Birds Fly South in Style
  Two Cormorants and a Black Scoter lucked out when the Virginia Beach Marine Science Center agreed to take them as educational birds. All three were unreleasable birds and their fate uncertain unless another facility agreed to take them.
  Ginnie had sent birds down to the Center before but transportation was always a problem. Previously, we had to wait until someone drove south and then we had to coerce them into dropping the animals off.
  Luckily, new volunteer Patti DeFabio owns a Cessna 172, a small, single engine plane. Patti and her friend Mike Rusinsky, both pilots, agreed to fly the three hour trip to Virginia Beach with the birds.
  It was a windy and cold morning when Ginnie met the plane flying into Westhampton from Montauk. After gassing up and carefully loading the bird carriers, the small plane took off into the gusting wind.
  Patti said there was a pretty good tail wind and the trip took about three hours and they were met at the airport by Crystal Mathews of the Science Center.  The birds were transported safely to their new home. Thanks to all involved with this success story. It's kind of strange having to fly three birds who can't fly any more. They probably thought the whole thing was rank amateur.