Budgie blown out of Northampton home by storm is found in a drain and returned
Luna the budgie slipped out of a kitchen window after Storm Boelo, hid in a roadside drain a mile away, and was rescued by the RSPCA after a driver raised the alarm.
An 11-month-old budgie called Luna is safely back with her family in Northampton, days after the wind carried her out of the house and she ended up in a roadside drain a mile away.
She escaped from Cimberley Frost’s home when gusts following Storm Boelo pushed a kitchen window open. Off she flew, leaving the household rather subdued.
Her adventure could easily have ended badly. A passing motorist happened to notice her hop down into a drain by the road and rang the RSPCA. Inspector Richard Durant and Trainee Animal Rescue Officer Rosie Cowie took the call on 26 October.
Mr Durant said Luna had not travelled far before something seemingly spooked her, and she dropped into the drain to hide. When the two rescuers looked down, they could see her small beak poking out of a pipe.
Ms Cowie carefully lifted her out and settled her in a pet carrier. It was her very first rescue, and she said it was one she would remember.
Luna was then looked after by the charity. A few days later her anxious owner got in touch, and RSPCA Officer Ellie Grindod brought the plucky little bird home to a mightily relieved Ms Frost.
In the meantime, the family had done everything they could think of. They left the window open in case Luna found her own way back, searched the neighbourhood and played recordings of budgie calls to tempt her home. Ms Frost also put out an appeal on social media, and a reply came from someone who had heard that the RSPCA had picked up a bird in the area.
Back at home, Luna has settled into her old routine. She zooms around the flat, pesters Ziggy the dog and insists on being released from her cage, or simply works out how to let herself out. With a reputation as an escape artist now established, her family will probably keep a closer eye on the windows.
Why it matters
Small pet birds that get outdoors are frightened and very hard to find, so a happy ending often depends on other people noticing and speaking up. Here, a stranger’s phone call and a post on social media brought Luna back to a family who had missed her. It is a reminder that contacting an animal charity or the local community can make a real difference for a lost pet.
