Kalee Nesbitt, working at a tiny hut 7,000 feet up on Mount Hood, had just finished shoveling after a major storm when she spotted something dark moving in the snow. It was a bird barely alive.

Likely trapped since early morning by snow pushed from a passing snowcat, the Killdeer had been buried for hours. Kalee immediately dropped her shovel, carefully digging with her hands to free the terrified bird. Covered in snow, the little survivor hesitated then suddenly flew away.

I work at a tiny hut on Mount Hood at 7,000’ elevation. There had just been a big storm and the snow level was very high. As I was shoveling snow, I noticed something dark out of the corner of my eye. It was moving. It was a bird. It was alive! I knew I had to save it no matter what it took. I dropped the shovel and started to gently try to remove snow around the bird with my hands. This was late afternoon and it had been in there since early morning when the snowcats go by, caught by the side snow that comes out of the blades as they pass by grooming the trails. The bird was afraid and had peed and pooped on itself, which broke my heart. As I got it loose, I tried to gently lift it from the snow. It seemed in shock for a moment, but then suddenly took off and flew away. I have never seen a Killdeer at that elevation before and was surprised to find this sweet little bird stuck in the snow. I was even more surprised that it was alive and it moved me to tears as it sang on its flight out of there and to safety.