scare me,” said Antonia lightly.
“I don’t like Lauren. She’s a bully.” Cai ran a hand through his dark curls. “Aunty Claudia doesn’t like bullies either. She’s says deep down they’re all cowards.”
“Your aunt’s so cool.”
“I know. She’s not like a normal aunty, is she? I swear she talks to animals. You should have seen her with this guillemot this morning. They were practically having a conversation.”
Antonia laughed. “There is something very special about Claudia,” she admitted. “I can’t wait to help her with the birds. I hope they’re not too badly oiled.”
Claudia was looking slightly frazzled when they arrived at Sea Watch. Her clothes were smeared with oil and her curly brown hair was wilder than usual.
“We’ve been working flat out,” she said, pointing to the sink where two ladies wearing thick rubber gloves and disposable plastic aprons were bathing a guillemot. “We’ve cleaned nineteen birds and the coastguard just brought four more in.”
“Tell us what to do and we’ll help,” said Antonia.
“Well, the oil doesn’t just mess up the birds’ feathers, it’s also poisonous when swallowed. First the birds need their stomachs cleansed with a special solution. I’ll do that, you and Cai can take over from Sally and Tess who are on the second stage, cleaning feathers. They’re using a special type of washing-up liquid. It’s not perfumed. Squeeze a blob on to your hands, then rub it on the bird. Talk to it as you bathe it. Remember a soothing voice can work wonders when an animal is frightened. Rinse the washing-up liquid away with clean water, then put the bird in one of the pens in the back room to dry. The gloves and aprons are in that cupboard.”
Antonia and Cai went to the cupboard.
“There’s room for both of us in this,” laughed Antonia, holding up a plastic apron.
“Tie it round you twice,” said Claudia. “You’ll have to manage with the gloves. Everything came in one-size only.”
“Jumbo,” chuckled Cai, pulling on gloves.
Sea Watch was beginning to fill up with regular volunteers. Antonia waved at Karen and Eleanor, two Year Six girls, also from Sandy Bay Primary.
“Isn’t it awful?” called Eleanor. “The coastguard told my dad it was only a minor oil spill. I dread to think of the damage a major one would cause.”
The girls disappeared into the back room to clean out the bird pens.
Claudia came over carrying a bedraggled guillemot, its feathers glued together with tarry black oil. “Be careful with this one. He’s a wriggler,” she said.
Antonia and Cai took their place at the sink.
“Good luck,” said Sally, snapping off her rubber gloves. “It’s hard messy work. We’re exhausted, aren’t we, Tess?”
Cai held the bird still while Antonia squeezed a gooey blob of washing-up liquid on to her hands.
“Steady, boy,” she murmured.
At first the bird struggled ferociously, snapping his mouth open as he tried to fight everyone off. Cai held him firmly while Antonia worked the washing-up liquid into his sticky black feathers, talking to him in a low soothing voice.
“Poor thing! You’re in a bad way. You might need a second wash.”
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