The hand-reared macaw, worth $8000, flew away and was chased up the tree by other birds, stranded for more than six hours on Thursday.

Neighbours at Sanctuary Point on the NSW south coast called around to find someone able to reach the bird.

“I got rung up by a mate, another arborist, who had too many drinks to go climbing, and I hadn’t had any beers at that stage,” Bay and Basin Tree Services arborist Wayne Beehag said.

“It was a beautiful bird, I couldn’t get out on the limb, so I used a long swimming pool pole, and she stepped onto it after 25 minutes.

“The owner said, ‘she won’t bite,’ and I said, ‘are you sure? She has a bloody big beak.’

“I said, hello, she said hello straight back, and hopped on my shoulder.”

Wayne lowered the bird down to an ecstatic owner, who said he couldn’t afford to lose her.

Bay Post