Thursday 22 October 2015

Labour Day Long Weekend

Well - that was a weekend that was  - apart from out of season scorching heat - we had 3 interesting rescues.

It all started at 5pm on Friday with a call from new team members Narelle and her daughter who had decided to go on a patrol and spotted a little female pelican with a large lump on her neck. They contacted me (Betty) immediately and I went straight over. On catching her it appeared to be an abscess or a tumour so off to the vet. Many thanks here to Deiderik of Kembla Grange Veterinary practice who saw us straight away despite clients waiting. He couldn't syringe it as it was too solid so next morning back we went before the surgery opened and he cut it out.

She is now in care for 10 days so next time someone says "oh don't worry the hook will rust" here's proof that they don't and do work their way into the body. Untreated she would've died from infection or starvation so well done girls you saved her life as did the vet.

Saturday a pelican was reported with a broken wing but despite Narelle and I searching for over an hour we could not find it. The area is a large inlet fed by the sea that tapers into a mostly inaccessible creek. It was thought she must've drifted out to sea or gone right up then creek to hide as there were lots of people splashing around. Unfortunately it was a delayed call from another rescue group making it even harder to locate the bird.

Sunday morning a call came in about a swan not wanting to move. On picking her up I noticed blood in her mouth. The fellow said he heard a bang on the roof Saturday night but didn't think much of it then found her on Sunday morning. So back home, rehydrated and mouth washed she settled down. Worried about concussion or internals I kept her overnight for observation and happily released her Monday morning clear of injuries.

Sunday 8pm a fellow spotted a pelican in a drain with a broken wing. So that's where she went!! A long way from where she was reported on Saturday. So on the phone to co-ordinator Kirsten off we went with torches, rope, fish and fingers crossed. There she was 6 ft down in the drain so over the fence and down we went after letting the police know what we were doing. 9pm now and she panicked seeing these 2 mad women coming over the fence with torches. We were unable to catch her as it was very slippery. She then ran under a bridge. So back over the fence and across the road. We found her in a totally inaccessible place surrounded by reeds and who knows what else was down that steep bank. Unable to scare her back under the bridge we had to admit defeat and headed home at 10pm to return next morning and hopefully find her again.

Monday 7am Team member Oliver and I headed back to find her with Kirsten on standby. She was in the same spot so with Oliver hiding under the bridge I tried to scare her to go to him. She refused to budge and while we were figuring out how to get her she got sick of us looking at her and went under the bridge on her own. After a mighty effort from Oliver scaling the fence for the fourth time, and a chase, she was in his arms. Sadly though to be taken to the vet. But she would've died a horrible death in that drain - she was already under weight and had lice on her.

With 2 out of 3 success stories - it sure was a weekend that was.

Thank you Kirsten, Oliver and Narelle. Also vet Deiderik for fixing up the little girl I still have in care and Greencross Vets for being open on a public holiday.

Betty

Monday 19 October 2015

Wake Up Call

Landcare Illawarra hosted an event on 16 September 2015 as a call to action and to inform people of the devastating impact rubbish and marine debris has on wildlife. Environmentalist Tim Silverwood spoke for an hour about the downfall of our environment since the "easy lifestyle" began in 1955. Tim is founder of "Take 3" whose initiative it is to take 3 pieces of rubbish when you leave our beaches, waterways or parklands. They are sponsored by Taronga Zoo and are partners with Tangaroa Blue, Plastic Free July and Surfriders. He spoke of things such as tiny plastic beads in hand creams and body cleansing lotions, chemicals in Bakelite products, thin plastic film in some tea bags which break down in hot water - yep and then you drink it!

Research has shown that 8 million tonnes of plastic per annum goes into the ocean. He showed slides of debris in the Philippines, USA, Bali and a devastating major spill of plastic beads in Hong Kong - ever seen a beach with plastic sand? A very sad picture taken by a diver off Bali in December 2014 of a Manta ray surrounded by floating plastics was also shown.

Research from the CSIRO indicates that in the near future every seabird will have plastic in it - its already over 30%. They are the ones that are not killed outright as their bodies are blocked. 100% of shearwaters washed up on Lord Howe Island had plastic in them.

Another interesting talk by Lachlan Fetterplace and Matt Rees of Fishthinkers followed. Both marine scientists, they showed a video of a lab study to see if plankton would eat plastic beads - and in doing so would be shooting this up the food chain to humans which is already impacting Inuit people. Slides also of a beached turtle and dolphin with plastic in the gut. Ten people from Australia and New Zealand recently went to Cape York and in a five day 6.5km beach walk picked up and catalogued 451m of fishing line, 310 commercial remnants, 151 ghost nets and 650 toothbrushes! They also filled 14 bags with what should have been recycled.

Australian Seabird Rescue South Coast Branch co-ordinator Kirsten Hort was also a guest speaker and spoke of our never-ending problems with sea and shore birds affected by human rubbish.

Another speaker from Surfriders showed shopping bags they made from recycled materials.
The evening was certainly a "wake up". What monsters we have become through the years? Why are we letting this happen to us? Its ruining our lives and nature’s creations round us.
I'm not giving up - are you?
Please take the time to look at these websites and have a rethink of what's around your home and talk to everyone you meet about this problem.

Betty

www.take3.org.au
www.rechusable.com
www.surfriders.org.au
fishthinkers.wordpress.com