Pelican & Seabird Rescue Workshop - reminder, this Saturday.

PELICAN & SEABIRD RESCUE WORKSHOP

WHEN:   Saturday 3rd September 2011

WHERE:   Illawarra Yacht Club, Northcliffe Drive, Warrawong

TIME:  8.45am registration 9.00am – 4.30pm

Swan family at Shellharbour Library!

Recently Rhonda and Bill had an unexpected call-out to the Shellharbour Library in Wentworth St. A mother swan and her 4 cygnets had been walking down the street! When they arrived the swans were nowhere to be seen. A local man took them to where he thought the birds might have gone but we couldn't find them. Some people at the school told them they had seen the swans earlier near Subway so they set off in that direction. A lady recognised the Seabird Rescue truck and flagged them down. She told them she had seen another lady take the lollypop sign from the lollypop man at the school and then held up the traffic so the swans could walk safely down the street. Rhonda & Bill eventually found mother & cygnets in a paddock with a wetland in sight and ushered the family gently toward it. The Father swan was in the water honking for them to return. They walked back to him and all swam off together. Rhonda & Bill closed the big gate but the padlock was missing. We hope they stay the in the wetlands now. 

Wow those little tiny, grey, fluffy cygnets must have been tired. They had walked all over Shellharbour with Mum!

ASR called to help Dolphin on Belambi Beach

A sad story today from Rhonda and Bill who were called to a dolphin on Bellambi Beach on Sunday morning. ORCA & NPWS were there also holding it up in the water. We called Mike Cannon (the vet) and Bill dug a channel to get the dolphin out of the rough waves. We lifted it up onto the truck to take it to calmer water near the boat ramp where Mike Cannon checked it out and decided she was in too much distress and too many injuries to survive the trip to Taronga Zoo Hospital. I asked all the onlookers to please leave the beach and she was euthanized. There were lots of tears from everyone. She took a long time and more injections to finally go to sleep. The rest of our day was sad and slow. We were debriefed but it was deep inside all of us.

Dolphin beached at Belambi Beach

The dolphin is placed on the back of a truck for transport to calmer water for assessment.

 

Seagull with tied-up legs leaves Leonie feeling like a goose!

The last week has been particularly busy for Australian Seabird Rescue with various members going out on almost daily patrols. On Saturday Betty was called about a seagull which had its legs tied together. Despite an extensive search she was not able to locate the bird. On Monday Betty, Leonie and Kay went to Windang where they were able to catch a pelican which had a hook under its left wing. They successfully removed the hook and released the bird back to freedom. Each pelican is given a number when it is caught and a record made of its injury, sex, beak length and approximate age. This pelican was bird number 703 ie: this is the number of pelicans rescued by ASR since the group began in the Illawarra.

On Tuesday Betty and Leonie returned to Windang to catch another pelican this time with a swivel and fishing line tangled around its left wing. Again they were able to remove the offending material and release the bird. On the way home they received a call from a very distressed woman about the seagull with the tied-up legs. He was outside Westfield at Warrawong, so they went straight there. As Leonie set up the D-net (a special net used to catch small birds), Betty went to buy some hot chips - no not for her, for the seagull! By this time quite a crowd had gathered to watch the excitement. As Leonie waited patiently at the ready with the D-net, Betty threw a chip close to her own feet and as the seagull came for it, Betty just bent down and picked the bird up! Leonie said she felt like a real "goose" standing there with all the equipment while Betty managed to catch the bird with her hands! The gull's legs were badly tangled with the cotton and it took Betty and Leonie quite some time to get it all undone. He was fine to be released and Betty rung the caller back to let her know all was well with the seagull. After this exciting morning Betty and Leonie ate the rest of the (now cold) chips on their way home!

Pelican & Seabird Rescue Workshop

THE PLIGHT OF

 THE PELICANS…

PELICAN & SEABIRD RESCUE WORKSHOP

WHEN:   Saturday 3rd September 2011

WHERE:   Illawarra Yacht Club, Northcliffe Drive, Warrawong

TIME:  8.45am registration 9.00am – 4.30pm

Topics covered include:

Ø  Understanding pelicans, recognising/locating injured pelicans, handling, first-aid.

Ø  Capture techniques for pelicans that can still fly (and any bird that can be lured).

Ø  Seabird handling and first-aid; and rehabilitation issues for pelicans and seabirds.

Note:  There will be a field session where you will be in contact with birds

Pelicans and other seabirds are frequently injured by accidental hooking.  The hooks do not simply rust away, and fishing line can sever limbs and wings.

If left unattended, these injuries can cause infection, gangrene/loss of limbs and a slow, painful death.

If you’d like to learn how to rescue  these beautiful big birds and become a member of Australian Seabird Rescue, or learn more about pelicans
and
other
seabirds,
 come along.

COST:   $30.00 - Includes morning/afternoon teas, & comprehensive manual,

TO REGISTER Phone:  Rhonda 0431 282 238 or Email: seabirdrescue@optusnet.com.au