In The Current’s June 29 issue, Michael Turton reported on an ailing racing pigeon discovered by Amber Aponte-Kocela of Philipstown, who, with assistance from pigeon fancier Daniel Morales, nursed it back to health. On Saturday (July 7), they released the bird, whom Aponte-Kocela named Chester, on the baseball field at Mayor’s Park in Cold Spring.

Daniel Morales releases Chester at Mayor’s Park on July 7. (Photo by Michael Turton)

Chester flew to a net on the pitcher’s mound to get his bearings before taking off to return to his roost. Although a tag on his leg indicated the pigeon originated in Kentucky, Morales believes that because of its young age (about 4 months), home base is likely nearby.

Inset: After perching, Chester surveyed the surroundings before flying off. (Photo by Michael Turton)

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Articles attributed to "staff" are written by the editor or a senior editor. This is typically because they are brief items based on a single source, such as a press release, or there are multiple contributors, such as a collection of photos.