ADAMS -- Merlin, a seven-year-old harlequin macaw parrot, clings to a tree branch 25 feet above the ground in a neighborhood unused to seeing such colorful plumage.
Merlin's owner, Laurie Scott, inches closer to him, breaking branches in her path as she stands in a bucket truck controlled by Damian Ivas, of Troy's Tree Service.
Just as she gets within a couple of feet, Merlin spreads his wings and flies east from the neighborhood of Upton and West Pine streets into a forest of trees on Columbia Street.
It is the second time since Merlin flew from Scott's shoulder and out of her Burt Street home Monday evening that someone had gotten so close only to have him flee. Efforts to locate him again -- calling his name and making bird noises in the area he flew toward -- are unsuccessful.
Scott has been running a campaign to find and bring home Merlin since Monday night: Making flyers, contacting local police and animal hospitals, taking advantage of free lost-pet ads, and even using Facebook to spread the word.
"I am so thankful to Facebook people," she said. "I'm a mess. He's family. I just want him to come home."
Merlin, who is part of a menagerie of pets owned by Scott, has his own large cage and perch, both of which now stand eerily vacant. The room, off of Scott's living room, is shared with two other small parrots, each with their own cage. A large terrarium stands on another wall where a small lizard is
While he is a tropical bird, Scott says Merlin is not used to living outside in the recent heat and has not eaten for two days.
As of Wednesday morning, Merlin had been in a tree in Scott's sister's yard on Upton Street for at least 24 hours. Food that had been placed on the roof of a garage directly below the large tree appeared to be untouched. Scott hopes that Merlin was able to get some water after Tuesday night's rain and as part of the recovery effort, a garden hose was used to spray Merlin with water to get his feathers wet to make it more difficult for him to fly.
If anyone sees Merlin, they are asked to contact the Adams Police Department at 413-743-1212 or Scott directly at 413-441-9556. Scott also warns people that Merlin is shy and he may bite.
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