Safe and warm on Shelter Island

On Monday, Animal Control Officer (ACO) Jenny Zahler was at police headquarters wading through paperwork when she got a call from Elias Fokine. 

“He was at Wades Beach when he saw a duck frozen in the snow,” Officer Zahler said. “I told him to bring the duck to headquarters right away.”

Mr. Fokine arrived shortly after. “He’s so great,” the ACO said. “He had her in his coat so she was already warming up and recovering.” 

Officer Zahler recognized the small bird as a female bufflehead duck. Clues to her identification was the rounded head and distinctive white patch on her cheek. 

There was a bit of blood on her beak, which the ACO speculated came from the bufflehead attempting to land on water off the beach but crashing into the ice.

“She stayed with us at headquarters, we kept her warm and she’s O.K.,”  Officer Zahler said.