Today was a really interesting day in Cape Cod. In the morning, I went with Brian, Michelle, Rogers, and Cathy to the Woods Hole Science Aquarium to pick up Harpoon and Claw. Harpoon and Claw are Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. They were at the aquarium for a couple weeks while the NMLC was undergoing renovations. Everyone at the NMLC was really excited to be getting them back. While at the aquarium, I had a chance to look around. I saw a lot of amazing sea life. The Woods Hole Science Aquarium breeds dogfish and they have the developing egg cases on display. They were really amazing to see. You could see the babies moving around inside them. They looked like little alien pods! However, my favorite sighting of the day was a blue lobster. I never knew they existed! Apparently, diet or genetic mutation can cause some lobsters to be blue in color. They are very rare. This lobster was blue due to genetic mutation. Genetically blue lobsters are usually sterile and less likely to survive due to disease susceptibility and fragility.

The majority of the sea turtles that the NMLC rescues are cold-stunned. Harpoon and Claw were both initially found on the beach cold-stunned. During the summer, several species of turtles ride the Gulf Stream up to the New England area to feed. They can end up getting caught around Cape Cod due to the geography of the area. Their bodies are not built to withstand the cold sea temperatures in the winter. When the water gets cold, they lose the ability to hunt for food, their immune systems become compromised, and they are unable to fight off many ailments. The debilitated turtles come ashore cold-stunned, in a state of hypothermic shock.

After picking up the turtles, we brought Claw over to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute for a CAT scan. In addition to the problems related to being cold-stunned, Claw was also bit on the flipper by another turtle. She then developed an abscess that had to be surgically removed. The fluid in the abcess tested positive for a pathogenic fungus. Further, her blood sample tested positive for a different fungus, which is very common in the environment. The veterinarians, Rogers and Michelle, were having her CT scanned to check for fungal lesions on her lungs. The CAT scan was really interesting to watch. The preliminary evaluation of the scan looked good. Afterwards, we brought Harpoon and Claw back to the NMLC.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 29, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (2)

Today was my first day working in Cape Cod. I will be spending the last three weeks of my journey here. I will be working with two organizations, the Cape Cod Stranding Network and the National Marine Life Center. The CCSN responds to marine mammal strandings, while the NMLC conducts rehabilitation. Both organizations share the same building, so I will be going back and forth between them. They both seem amazing and I’m really excited to work with them and learn all about what they do. 

In the morning, I worked with the NMLC. The NMLC has plans to create a hospital for dolphins, porpoises, seals, small whales, and sea turtles. Their interim hospital currently has three large rehabilitation pools. Two of the pools are dedicated to rehabilitating sea turtles, while the other pool is for rehabilitating seals. The NMLC has just recently been granted the permit for rehabilitating seals. They are all very excited about it. They will probably be getting their first seal very soon. The NMLC is also currently involved in a head start program to help restore the local sub-species of Northern Red-bellied Turtles. These turtles are on the endangered species list. The NMLC, and a few other organizations, are involved in the raising and releasing of baby turtles that were rescued from a nesting site. They are a few months old now and they are very cute. They are only about three inches long. It was really fun to watch them swim and eat (see video). They are such voracious little eaters!

The CCSN responds to all marine mammal strandings within 700 miles. They respond to over 200 marine mammals every year. The Cape Cod area is a stranding "hot spot”, where more marine animals come ashore alive than anywhere else in North America! A stranding is when a marine mammal cannot leave shore and return to its natural habitat. The CCSN responds to many species of stranded whales, dolphins, and seals. There are single strandings and mass strandings. A mass stranding is when two or more marine mammals strand at the same time. The number of mass strandings varies from year to year. So far this year, there have been fifteen. The idea of a mass stranding seems so eerie to me. I can’t imagine seeing all those marine mammals lying on the beach, unable to return to the sea. It just seems so sad and unnatural. I'm just happy there are organizations to help.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 29, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

There are currently two Bald Eagles being rehabilitated at Tri-State Bird. It has been really exciting being able to work with them. Bald Eagles are so amazing. They’re such powerful, majestic birds…and they are huge! The sheer size of their talons is daunting. One of Bald Eagles at Tri-State is the bird that had the pins removed from his leg last week. Today, Caroline and I moved him to a larger, outside aviary. It was great to see him up and moving around. The feathers on his leg appear to be growing back and he seems to be using it fine. However, his behavior has been a little off and the vets are concerned about a neurological problem. He still has a long road to recovery, but at least he’s on the right track.

The other Bald Eagle is a female that was just hatched this year (see picture on left). She is a very large baby! She was brought in with high levels of PCBs in her body. PCBs are chemicals that were used industrially for their cooling and insulating properties. They are no longer manufactured in the U.S., but they do not easily break down. They hang around in the environment attaching to organic matter. Bird’s can be contaminated with them through the food that they eat. Some affects of PCBs in birds include changes in the immune system, behavioral alterations, and impaired reproduction. This Bald Eagle was supported with fluids to flush the toxins and treated with meds to fight parasites that accumulate when a bird is in a weakened state. Thinking about all these toxins in the environment is really scary. It makes me fearful for our future. I think it’s important to minimize chemicals in the environment in any way possible. One way that I recently learned about was not throwing cigarette butts on the ground. They release harmful chemicals into the environment when they break down. Also, birds that ingest them can be poisoned when the toxins are released into the bloodstream. And if you’re not a smoker, good for you! You can help by spreading the word and picking up butts on the ground.

Today was my last day at Tri-State Bird. It has been so amazing working closely with the birds at Tri-State. The best part of my experience here has been handling raptors. It’s fun and a little bit dangerous! Also, I was really impressed with the extensive surgeries they perform here. Just the fact that they were able to operate on that little Downy Woodpecker and put pins in his tiny wing is astonishing to me. The next leg of my journey brings me up north, to Cape Cod. Bon Voyage.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 25, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (3)

Today was a fun day at Tri-State Bird. In the morning, I helped Dr. Sallie Welte with one of the Screech Owls with an injured eye. I held the owl while Dr. Welte examined his eye. He was so little, cute, and feisty. Since losing vision in an eye can prevent birds from successfully hunting, one-eyed birds are given the opportunity to go to “hunting school.” The injured bird is allowed to hunt mice to determine whether it will be able to survive in the wild. In the wild, Sreech Owls eat insects, crayfish, earthworms, songbirds, and rodents. This little Screech Owl passed “hunting school” and will soon be released.

In the afternoon, I helped Caroline, one of the rehab supervisors, weigh and evaluate a Downy Woodpecker. This was really fun. He was tiny and cute, with a red head and speckled wings. The intricate design on his little wings was amazing. He has been recovering from a broken wing that was repaired with pins. The wing looked great today. He still had some feathers to grow back in, but he was flying well.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 25, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

The Red-tailed Hawk that we washed yesterday looked so much better today. After the rehabbers evaluated her feathers, she was moved to the large, outside aviary. The oil was completely removed from her feathers. She looked all clean and fluffy. She even looked cleaner then the other hawks that were never oiled! I had been pretty worried about her after the wash, since it was so stressful for her. I was really happy to see her in the aviary with the other hawks.

It’s great that dawn works so well in removing the oil. Before using dawn, they used all kinds of crazy concoctions to try to remove oil from birds. Mascara remover, butter, powdered chalk, acetone, mineral oil, corn meal, solvents, and detergents were among the many products that failed to remove the oil, or caused to much harm in the process. Dawn is used because it cuts the oil, but is gentle on the animal’s skin. I’m just happy that there are people and products that are dedicated to helping these animals.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 25, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

Today was an exciting day at Tri-State Bird. A Red-tailed Hawk came in yesterday covered in oil. She was scheduled for a wash today. The hawk had what looked like cooking oil on her. Many restaurants leave used cooking oil in dumpsters or trash cans. It’s great that they are not dumped down the drain. However, when the oils are not disposed of properly in sealed containers, and the receptacles are not closed, birds looking for an easy meal can be contaminated. That’s why it’s important to seal oils before disposing of them.

Before attempting to wash the hawk, Rebecca performed a feather test. First, a few oiled feathers were plucked from the bird. We then set up a mini version of the washtubs with bowls, and added dawn soap. We then washed the oiled feathers in the bowls to make sure they came clean in one wash. Since washing is very stressful for a bird, the idea is to use the smallest concentration that will remove the oil in one wash. I think the feather test is a great idea. It’s a simple, but ingenious, way to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Washing a hawk was a little different than washing an aquatic bird. To prepare for the wash, the hawk was outfitted with a specially designed hood to reduce her stress. It was amazing how much calmer she became with the hood on. Also, Dr. Miller wrapped the bird’s feet before the wash. At first, I thought this was to protect the bird. It turned out that it was to protect the handlers! Raptors have very sharp talons that can dig into you and cause serious damage. The wash and rinse took about 35 minutes and we used about 200 gallons of water! Afterwards, the hawk’s feathers didn’t immediately fluff up like an aquatic bird’s feathers would. This is because hawks are terrestrial birds and spend their time on land. They don’t need the extensive waterproofing like aquatic birds. I felt sorry for the little hawk when she was a sopping wet. She looked so small and scared. However, she needed to be washed to ensure her survival. I think surviving was worth the bath!

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 22, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (1)

At around five o’clock this morning, Rebecca and I left Tri-State Bird to go birding. Rebecca is part of the oil spill response team at Tri-State and knows a lot about birds. We drove down to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Bombay Hook is beautiful. It’s made up of over 15,000 acres of marshland, swamps, and fields. It’s the perfect habitat for native and migrating birds.

It’s a great time of year to go birding at Bombay Hook because the Snow Geese stop there to rest during their migration south. Our main objective in going there so early was to view the Snow Geese before they left the refuge to go forage in farmlands. (Needless to say, the farmers don’t like the Snow Geese very much.) When we arrived at the refuge, we immediately saw thousands of them (see video). Rebecca taught me how to count flocks. I couldn’t believe how many of them were there! They were everywhere and really noisy. It was spectacular!

We also saw Bufflehead Ducks, Pintail Ducks, a Northern Harrier, Ruddy Ducks (my favorite), American Black Ducks, and Canada Geese. Many of the ducks were foraging by dabbling. This was funny to watch. They put their entire heads and upper bodies under the water. All you could see were there tails sticking up in the air (see picture). It was really cute. It was a great day out there.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 21, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

I had a few days off from Tri-State last week for my brother’s wedding. The wedding was on Saturday and it was really fun. My new sister-in-law looked beautiful. Nobody fell, spilled anything, or had any cake fights! I was really surprised since my brother started a cake fight at my sister’s wedding! I saw a lot of people that I haven’t seen for a really long time. Everybody was dancing the whole time. Overall, everything turned out great.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 21, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

Today I went to the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School in Philadelphia to sit in on a lecture about rabies in wildlife. Dr. Sallie Welte, from Tri-State Bird, holds the class for first year veterinary students. She has different speakers come in each week. The speaker this week was Fay Sorhage, a state public health veterinarian. The lecture was really interesting.

Rabies is caused by a virus that is found in the saliva of infected animals. The virus attacks the part of the brain that inhibits biting. It is then transmitted by bites from the infected animal. I was really surprised at how many different animals get rabies. Most cases of rabies affecting people in the US are due to bat bites.

Rabies can either make an infected animal aggressive or immobile and disoriented. The immobilized animals can actually be more dangerous than the aggressive ones. These are the animals that people can easily find and approach. My brother told me a ridiculous story about finding a rabid raccoon when he was a kid. He and his friend were holding it like a baby and rubbing it on the belly, while it was frothing at the mouth! This is a textbook example of what not to do. The best thing to do if you see a rabid animal is not to approach it and call the local health department or animal control.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 20, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

I had a really fun day at Tri-State today. In the morning, I watched Erica Miller, a Wildlife Veterinarian, perform surgery on a Peregrine Falcon and a Bald Eagle. The Peregrine Falcon, named Aragorn, was formerly a patient at Tri-State that was unable to be released due to his inability to fly. He is now a permanent resident and educational bird at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Aragorn has been unable to hold his wing up properly and he has continually been injuring it and chewing on it. Today, he was at Tri-State having part of the wing amputated. The Bald Eagle had a broken leg that was previously repaired with pins. Today, Dr. Miller surgically removed the pins. The photo to the right is an X-ray of the eagle when he first came in. If you look closely, you can see the break in his leg. Before the surgery, I helped give the eagle anesthesia. It was amazing to see a Bald Eagle up so close. His talons were so big! After the surgery, I carried the Bald Eagle to his pen. He was pretty heavy for a bird. Both surgeries were really interesting to watch. Watching the ease at which Dr. Miller operated was really impressive.

In the afternoon, we examined a Great Horned Owl and one of the Screech Owls with the injured eye. It was really fun handling the Great Horned Owl. It was so big and cute. Owls commonly incur injuries to the eye by getting hit by cars. This is one of the reasons why it’s important not to throw food out the window when driving. When prey go out into the street to feed on carcasses or food left by people, owls fly in to capture the prey. A car can then hit them. After taking care of the owls, we went into the pen where the Red-Tailed Hawks and the Black Vulture are being rehabilitated. This is a huge aviary where they have the opportunity to fly around. The rehabbers make sure the birds get their exercise by throwing them into the air or encouraging them with nets (see video). This was pretty entertaining to watch.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 16, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (4)

Today was my first day at Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research. Tri-state is built on 850 acres of natural parkland in Newark, Delaware. They take in about 3,000 birds per year, many being songbirds. They also rescue owls, hawks, jays, geese, gannets, falcons, vultures, and many, many more. There are two facets to the organization, the rehab clinic program and the oiled bird response program. Today, I helped on the rehab clinic side.

In the morning, I helped Dr. Sallie Welte, the clinic director and veterinarian, treat two Screech Owls with traumatic eye injuries. I held the owls while Dr. Welte examined their eyes and gave them eye drops. This was was really fun for me because this was the first time I ever handled raptors. Screech Owls look so cute and cuddly, but their talons are really sharp…kind of like a cat’s claws. For many birds, loss of vision in an eye leaves them unable to hunt. However, since Screech Owls use their hearing, as well as their vision, to hunt, they have the possibility of surviving an eye injury. It’s really cool how they do this. Dr. Welte showed me how one ear is set higher than the other on the head. They use the difference in time that sound reaches each ear to locate the prey. For example, if a sound reaches the right ear first, they know the prey is to the right. The owl will then turn it’s head to the right. When the sound reaches both ears at the same time, the prey is directly in front. Or if a sound reaches the lower ear first, they know the prey is below the line of vision. 

In the afternoon, I helped Karen, a dedicated and long standing volunteer, perform some husbandry. First, we cut some small branches with sheers from white pine trees on the property. We then hung them in the pen in as natural a way as possible. We also added some plants. The idea is to mimic the bird's natural environment. The pen looked much more hospitable when we were finished and the birds were perching on the branches. I was pretty dirty and sappy afterwards, but it was alot of fun!

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 14, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (3)

Today was my last day at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. I really enjoyed my time there and I learned a lot during my two-week stay. One of the main things I learned was to think about the indirect affects that human activities have on animals. One area where this seems to be pretty evident is the red tide. Although red tide is a natural occurrence, it has recently become longer lasting and more widespread. Birds can get contaminated by the toxins this harmful red algae produces and end up disoriented and agitated. The toxins can cause brain damage and even death. At the sanctuary, they call these birds “drunk and disorderlies.” A common theory suggests that the increase in severity of the red tide is due to coastal water pollution. Runoff from farms and gardens can fertilize the algae, and in turn, increase the amount of toxins produced. One way to help would be to use phosphorus-free fertilizer. Also, periodically sweeping curb and gutter areas in front of your home can help reduce run-off.  

As my two weeks at the sanctuary came to an end, I started thinking about why the sanctuary impressed me so much. One of the things that struck me as extraordinary was their progressive rehabilitation techniques. They are constantly improving. I also love the way that every bird gets one hundred percent effort toward its survival. Whether the bird needs surgery to repair a compound fracture or supportive care with fluids, each bird is treated based on its individual needs.

I was happy my time at the sanctuary ended with a release. We released two Gannets and four Osprey today (see video). These were fun birds to release. The gannets headed straight out into the ocean. The osprey immediately soared high in the sky to get their bearings. Being part of a release makes me feel like there is hope for the future for wildlife..thanks to places like the sanctuary and products like dawn.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 12, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (1)

My second day at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary began early. I started out helping Jamie, one of the sanctuary’s excellent rehabbers, scrub pools and rake pens for the gannets and the pelicans. Gannets are really interesting birds. They spend the whole winter out in the ocean, without returning to land. They only return to land to breed. Their pens, and all the pens at the sanctuary, get really dirty. In addition to the many patients at the center, there are also a lot of  “squatters.” Wild birds perch on top of the pens or in the trees to take advantage of the free food and safety. Sometimes they even break into the pens through the netting to steal food! So the patients, combined with the squatters, make for a messy morning. I was happy to help clean because this is a really important part of rehab. It keeps the birds healthy and happy. Besides, it’s quite glamorous…haha!

In the afternoon, we drove to a local park and released five Anhingas, a few Great Blue Herons, a bittern, a Great Egret, a grackle, and a songbird (see video).   Rounding up and banding the anhingas is kind of a dangerous job because they have really sharp, serrated bills. Their bills are meant to stab fish and prevent them from escaping. If you are stabbed by one of these birds, you have to go to the hospital with the bird attached to you!

The release was really fun. It was great to be part of it. I was also very happy for the rehabbers who have cared for these birds all along. It was their hard work and dedication that helped them to heal. It must be especially rewarding for them.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 12, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

Today Greg, Tim, Barb, Capt. Ron and I went out on the sanctuary’s boat to patrol for pelicans with hook and line injuries. As fishing hooks and lines drift out into the gulf with the current, they can end up on the islands that serve as sanctuaries to the birds. The hooks and lines commonly entangle pelicans and  herons. There is nobody out there to report these injured birds, so they are likely to succumb to starvation or infection due to injuries and entanglement.

We left in the morning for an hour long boat ride out to the first island, Egmont Key. Egmont Key is a beautiful wildlife refuge that provides habitat and protection for birds, manatees, and sea turtles. Pelicans and other birds commonly breed there. There are no bridges or roads to get there. It is accessible only by boat. We patrolled the island with binoculars looking for injured birds. We then boated over to Shell Island, a natural, undeveloped island, where we anchored out and went patrolling onshore. We saw many different species of birds. It was nice to see that the birds have a place to live without being disturbed by people all the time. Upon closer inspection, all the birds seemed to be free of hooks and lines. I was really happy that the birds were not injured on the islands. I feel that this was a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the people at the sanctuary who commonly rescue and rehabilitate pelicans with hook and line injuries.

Going out on the rescue boat today was fun and exciting. It was great to be a part of the real life drama of wildlife rescue. Dawn produced a great fictional drama about the rescue of birds in a web series called "Released." It’s a fun way to learn about how the volunteers rescue and rehabilitate birds during an oil spill.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 10, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (1)

In the winter, the fish that the pelicans feed on travel deeper into the ocean. As the pelicans grow hungrier, they more likely to hang around fishermen. Thus, in the winter, the number pelicans with hook and line injuries increases. The hooks get caught in the bird’s skin or pouch causing nasty wounds. Monofilament lines, which are most commonly used, do not biodegrade. They get wrapped around their legs, wings, or necks. This causes severe abrasions and sometimes loss of a leg or a wing. Since bird’s lower legs don’t have much muscle or fat to protect them, the line cuts into ligaments and bone. When it gets wrapped around their wings, they are unable to fly.

Most people are unaware that the worst thing you can do if you hook a bird while fishing is to cut the line. This sentences the bird to a slow, painful death. If you hook a bird, you should catch it with a net and remove the hook if possible. Covering the bird’s eyes will reduce its stress. Since hooks have barbs, they cannot just be pulled out. The hook can be removed by pushing it through until the barb is visible and then cutting behind the barb. The hook can then be backed out. If you can’t remove the hook, you should call a local rescue agency.

At the sanctuary, each bird is evaluated and treated individually. After hooks and lines are safely removed, abrasions are treated. A pelican came in today that was only able to stand with its foot upside down due to a line injury. After stabilization with fluids tonight, he will be outfitted with a special orthopedic boot to help reverse the damage. Another pelican came in with five hooks stuck in him. Barbara removed the hooks and treated the wounds. The pelican was then scanned with a metal detecting wand to check for swallowed hooks (see video). It was really sad to see the pelicans hurt. I’m just happy they made it to the sanctuary where they will receive excellent care and have a great chance of recovery.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 8, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

Today, at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, I worked in the bird hospital. This is the intensive care unit where the birds that need constant treatment and care are kept. Caring for them is a non-stop, full time job for the hospital staff. It involves care such as feedings, bandage changes, IV fluids, and even physical therapy! In addition to the current hospital patients, the public and the rescuers bring in new birds all day long that need to be evaluated and treated. Hence, the hospital staff is on a tight and organized schedule.

The sanctuary relies heavily are homeopathic and natural remedies. This was started years ago by Barbara Suto, resident Wildlife Biologist, and has worked very well. Barbara has been at the sanctuary for almost 25 years and seems to know everything there is to know about any bird. When treated with the natural remedies, the birds seem to heal quicker from injuries and illnesses, and this is well documented in their records. One remedy they commonly use on wounds is honey. The honey acts as a natural antibiotic, antifungal and anti-inflammatory agent. All this and it tastes great too! I think it’s great that they are able to take advantage of these remedies to treat the birds more effectively in a natural way.

Today, there were patients in the hospital being treated for a wide variety of ailments, such as broken bones, hook and line injuries, and ascending paralysis. There was an anhinga that had surgery last week for a broken leg that had pins put in to help it heal right. There were pelicans, egrets, and herons that were treated for hook and line injuries. After seeing so many birds with hook and line injuries, I was in awe of the damage that it can have. It is life threatening for birds. Seeing this was pretty upsetting because it is obviously directly related to people. Another patient, a pelican, was being treated for ascending paralysis. This is a condition that starts in a bird’s legs and works its way up the body until the bird is completely paralyzed. If the bird recovers, it usually takes months. Many different species are afflicted with this, such as pelicans, terns, and herons. The cause of it is unknown but is suspected to be the result of toxins in the environment. It was really hard to look at an animal that is supposed to be soaring through the air lying there completely unable to move.  One way to help raise awareness about environmental issues that affect birds and other animals is to start a flock. This is program, started by dawn, is a great way to spread the word about wildlife and the issues they face.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 8, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

This weekend, a friend and I drove to a place I’ve always wanted to explore…the everglades. It was a four-hour drive from the sanctuary. Everglades National Park is over two million acres of subtropical wilderness. It’s home to numerous species of birds, mammals, and reptiles. I was really excited to try to catch a glimpse of some of the different species. I was also eager to see some alligators. They have always intrigued me. I feel like looking at them is like looking into the past.

When we arrived, we rented a canoe and started out on a five-hour canoe ride. The variety of habitats in the everglades was interesting and new to me. We first canoed through a sawgrass habitat. This was pretty easy because there is no current and the trail was pretty wide. This area led us to an open pond where we saw many different kinds of fish. We then entered a mangrove tunnel. The mangroves grow over top of the waterway to form a tunnel. The tunnel was very narrow and treacherous. There were low hanging branches that we had to duck below and maneuver around. I didn’t get out of the way fast enough and I was scratched below my eye. (It could have been a lot worse and it added to the adventure!) It was when the tunnel opened up that we saw our first alligator. The gator was sunning itself on the top of the water. It was hard to spot because only its head and part of its back were visible. This area led us to the cypress swamp. It was there that we saw most of the different bird species. We saw a White Ibis, a Wood stork, some Anhingas, a Little Blue Heron, a Purple Gallinule, some Black Vultures, a kingfisher, and a Red-shouldered Hawk. The most exciting bird sighting for me was a Bald Eagle building a nest. We also saw many alligators in this area. It was really fun and exciting being in the canoe right next to them!

While I was at the everglades, I learned about some of the environmental issues facing the area, such as increased phosphorous levels and non-native invasive species. I also learned about ways to help protect the area and other wildlife areas. One way is to conserve water by turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth and washing your hands, and running the dishwasher only when it’s full. After learning about these environmental issues, it's nice to be able to do something to help.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 7, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

At the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, there are on call rescuers available to take calls reporting injured birds everyday. When a call comes in, they travel by car, or even by boat, to rescue the bird. They are all volunteers.

Today, I was on call with Greg, Susan, and Linda. The first call that came in reported a Muscovy Duck that was limping near a pond. When we arrived at the location, Greg threw the ducks some food so we could figure out which one was hurt. When they went for the food, it was obvious which one was limping. Susan and Greg then cornered the duck and trapped it in a net. We then brought it back to the sanctuary to be treated. The second call reported another Muscovy in a pond with a hook in its mouth. When we arrived, the hook was gone. After catching the duck, Susan looked in its mouth and everything looked like it was going to heal okay. We then let the duck go. The third call reported a Great Egret that had been sitting in somebody’s yard for a few days. When we arrived, the egret didn’t look too good. Susan and Greg easily caught the bird…too easily. We noticed right away that it had an injured eye. This is a life threatening injury for a bird. Loss of vision in one eye means the loss of depth perception. This prevents birds from flying and feeding. Egrets are such pretty birds. I felt sorry for it because it’s eye looked really bad. It didn’t look to me like the eye would be able to heal. It helps to know that the bird would receive excellent care at the sanctuary and possibly a permanent home there.

On the way to the rescue, Susan told an interesting story about a rescue she had carried out a little while back. She got a call about a Great Blue Heron that had something wrapped around its bill.  When she arrived and approached the heron, she realized that it was a snake wrapped around its bill! Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the snake had a lizard in its mouth. Apparently, while the snake was eating a lizard, the heron stabbed the snake! The snake then wrapped itself around the heron’s bill. It’s a good thing for the egret that Susan was able to overcome her fear of snakes long enough to free the egret.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 5, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)

Early this morning, Rick, Scott and I went fishing for baitfish. The fish will be used to feed the birds at the Sanctuary. Today was one of the last days to go fishing for baitfish this season due to the weather. When it gets colder, the smaller fish go deeper under the water and they are a lot harder to catch. At the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, they need to catch and freeze enough fish to last through the winter. Due to the massive number of birds they treat, this is a tremendous amount of fish. Although a lot of the birds eat other food in addition to fish, this is a main staple of many of the bird's diets. Some birds, such as pelicans and cormorants, eat only fish.

It was about a half hour drive to the pier at Fort DeSoto. It was a beautiful day. When we arrived, Rick could tell right away that it was a good spot to catch fish. There were thousands of them flickering in the water. We took a cast net and heaved it over the side of the pier. The net landed spread out on the water over the fish and we pulled the rope. The fish were then trapped. We then pulled up the unlucky fish and put them in a bucket. Rick taught me how to throw the net (see video). It’s pretty hard, but a lot of fun. By the end of the day, I was covered in scales and slime! 

Today, we caught herring and sardines. I felt kind of bad trapping those fish knowing they were destined to be food. However, the birds need them to survive and that is a part of life. The fish we caught today will feed some of the birds for a month. There were so many of them! We must have caught 300 pounds of fish! And this isn't a "fishing story." If anyone has any good stories, feel free to write in.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 3, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (2)

Today was my first day at the Suncoast Sea Bird Sanctuary in Indian Shores, FL. The center is located on a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. When I arrived, Suzanne, the Director of Public Relations and Marketing, gave me a tour. They have an indoor avian hospital and emergency room, an indoor intensive care area, outdoor rehab aviaries, and outdoor display aviaries that are open to the public. On any given day, people can view numerous birds, such as hawks, vultures, owls, jays, woodpeckers, songbirds, pelicans, and shorebirds.

The center has an interesting history. It was founded over thirty years ago by Ralph Heath, a zoologist, after the rescue of one cormorant. He found the bird limping down the street, brought it home, and rehabilitated it at his house. This was just the beginning. The center grew exponentially from there.  It’s now one of the largest wild bird rehab agencies in the country.

I was totally amazed at number and variety of birds that they have. They treat about 175 different bird species per year. Currently, they have brown pelicans, white pelicans, white ibis, gannets, anhingas, spoonbills, wood storks, many species of herons, oystercatchers, bitterns, and a red-tailed hawk… and that’s just to name a few! The best part is that if the bird is permanently injured, it is given a home at the sanctuary, or placed at another rehab center or zoo. Just walking around the center is pretty funny. With all the different species, it sounds like you are in the jungle! I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Posted by Christy Buckley on Nov 1, 2006 | View Entry | Comments (0)