# "Wildlife Officials Have Decided to Ignore Birds"



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I was just changing puppy papers and noticed this article from Thursday's SF Chronicle newspaper. It is about some groups of birds that they apparently don't have the resources to save from the oil spill in the SF Bay in November. I thought some of you may be interested and maybe we can help somehow, they are very short of money it seems. 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/29/MN3ETKP1C.DTL&hw=birds&sn=003&sc=572

*No rescue from state, feds for birds at Farallones, Monterey Bay*

Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Federal and state wildlife officials have decided to ignore two large groups of contaminated birds, saying they lack resources to rescue the Farallon Islands victims of the recent San Francisco Bay oil spill as well as hundreds of birds injured in an unrelated incident at Monterey Bay.

Biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said they concur with scientists running the UC Davis Oiled Wildlife Care Network and the state Department of Fish and Game who said it wouldn't pay to capture more than 250 birds at the Farallones that had been contaminated by a container ship's toxic fuel after the Nov. 7 spill.

And in a second event that started Nov. 8 around Monterey Bay, a greasy, sticky protein substance thought to be linked to a naturally occurring algal bloom has injured about 600 birds, mainly surf scoters and grebes. The Department of Fish and Game decided that because the harmful substance isn't petroleum, officials can't use money from an oil trust fund to find and treat the birds.

Meanwhile, the bay oil spill has injured or killed nearly 2,700 birds. On the Farallones, a vital and heavily protected bird habitat 27 miles from shore, biologists have reported seeing 225 lightly oiled common murres, 19 oiled Western gulls and other species, including brown pelicans, northern fulmars, rhinoceros auklets and red-throated loons.

Joelle Buffa, a supervisory wildlife biologist at the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge, said the biologists started seeing oiled birds at the islands soon after the spill. Those biologists work for PRBO, a nonprofit science center that monitors the islands.

After consulting with Yvonne Addassi, wildlife operations branch director for the California Department of Fish and Game and Mike Ziccardi, director of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, Buffa said she agreed that resources could be better used looking for oiled birds at coastal beaches and bay shoreline.

"We tried to assess how many birds it would be possible to catch. For example, if we saw oil on 40 birds, maybe we could capture two of them. To capture those ... would take away resources," Buffa said.

More importantly, Buffa said, it would create a disturbance on the remote island. In the rough seas, it would be nearly impossible to catch the birds without injuring them, she said.

However, the PRBO biologists monitoring birds on the island have been able to pick up several oiled birds at the Farallones. The birds have been sent to the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Cordelia.

In the Monterey Bay event, scientists originally suspected some sort of spill, said Dave Jessup, a Fish and Game senior wildlife veterinarian. Scientists believe a protein linked to an algal bloom circulating in Monterey Bay acts like a detergent and destroys the waterproofing properties of bird feathers, allowing them to get cold.

On Monday, Bud Leland, a deputy director of Fish and Game, determined that money couldn't be used from the oil spill trust fund, which is provided by the oil industry, because the substance isn't petroleum. As a result, the Fish and Game's care center in Santa Cruz stopped taking injured birds, and started sending them to Cordelia. Volunteers associated with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Native Animal Rescue and other groups are continuing to pick up cold, wet birds without assistance from the state.

"If it's naturally occurring, like it is in this case, the fund can't legally pay. It's not oil. It's frustrating sometimes, but that's how it's set up," agency spokesman Steve Martarano said.

On Wednesday, Jay Holcomb, executive director of the International Bird Rescue Research Center, said he is caring for 319 birds from the Monterey Bay incident at two centers. He didn't know how many have died in that incident.

Holcomb said he has been assured by Ziccardi that there will be some funding available, maybe to pay to feed the birds, "something to help us get through this.

"It's expensive to treat birds. You have to pay staff, buy medication, pay for electricity and water. We've really been effective, but it takes some effort."
Helping the birds

The International Bird Rescue Research Center is soliciting donations to help save the birds injured near Monterey Bay. For information about donating, go to *www.ibrrc.org or call (707) 207-0380.*

E-mail Jane Kay at [email protected].





Someone wrote in a letter to the Editor that I thought was a great idea:
_
The only good news is that there are many, many people trying to help. I am glad you mentioned the International Bird Rescue and Research Center. I am glad you also mentioned their lack of funds. Because there are probably others like me who are not good Internet users, here is their address where you can send a check: *International Bird Rescue and Research Center, 4369 Cordelia Rd., Fairfield, Calif. 94534. The other group is: Native Animal Rescue, P.O. Box 1001, Santa Cruz, Calif. 95061-1001.*

These two groups are working together and under very difficult conditions, doing a great job. In this season of sharing and gift giving, why not send a donation to either of these hard working groups? You won't get a fancy note back, but you will get a good feeling. And I'm willing to bet a lot of people would rather you did that than giving them more "stuff." _


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

How very sad ..

Our member here, Marian Isaacs, has been going two days a week to help with the washing and care for these oil spill birds.

I am sharing below part of a post from her to me about the experience:

_I've been going to IBRRC for two days a week (stay in motel as a long drive) for the past 3 weeks now. 
I worked in the washing room at a rinsing station this week and saw some amazing stuff about the birds' feathers. There are mainly duck species, loons and grebes. There are the standard big grebes and then these tiny miniature grebes. Darling. 

The concept is that "we dry their feathers by blasting them with water."
I didn't get it fully until I saw it.

The birds get carried over to us from the wash line. They are sopping wet with soap and water. We blast every inch of their body with jet sprays. This goes on for 20-30 minutes. The wash supe keeps a close and critical eye on everything.

When a section of feathers is absolutely clear of soap and oil reside, they very suddenly become dry and fluffy. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

Then they go into covered playpens, get industrial blow dryers on them, rest. Then off to pools. You'd love it. They are watched in the water. If they are not fully waterproofed, it shows. They sit lower in the water and some struggle to stay afloat. Those come back in for rest and another wash.

The washing stations are a succession of big soapy tubs of very warm water. A bird usually has 6 + washes, from one tub to the next, until the soapy water is clear of debris.

There are power jets there too. And they wash the birds like mad. Scrubbing, agitating, etc. A bird handler steadies the bird and keeps the head above water.

The water temperature is crucial and there are thermometers at all the stations. It has to be at or above 105 F. Otherwise, the oil won't dissolve. I saw a change of one degree, from 104 to 105 make a difference in seconds. Another amazing sight.

No wonder I can't get pigeons clean.

Oh, and one lone pigeon came in too. I heard him being talked about, and waited for the scoffing and throwaway talk. Instead, Monty, the intense young guy who is washroom supe, washed him personally. I held.

About an hour later on break, I asked someone where the pigeon was.
"He's in ICU."_

Terry


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

Thanks for sharing that, Terry. It is such a shame that they don't have more help. I feel really bad that I can't go down there, with my hip like it is I haven't been able to drive for six months now and I was hoping I could work out something with taking a bus, or getting a ride, but with the puppies and my birds I am needed here almost all day long.  I am glad to hear people like your friend are able to get over there to help out. It is something I have always wanted to do, and hopefully will be able to in the future. In regards to the birds they can't help, I try to think of the ones they do help, like the starfish story. 
_
There once was a man walking along the beach, where hundreds of thousands of starfish had washed up in the high tide and were left stranded. This man was taking them one by one and throwing them back into the sea. Another man saw him and said, "Why are you bothering to do this? There are so many of them, you can't possibly make a difference." The first man picked up another starfish and threw it back into the ocean. "It matters to that one," he said.
_

It matters to each bird they are able to save, and I know they are doing the best they can.


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