It’s been more than a week since Mama swan, aka Paulette, came to us from Prospect Park with her primary feathers covered in a black sticky substance, maybe tar or oil. When a bird gets covered in something like this, not only does the substance prevent them from being able to swim, and interfere with their ability to stay warm, but it sickens them as they ingest the toxic substance during preening. Mama was quite stressed when she arrived, but she settled in with lots of fluids and supportive care. She’s now had two bath treatments (mayo, followed by dawn), and is looking better, but has lost a lot of waterproofing and is understandably reluctant to swim. A little more time will be needed before this big girl is ready to return home to her mate. 📷: Rachel Frank