Fly-away budgie reunited with owner through social media after two mile jaunt from Knowle to Bedminster

A rogue budgie was reunited with its nine-year-old owner through social media after it flew off on a two-mile jaunt from Knowle to Bedminster.

Natalie Brereton was ‘minding her own business’ watching the news on her sofa when she heard a strange noise coming from her bedroom on Sunday (August 21).

The 34-year-old was ‘shocked’ to discover a random budgie had flown in through her open window and was happily chirping away on the windowsill.

After an hour and a half of attempts to catch the flying visitor, which proved quite the feat, Natalie managed to capture the bird in a cardboard box before taking it to a local vet.

It turned out the plucky bird had flown around two miles to reach her home.

Digital marketer Natalie, from Bedminster, said: “It was a funny, mental, can’t-believe-this-is-happening nightmare!

“We live on the fourth floor of a high building, we couldn’t believe it had got in! We’re both alright with birds for the most part but this was new levels of stress.

“We have high ceilings so he kept flying around and swiping our heads which was equally funny and terrifying.

“We also didn’t want to distress him too much by trying to grab him so we got a cardboard box with some air holes in and put some cucumber and water in it with some newspaper.

“When he eventually flew into it, we shut the lid and put a tea towel over the box to take it to the vets.”

With Sparky the budgie safely at Zetland Vet Hospital, Natalie took to Instagram to tracked down its owner.

And within just a few hours, Rianne Bendall, 36, got in touch to say Sparky belonged to her daughter Maddie, nine, and had escaped when her younger sister Lelilah opened a window.

Sparky is now back home with his relieved family with mum Rianne thanking Natalie and the vets and adding that the naughty budgie is ‘grounded for a while’.

Full-time mum Rianne, who lives roughly two miles away from Natalie in Knowle, said: “It is an unbelievable thing that has happened. We still can’t believe it, nobody can, it’s a miracle!

“He got out Saturday afternoon. We let open his cage for a bit of freedom and he normally stays in the front room, but on this occasion, he flew upstairs.

“My daughter Maddie shut all the windows, but when she went up about half an hour later, my bedroom window was open and we couldn’t find Sparky anywhere.

“My younger daughter Leilah admitted she opened the window to talk to the dog who was out the back and forgot to shut it back up.

“Maddie has autism and has such a bond with Sparky. It was heartbreaking to see her so upset. It was the worst thing ever, knowing I couldn’t take her pain away.

“She cried herself to sleep and when I woke the next morning, I just sat staring out the back for hours, dreading Maddie waking up to the pain again.

“It was an amazing feeling hearing that Sparky had been found. It really is a miracle.

“Maddie cried when she found out and we can’t get over how he flew from here to Bedminster without getting hurt.

“Maddie and I would like to thank Natalie from the bottom of our hearts.”

Natalie said: “It’s amazing they were reunited - the power of social media, I guess!

“A lot of people also messaged me to say they were very entertained by the whole saga.

“I actually do miss him a little - if he wasn’t claimed at the vets, I was going to adopt him!

“But I’m also really pleased we were able to reunite them, because it was a little girl’s budgie and your pets are everything.”