Morley, a young Ruru / Morepork native to New Zealand, is released back to the wild by rehabilitator Judy Fentress, of Judy’s Bird Nursery.

Judy was featured in previous posts Part 1 and Part 2, as well as a Department of Conservation (DOC) blog post celebrating Judy’s many decades of dedication to New Zealand native birds.

The owl’s release was part of Project Ruru, an event held at The Sculpture Park next to the Waitakaruru Stream – which incidentally means ‘owl by the river’ in Te reo Māori. The event collaborates with Wingspan and Forest & Bird to feature 15 hidden owl sculptures and a variety of educational activities during the school holidays. It also helps protect owls from predators by installing handmade nesting boxes around the region. By combining art with conservation, the project seeks to educate visitors while ensuring safer habitats for the owls to thrive.

xo owlsintowels

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Pictured is a Morepork / Ruru being cared for by Judy Fentress. This one is very young and still has his baby fluff.

Judy is featured in our 3-part series of posts (see Part 1 and Part 3), celebrating her years of dedication to New Zealand native birds in the Waikato region.

xo owlsintowels

💛🦉

This is a Ruru / Morepork, a native New Zealand owl. This little guy was posted to the r/owlsintowels subreddit¹ by user NewZealandDunc who noted the Ruru was being looked after by Judy Fentress.

Judy deserves a particular mention. She’s the name behind ‘Judy’s Bird Nursery’, a volunteer rescue in the Waikato region for rehabilitating wildlife and helping native birds return to the wild. This is Part 1 in a series of posts highlighting her dedication to New Zealand wildlife (see also Part 2 and Part 3).

However, after many years of service, Judy is having to wind down nursery operations. Managing a facility of this nature requires 24/7 availability, a continuous supply of food and medication for the birds, and power for the incubators. It also incurs significant expenses in vet bills, travel and ongoing maintenance.

A blog post² from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) estimated Judy was spending $20,000 NZD a year to run the sanctuary, mostly from her own pocket due to lack of external funding.

At nearly 80 years old, Judy is finding it increasingly difficult to meet these physical and financial demands. And with no successor available to take on the mantle, she is only able to offer limited services. The original poster NZDunc notes “She loves the birds but she’s getting too old for it. Hopefully there’s someone qualified out there.”

Judy is quoted as saying:

“I am no longer taking garden birds, only natives now. That’s all that has changed. I need help and money and someone joining me to do something like this. It requires a DOC permit and a lot of time and energy”

The nursery represents a special era of wildlife rescue in the Waikato, and a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Judy Fentress for her decades of outstanding work. Her selfless and long-standing commitment has had a real and lasting impact on local bird populations, earning her something of a legendary status in the community.

Go well Judy, you’ve earned a Waikato Draught.

Bonus video of Judy releasing a Ruru at The Sculpture Park ³ along the Waitakaruru Stream – which incidentally means ‘owl by the river’:

xo owlsintowels

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