According to the LA Times, the Orange County pelican that we wrote about several months ago was released back into the wild. This great news comes after months of rehabilitation. After the surgery, the pelican affectionatley called Nigel, developed an infection that caused another fracture and bone tissue to die. During her stay in recovery, Nigel ate up to 10 pounds of fish a day! From the article,

She was released on Wednesday where she had been found, at a marsh in Irvine, outfitted with a tracking device that will allow caretakers to monitor her whereabouts. When she was being outfitted with the device, it was confirmed that Nigel was actually a female. Although her name stuck, some have dubbed her Nigelina.

On Thursday, she had been spotted preening and feeding with other birds that have migrated back — optimistic news for those carefully watching her return to the wild.

We can't think of a better way to end the work week than with a story that has a happy ending for birds!