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By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER Taka makes roundtrip home safe and sound the bird's owner, Yukio Yamada. Yamada, a hawk enthusiast from Hamilton, called the shelter immediately upon hearing the news his bird had been found. "I was so grateful to get the call that Taka was safe," said Yamada. Yamada said Taka went missing on Sunday, Feb. 12, while he was working with her in an Oakville field. "I and other members of the OHC had been searching the area sun up to sun down and were starting to get worried," said Yamada. "We had planned for a mass `flying' of all the members' Harris Hawks this weekend because they are gregarious birds and travel in flocks. We hoped that Taka would see other Harris Hawks and be drawn to them." After their reunion, Yamada said Taka was a bit dehydrated, but otherwise fine and very happy to be home. As always, officials at the OMHS were happy they could help make this reunion possible. "We always speak for those who can't speak for themselves and were happy to be Taka's voice and help her to find her way home," said Barrett. 9 · Wednesday, February 22, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com While the Oakville & Milton Humane Society (OMHS) routinely reunites owners with their lost pets, usually those pets don't have one-metre wingspans. That changed on Wednesday, Feb. 15, when the humane society received a phone call from a staff member calling them to the Bronte Road and West Oak Trails area after a large bird, with what appeared to be bands on its legs, was found sitting in a courtyard. Animal Protective Services Manager Amanda Barrett immediately drove to the area and after a bit of bird wrangling was able to carefully capture the bird, which turned out to be a female Harris Hawk. "We knew the hawk wasn't a local species and quickly identified it as a Harris Hawk, which is native to the American southwest," said "Often the community doesn't report lost birds to us, which is unfortunate as each year, many lost birds of all breeds find their way to the shelter and are often re-homed when no owner steps forward." Residents with lost pets are asked to contact the OMHS at 905-845-1551. Taka Barrett. "We knew someone would be looking for this beautiful bird." Upon examination, animal care staff were able to see both an identification band on the hawk's leg as well as leather traces, which indicated the hawk was used for hawking and could be lost. Paula Fleming, the humane society's Lost and Found specialist, contacted the Ontario Hawking Club (OHC) who were able to trace the hawk's leg band back to Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning 1430 Trafalgar Road (at Upper Middle), Oakville Join us for our OPEN HOUSE Feb. 25, 2012 For more information visit or phone ext. 2325 Sheridan Montessori Preschool Centre is accredited by the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators. Halton `Quality First' Initiative Participant. Give your home, and your renovation budget a whole new look. In a perfect world things cost less. Welcome to our world. DirectBuy is the new way to buy, a way for you to get what you want and not have to settle for what you think you can afford. With hundreds of thousands of products from over 500 of the biggest brands in Canada, DirectBuy is the only place that combines your unique style, with our unmatched savings. For a FREE information package and Visitor's Pass, call 905-608-9244 or visit mississauga.directbuy.com Mississauga V28