It was a quiet moment on the water’s edge at North Creek this week with no fanfare and  no crowd. Just a seagull, a breeze, and a pair of steady hands.

Sue Palmer, one of Australian Seabird & Turtle Rescue’s (ASTR) longest-serving volunteers, gently opened a small carry cage.

In an instant, the gull was airborne, flapping confidently before rejoining a nearby flock, none the wiser to its brush with disaster the day before.

This kind of release happens daily in Ballina. Unlike turtle releases, which often draw crowds and cheers, the return of seabirds like gulls is quick, quiet, and deliberate.

“It’s all about reducing stress for the bird, so the less fuss, the better,” Sue said.

One of Ballina’s longest-serving bird rescuers, Sue has been volunteering with ASTR for 13 years. She still approaches each rescue with urgency and gentle care. 

The gull she released had been found entangled in a fishing line, saved thanks to Jan Brady, a nearby Ballina Island resident.  

Jan first spotted the injured bird, then helped catch it and she just happened to be there when Sue came to set it free.

“I just did what anyone would do,” Jan said modestly.

“Sue and the rescue team do the real work.”

That “real work” doesn’t stop. Moments after the gull was safely back on the water, Sue was already headed to West Ballina following reports of an injured petrel.   It’s all in a day’s work.

ASTR, founded in 1992 by the late Lance Ferris, began with a mission to protect Ballina’s pelicans – more than a third of which were being maimed by fishing tackle.

Today, the organisation has expanded into a statewide volunteer network rescuing and rehabilitating not just seabirds, but also sea turtles, shorebirds and even sea snakes.

While turtle rehabilitation can take months and sometimes culminates in a celebratory beachside send-off, seabird rescues are fast-paced and frequent.   

Gulls, for instance, are easily caught due to their curious nature, which also makes them particularly vulnerable to fishing mishaps.

“Hooks in the beak or wing are common injuries,” Sue said. 

Main Image: Sue Palmer with the bird’s rescuer, Jan Brady