FALLSBURG — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reported an incident where community members joined together to help a feathered friend.

On Aug. 8, ECO Nicole DuChene responded to an osprey in distress in the town of Fallsburg.

Upon the Officer’s arrival, she was met by several concerned local residents to assist with locating the young osprey. Working together, the osprey was successfully captured for closer observation.

Missy Runyan at the Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center in the town of Hunter helped assess the extent of injuries and determined the fledgling was simply an unskilled flyer and took a tumble into the water.

The bird was returned to the shoreline to reunite with its parents in a nearby nest. Thanks to ECO DuChene, the responding residents had the chance to get up close and personal with their very first osprey.