REHOBOTH BEACH -- While searching for an easy meal in the refuse behind a restaurant, a sea gull had the misfortune of falling into a vat of vegetable oil.

Although he managed to scramble out of the unintentional man-made trap, the substance clung to his wings, inhibiting flight and causing his feathers to lose waterproofing.

"If no one had found him, he wouldn't have made it," said Laura Lariviere, a veterinarian at the Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research Center in Newark.

His wings bound by the gummy oil and his feathers unable to protect him from sub-freezing temperatures, Lariviere said the bird, a 3-year-old great black-backed gull, would have died of starvation or hypothermia.

But as the young gull waddled along the side of the road in Oak Orchard on New Year's Day, he crossed paths with Kelly Bell.

"I was heading to work, walking to my car, when I saw him," she said.

Frightened and cold, the gull scampered ahead as Bell pursued him. He flapped his wings once, twice, but could not lift himself off the ground.

"When he didn't fly away from me, I knew something was wrong," Bell said. "I figured he had a broken wing, though he didn't act like he was in pain."

He held his wings to his chest as his pursuer caught up to him and lifted him up into her arms. The gull struggled, then tumbled back onto the blacktop.

"He was probably very scared," said Paulette Derkach, a volunteer who was tasked with his release.

But after another failed attempt at capture, the gull relented. Bell took him to her grandmother's house, fed him some bread crumbs and called the shelter.

Once there, Lariviere said the gull was put on IV fluids to treat his dehydration, given antibiotics for internal parasites and, eventually, fed solid food. He was malnourished at 1,400 grams, compared to the average of 1,650 for a gull of his age.

"It was clear he had a bad time," she said. "He wasn't able to do bird things."

And his predicament is more common than most people would think, Lariviere said.

"We see about six or so of these a year," she said. "Sometimes, when these guys go to restaurants, they'll get into oil vats or Dumpsters and end up with that stuff all over them."

After a few days, the gull's feathers were thoroughly washed using dish detergent.

"We waited so that we could get him better rehydrated and recheck the blood work," Lariviere said.

After two weeks of recuperation, she said the shelter determined he was healthy enough to be returned to the beach.

"We always release (birds) within 10 miles from where they're found," Lariviere said. "Ideally, with other gulls nearby."

Derkach collected the gull from the shelter in a box with triangles punched into the side for air.

"He was really antsy to get out," she said, noting that the bird had managed to break the masking tape that secured the top of the box.

Gathered on Rehoboth Beach, Bell and Derkach opened the box together and watched as the gull flew off over the ocean, his wings -- now unencumbered by cooking oil -- pumping as he disappeared into the sky.

A lost Lorikeet has been tracked down by its Brisbane owner, thanks to its unique twitter.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/20/2797230.htm?section=australia

Click here for story and ringtone: Bird imitates his owners ringtone

[I think so of you here should enter some of these contests. A sure winner in the midst.]

Steve Berliner, a local conservationist, has won first place in the USA/North America Swarovski Digiscoper of the Year contest for 2009, for his photo of a pileated woodpecker pond reflection shot. Berliner took the photo at his own place, the Finley Estate pond and bird sanctuary that he is building in Jennings Lodge.

“All the entries in this competition must be ‘digiscoped’ wildlife, taken with any camera paired with a telescope or sporting field scope instead of a camera telephoto lens. This is a type of photography growing in popularity with bird watchers and outdoor sportsman, likely to prefer taking along a field scope for wildlife viewing, instead of an expensive 35mm camera and high-power lens setup,� Berliner said.

“For the first-place shot, I used my 1997 Kowa 82mm spotting scope, and a SonyCybershot DSC-W300 compact camera,� he said, adding that his prize was a Swarovski binocular.

In other results, Berliner said he has been notified that he has won 18th place in the Swarovski international competition; he will be awarded a cash prize and a crystal bird. Last year the overall competition received more than 1,300 photos from more than 30 countries; the subject matter may be any wildlife not in captivity.

Berliner has won awards before, including a 10th place International Swarovski Award, and first and third place in the Wild Bird Magazine’s 2009 annual photography contest.

Readers may view all of Berliner’s award-winning photos for 2008-09, and 400 additional photos on his web site: http://www.pbase.com/sberliner.

He has also made a number of bird prints available for sale as note cards by Friends of North Clackamas Parks to benefit the non-profit organization. Cards are sold at the Oak Grove Coffee House or by contacting the Friends group at http://foncp.org/.

Caption:

Steve Berliner’s photo of a pileated woodpecker drinking from a pond won first place in the USA/North America Swarovski Digiscoper of the Year 2009.

I think so of you here should enter some of these contests. A sure winner in the midst.

After 4 weeks of snow and very cold weather I went to my garden. Almost all snow was gone. The water in the waterbarrel is still frozen.
In my house I found all different kind of seeds who were eaten by (I hope ) a mouse, but it can be a rat too. All the package were damaged. All my dahlia roots were soft because they were frozen, so I can throw all of them away.
Outside I found a dead frog and a few pumpkins with holes in them were birds (or other animals have eaten from them, one was totally gone.
During the snow and cold I went every 2 or 3 days to my garden to feed the birds.
greetings Aafke

What happened to the frog? Did he die from the cold? My sister said that last week when they had that cold snap, they had many BIG frogs frozen in time on their lawn. My brother in law picked them up and put them in the garden under some brush or something to keep them protected. He wasn't sure if they were dead or went into some kind of deep catatonic state. Hope they thawed out.

OMG  poor baby

What is wrong with some people?

I couldn't bring myself to watch. It's so awful what people do to animals.

Mens room.

  Hmmm...I don't want to be that nosy. I'll leave that one alone.

I love a Happy ending.

 

Me too BC! 

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two dead manatees were retrieved Tuesday morning near Round Island Park - bringing to three the number of apparently cold-related manatee deaths in Indian River County following the recent freeze.

The first was an infant found near Sebastian.

And, “This may just be the tip of the iceberg� of manatees either dying or being injured by the cold, said state marine mammal biologist Kristy Rush.

The cold snap of 2010 was one for the record books.

The National Weather Service reports that during the first two weeks of January there were nine days with daily lows averaging 31 degrees and daily highs averaging 56 degrees mixed with freeze and wind chill warnings.

The latest two dead manatees were found near the Round Island Park in southern Indian River County where the surface water temperature is around 60 degrees. One is a 1,200-pound female and the other is a younger manatee, said Rodney Robison, an Indian River Mosquito Control worker who towed the manatees to the park.

“I am seeing thousands of dead fish� from the cold, he added.

Last week, hundreds of cold-stunned sea turtles were rescued from the lagoon waters from Martin north to Brevard counties.

State officials will be performing necropsies to determine the manatees’ official cause of death.

Anyone who sees a dead or injured manatee should call the state at 1-888-404-3922.

This is the only light I ever see on in the TS building. Is that the only one occupied? Yes, I'm nosy!!! 

They are back.  Enjoy!!

Wow, seems most of the Eagles are back home and ready for some good lovin.  Thanks Bonnie.

[Yes, she does Bonnie. She loves the eagles.]

And I'm sure your friend goes to BlackWater NWR to see the eagles.

Yes, she does Bonnie. She loves the eagles.

[Lily and Dale's wings were clipped. This prevented them from flying off, when the temptation rose.]

CASSADAGA - Decades ago, Lily Dale Assembly introduced a pair of signature swans to Cassadaga Lakes.

After much discussion, the pair, a male and a female, were named Lily and Dale. In order to keep them from straying afield with the other birds that stopped at the lakes, Lily and Dale's wings were clipped. This prevented them from flying off, when the temptation rose.

According to an Internet piece written by wild life biologist Charles C. Allin, mute swans, as they are called, were introduced into North America as a decorative water fowl during the late 1870s. Their population grew and their life expectancy can reach 25 years or more.

But, that was not the case for the last of Lily Dale's swans. He met his demise in an attack by a bald eagle, which also has been seen in the Cassadaga Lakes area.

Peter George, who, with his wife Kathy, lives on what is known locally as Fern Island on Dale Drive, said he has seen an adult eagle perched in the trees along his property.

"It is definitely a bald eagle - its head is white," he said.

There's no telling if it is the same eagle that snatched the swan who went by a series of names.

Chuck Battaglia of Maple Avenue called him "Wanabe"; Mary Bernard Holton, another Dale Drive resident, called the swan Gabriel; and Emma Merrill, also of Dale Drive, simply referred to him as Him.

All these people were particularly taken with the swan who exhibited what they considered to be a gentle and loving attitude toward its human friends.

Chuck would feed it cracked corn bought with funds supplied by Cassadaga Lakes Association, Emma provided it with boxes of corn flakes and Mary fed it saltines.

Chuck said it would eat the cracked corn out of his hand and Emma said when she would shake the box of corn flakes, the swam would come to her and stick his head in the box, eating away.

Mary said her relationship with the swan was particularly deep and meaningful to her.

"He would come when I would sing to him. We had friends from Pennsylvania visiting and when we told them about Gabriel, they thought I was joking when I told them about his response to my singing," she said.

Mary took her guests to the lake's bank and began singing, sure enough, Gabriel showed up.

"It was a magical moment," she said.

Mary said she has since learned swans have a keen sense of hearing and Gabriel's response to her singing may have been an indication of that.

Chuck said "Wanabe" would "talk" to him.

"He would make noises as he at the cracked corn I fed him," he said.

He said he named him Wanabe because his mate had died and he thought he was lonely.

Chuck was making his swan corn meal run a week ago over on Dale Drive when, he said, "Out of nowhere, this eagle swoops down and grabs him by the neck, carries him about 50 feet in the air then loses his grip and Wanabe drops to the lake's icy surface."

It was obvious he was dead, Chuck said. He lay on the ice until he was discovered by a coyote.

Cassadaga public works superintendent Tom Fetter said he saw a coyote eating on the swan's carcass around 8 a.m. while he was making his rounds of Cassadaga's streets.

"Coyotes are scavengers and will eat anything that's available," he said.

Chuck and Mary were devastated by the swan's death.

But, as Chuck notes, "It's nature's way."

Mary called Gabriel's relationship with his human friends a reflection of an extraordinary enrichment.

"He touched many lives. He recognized kindness and returned it," she said.

I'm not understanding why they clipped their wings. Just to keep them there??? I'm surprised that this was allowed

BARNSTABLE — The unassailable beauty of the swan has swelled its romantic image through the ages, and the fact that it mates for life doesn't hurt either.

But it's also true that swans are an invasive species to North America. They are the biggest birds on this continent, with 7-foot wingspans. They eat more than their fair share, and they will kill native competitors who enter their 4- to 10-acre territories, according to Ian Ives; director of the Massachusetts Audubon Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary.

They can even break human bones with those angelic wings, Ives continued.

And still, the story of a male and female swan who met this winter at the Cape Wildlife Center in Barnstable had everyone swooning at the pair's release back into the wild yesterday.

The pen, or female, came to the wildlife hospital on Nov. 28. A man had found her on the road on Whistle Lane in Dennisport, said Dr. Roberto Aguilar, the Wildlife Center veterinarian.

She acted stunned and had suffered "severe trauma" from being hit by a car. Yet with time, the 3-year-old regained full health and, by Dec. 4, was ready to be let outside for exercise, Aguilar said.

Then on Dec. 11, someone from Plymouth brought in a male and female pair. The female had grave injuries. She was on a road with a puncture wound. The male appeared healthy but was standing in front of his girl, waving his wings, the doctor said.

"He was defending her from traffic," the veterinarian said.

Unfortunately, the female died on her first night in rehab. And the male, who was successfully treated for an abscess on his foot, became very "depressed," Aguilar said.

"He wouldn't eat; he wasn't doing well," he said.

The staff made two or three miserable attempts to force-feed him. It was an awful experience, sticking a tube down the bird's neck in a similar way geese are force-fed to make goose liver paté, Aguilar said.

Not knowing what else to do, the vet put him outside with the female.

"They bonded immediately and they hate to be separated," he said.

Both gained about 4 pounds, he added.

Along with about 90 percent of birds, swans do mate for life, Ives said. But they aren't above occasional dalliances outside their marriage, Ives added.

And if widowed, they'll take another mate.

It seemed pretty clear yesterday that these two had picked each other.

Before their release at Barnstable Harbor, Aguilar guessed that they wouldn't be able to fly at first because of all the weight they put on in rehab. At first, he seemed right. But then the female started to flap. She skimmed the water then went upright a safe distance from more than 50 well-wishers. Immediately, the male, who had settled briefly in the water, tried again. He beat furiously, sticking his great neck out straight. His body language was pure, "Wait-for-me!"

He, too, lifted off and landed near her. They swam like a skating pair for a few minutes, their bodies white like the ice flows in the bright blue water.

Then, they did a thing that made everyone clap. They flew low over the audience. Their majestic fly-over was maybe to say thanks for the all help. Or perhaps they just wanted to get away, and be alone.

A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee and a contractor were killed when their small plane crashed in an Oregon forest.

Authorities identified the pilot as 52-year-old Vernon Ray Bentley, a Fish and Wildlife Service employee from Blodgett. His passenger was 59-year-old David Sherwood Pitkin of Bandon, a former employee who was working as a contractor for the agency.

Benton County sheriff's deputies say they found the wreckage of the Cessna on Monday morning after it failed to arrive in Corvallis as scheduled on Sunday afternoon.

A radio signal from the plane's locator beacon allowed searchers to narrow the crash site to an area near Philomath.

The federal agency says the two men were involved in the annual midwinter count of migratory birds.

This posting is from birdchick's blog:

http://www.birdchick.com/wp/2010/01/fishing-american-robing-aka-holy-crap/

Paul

Now that's one for the books. Thanks Paul.