Hi Everyone.
February was reasonably busy, given that it was a short month. WBRGC attended 35 rescues and performed several significant releases.
It looks like I’ll be collecting even more birds for release from Currumbin Wildlife Hospital as the RSPCA has recently discontinued their pick up and release service. This will add significantly to my work load, but I should still manage.
As an act of pure generosity I’ve decided that rather than me regaling you with pictures of manky ibis feet so early in the report, I’ll break with tradition and provide some interesting statistics instead. Don’t be disappointed. I’ll save an ibis foot for later. 🙂
Stats from 2015 show WBR attended 471 rescues during that year. That’s up about 20 on the previous year. In all there were 107 calls for swans, of which I caught 99. That’s a lot. In fact it probably represents about one third of the entire Gold Coast population of swans. I shudder when I think of how much suffering those birds would endure if this service was not active, full time. It remains active because of kind donors like you.
Pelis cheering the WBR’s donors
More than half of all rescues attended during 2015 were the result of fish hook injuries, or fishing line entanglements; in many cases both. In all, I think two, or maybe three fishers, called to report injured birds. The other two hundred plus calls came from concerned members of the public. At least 95% of hooked or entangled birds are still ‘flight capable’ which means that catching them is often tricky and sometimes very time consuming. The cost of catching, transport, vetinary treatment and caring for birds injured by fishers, is enormous, yet as far as I know, the industry doesn’t contribute a cent. That will have to change.
Now, I know you’re hanging out to see those ibis feet, but you have to suffer a little longer, while I deliver more stats.
The Wild Bird Rescues Facebook page is only a year old but has already 
attracted a good following. I think people appreciate the original content. One highly successful post in February featured a corella (parrot) strung up by fishing line in a casuarina tree, opposite Pizzy Park, Mermaid Waters (Gold Coast). She was a dear little thing and it was a delight to rescue her from such a hopeless situation. Apparently you thought so too because that post reached 22,500 people; was liked 375 times; was shared 118 times; and received 57 comments. Quite remarkable.
Sometimes I go for months without having to catch a pelican, but like all things, it never rains but pours. On one morning in February I was called to help four pelicans; three of which I caught within 3 hours. Hectic!
Cormorants are one of my fav’s. They’re wary birds and usually very difficult to catch. The little bloke on the operating table at left had been seen standing on a rock at Burleigh Main Beach, blood coming from its back. The bird was alert but I had the feeling that it’s reaction time would be slow, so I used a long handled net and managed to secure it quickly. The time was right on 5pm; hospital closing time, but vet Andrew kindly stayed behind to help. His examination revealed slashes down the bird’s lower tail area. Andrew believes these were caused by a boat propeller passing over the bird and clipping it. We had hoped the cuts would be shallow, but alas, they’d severed the poor creatures lower spine. No hope. It was a crap outcome. The natural threats these birds face in the wild seem nothing compared to threats created by man.
We’ve already had quite a lot of botulism cases this year with pelis and swans both
being affected. In one week three pelicans had to be rescued from Southlake, Robina, all showing advanced paralysis symptoms consistent with the effects of botulism. The birds go in the legs first; wings second; followed quickly by the neck. The illness is always fatal unless they receive immediate treatment. Even with treatment only about 50% of swans and pelis pull through. Ducks do better. So far the illness on Southlake has only affected the pelis. This is strange. All have died, which is also unusual. I thought the problem had resolved but last night, at 7pm, I was called to a fourth pelican (at right) in the same location. Fingers crossed.
A happier story concerns a little girl called Brandy. She’s one of three, four month old cygnets that live on Miami Lake. Caller Sandra reported Brandy swimming with her right leg up and unable to stand on that foot. Over the next few days things got worse. She was a tough catch because her dad, Tyson, has been in trouble a lot lately and recently spent time in hospital. As a consequence I’m not his favourite human. Tyson recognises me immediately which means I have to dress in strange clothes and adopt different postures to lull him into a false sense of security. I’m seriously
thinking of becoming a ‘cross dresser’, thinking that this might work in my favour. Turns out that Brandy had a badly broken outside toe. The swelling is very obvious in the pic at right. Because the injury was reported early it looks like she’ll be OK. Brandy is currently in Currumbin Wildlife Hospital and doing well.
Another happy outcome was the release of Ming, the frigate bird. I took Ming off an eleventh floor balcony in Broadbeach. She’d probably been blown off course and was hungry. The hospital nursed Ming back to health and ten days after capture I got her back into the air. Frigates are predatory birds and have some pretty nasty habits, but that’s wildlife, so we don’t discriminate. It was enormously gratifying for all involved to see her safely on her way.
I know you’ve had an agonising wait, and I must apologise, because I’ve decided not to show you the promised ibis feet. Not because I don’t have ’em. Fact is, I’ve got pics of manky ibis feet coming out the wahzoo, but the poor old ibis are having a very rough time lately. Multiple fishing line entanglements appear to have occurred over the recent school holidays and I’m having to deal with all the carnage that causes. Still, there have been many good outcomes and successful releases.
Please be ever vigilant for birds that are limping. Doesn’t matter what species. Most birds that limp will have an entanglement of some sort. That is a very treatable injury and can save the bird from endless suffering.
The half dozen birds I’ve talked about in this report represent less than 20% of those helped during February. This was possible because of your generosity. Thank you to all donors. A special thanks to WBR patron Jim Downs and to donations committee members, Liz and Paul.
Rowley