherry picker and tried to get the bird to step onto a pole. It took several minutes until the young creature obliged. Mr. O’Reilly brought the bird down in the bucket and set it free on the ground. It seemed unable or unwilling to fly.
The homeowner Jeanne Anderson had called Central Hudson and the DEC after seeing the bird’s predicament. Central Hudson arrived first.
Mr. O’Reilly said this was his first rescue. His supervisor, who visited the site, said it’s not uncommon for Central Hudson employees to rescue creatures in high places.
