Have you ever heard of a homing parrot? (From Free Press Series)

Have you ever heard of a homing parrot?

HOMING PIGEONS are one thing but have you ever heard of a homing parrot? You have now.

After eight weeks on the loose and following an escapade on Llandegfedd reservoir, Saffy the parrot has been rescued and is safely tucked up in her cage.

It was over two months ago that the African Grey parrot escaped from her home in Wainfelin, leaving two distraught children, Eleanor, aged seven, and Joshua, nine, plus the whole family frantically searching for the talking bird.

News of the parrot's escape had even made the Free Press, but despite many hopeful calls, there was no sign of Saffy.

In Saffy's absence Michelle had put well over 500 posters up across Torfaen and luckily Kim Marsh spotted them.

Ms Marsh's son is a ranger at the reservoir and when he told her he had seen a parrot in the forest, she put two and two together and called the number on the poster and finally, parrot and owner were reunited.

Michelle said: "We followed up a phone call and went to the reservoir, where a ranger had seen her. We had to row a boat across the water to the wooded area where she had been seen by a ranger."

Michelle and Gareth waited on deckchairs under Saffy's chosen tree. They were whistling at her, and Saffy was answering.

Finally, tempted by the peanuts Michelle was holding, Saffy made her way down the branches, and eventually flew onto Michelle and nuzzled into her neck.

Any fears that it could have been another bird were allayed, as Saffy uttered her catchphrase, "give us a tickle!"

Young Eleanor's distress turned to tears of joy when Saffy rejoined the family "with not a scratch on her."

Michelle said: "Saffy had actually put on more weight while she was on her journey, she seems to have survived by eating beech nuts from the tree she was hiding in."