The 83-year-old said about 20 years ago she found a little ball of fluff inside her back gate. 

It was an early morning after strong winds during the night and Judith said realised she had discovered a baby frogmouth. 

Judith believes the baby was a papuan frogmouth.

Judith said there are a lot of tawny frogmouths in the North Haven area, but she believes this bird was lighter in colour than the tawny frogmouths which are dark. 

After the discovery Judith rang different wildlife groups and they advised she should feed the baby heart and kidneys.

“I had to poke the meat down the baby’s throat using a wooden skewer and my finger,” she said. 

Judith said she made the frogmouth a home in the sun room. 

“Then as he got older his parents started coming and I made a tree like obstruction on the veranda,” she said. 

“The parents would come but the baby still wouldn’t leave.” 

Judith said one night the baby flew down inside the Oasis by the River restaurant. 

She said not long after that the frogmouth started flying around and left Judith’s home. 

“I was worried about him,” she said. 

Judith was told by people he was at Brigadoon Holiday Park. 

“I went down to the caravan park and he came to me and then flew off to some others there in the trees. 

“So I knew he was ok because he had found others to be with.” 

Judith Hardy said even after many years the bird still returns to visit her at night. 

Sometimes the tawny will sit on the rail in her yard, the clothes line or trees. 

“I hear his sound of ‘humph humph’,” Judith said. 

Judith said sometimes the bird brings a friend with him and she has also spotted some young babies. 

“He seems to be happy and adding to his family,” she said.