The team constructing the Luton Dunstable Busway saved a young grebe chick from the jaws of a magpie.
The tiny bird’s plight began last Tuesday when it was attacked by a number of crows and magpies at the depot of main contractor BAM Nuttall in Kingsway, Luton.
Gateman Mark Pollard initially chased the winged aggressors away. He said: “Shortly afterwards a magpie managed to grab the chick and flew away with it. But as it flew over the concrete plant it dropped the chick in the yard.”
Gary Marshall, manager of the batching plant where subcontractor Hanson is processing concrete for the busway’s beams, contacted BAM’s environmental manager Neil Goulding – and the young bird was kept safe in a cardboard box until the RSPCA arrived.
Identified as a grebe, the chick was then taken to a Bedfordshire wildlife rescue centre. And on Thursday, because grebes do not tend to thrive in captivity, the chick was released into an existing colony in Tring where it is understood to be doing well.
Mr Goulding said: “As well as the slow worms we have translocated rare orchids and other plants away from the busway site, and have also taken measures to protect badgers and pipistrelle bats, but this one was a first for me."
