Falcon Release - Gowanda Animal Control Officer Mary Dankert, left, and Persia Town Clerk Kristen Schaus are shown releasing a Merlin falcon back to the wild after a month of captivity. Schaus’s husband, Steven, discovered the injured bird while out walking the dog. After placing the falcon in a box and calling the animal control officer, Dankert took the bird to the Erie County SPCA where his broken bones were attended to and he was nursed back to health. On Tuesday, Oct. 4, the bird was brought to Chang-Hu Park in Gowanda and released. With a short “squawk” as a thank you, he flew to a nearby branch to get his bearings before flying off into the countryside. (Photo by Mary Pankow)