Advent Calendar 2020 Day 11: The Rockefeller Christmas tree and its owl

An owl that almost made it to the big city was sent back to a place where she’ll surely be more comfortable.

Rockefeller or Rocky was discovered stowing away inside the Christmas tree that was bound for Rockefeller Center in New York City. The tree that Rocky was found in, donated by Daddy Al’s General Store in Oneonta, New York, was cut down on November 12, after days of being under police protection to ensure no one vandalized it. It was hoisted by crane onto a flatbed truck and driven 200 miles to Manhattan. Rocky made it 170 miles away from home when one of the people transporting the tree found the seven-inch saw-whet owl one of North America’s tiniest owl species hiding in the branches. The owl was apparently trapped in the 75-foot-tall (23-meter-tall) Norway spruce when it was cut down. The man scooped her up and stored her in a box until he could find an organization that would take her in. The Ravensbeard Wildlife Center was happy to help. They say Rocky was struggling at first and they suspected that she hadn’t eaten for at least three days. She was dehydrated but uninjured. A veterinarian examined her, and x-rays showed that she had no broken bones or internal damage. Rescuers gave her fluids and all the mice she could eat. Once she got up to a healthy weight they planned to release her into a forest of conifer trees in upstate New York and that’s just what they did. They released her at dusk when owls are most active. The rescue organization says they were excited for Rocky to spend her days in the quiet country.

“I always get choked up when I release birds because it’s such a labor of love. It’s beautiful and it’s what we live for—all the rehabbers—seeing them go back to the wild,” says wildlife rehabilitator Ellen Kalish, who runs Ravensbeard from her home in Saugerties, New York.

Rockefeller Center and Christmas. Can you fill in the gaps in the text with the words given?

Rockefeller Center is a large building complex consisting of 19 high-rise commercial (1) …… covering 22 acres (89,000 m2) between 48th and 51st Streets in New York City. It is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National Historic (2) …… in 1987.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a large Christmas tree placed (3) …… in Rockefeller Center. The tree is (4) …… in mid-November and lit in a public ceremony on the Wednesday following (5) …… . The tree is lit by the current (6) …… of New York City and special guests. An estimated 125 million people visit the attraction each year.

The tree, usually a Norway spruce 69 to 100 feet (21 to 30 m) tall, has been a national tradition each year since 1933. The 2020 Christmas Tree Lighting, which lacked the traditional audience due to the ongoing COVID-19  (7) …… , took place on December 2, 2020, and the tree will remain on (8) …… until early January 2021.

New Yorkers and visitors from around the world make a big deal of the Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony! It’s known for its spectacular shows and live (9) …… from celebrity guests.

Christmas in New York City really begins when this tree is (10) …… .

Key:

1. buildings
2. Landmark
3. annually
4. erected
5. Thanksgiving
6. Mayor
7. pandemic
8. display
9. performances
10. lit