San Francisco Oil Spill- --Update 11/23 & 12/3 on Page 3

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Update 11/23/07


Well- I'm still at the oil spill...where I've been averaging 15 hour days since tuesday the 13th. I cancelled my Thanksgiving trip to Kansas to continue to help the birds as there was a shortage of trained staff over the holidays. We've had well over 1,000 birds show up. I'm basically helping coordinate the "pool area" where we have the birds take time to waterproof themselves after the oil is washed off. We manage each pool with a set of birds in the pools as seperate "sub-populations" so we can keep track of their progress in their waterproofing. They must be 100% waterproof, pass blood values, pass a physical, and have sufficient weight in order to be relased.

Finally, there are hardly any more birds coming in oiled and there are relatively few stabalizing to get washed. For a while there, they were washing around 100 birds a day!!!!! They were putting up more pools to house all these birds like gangbusters and we still had to use the rehadb facility's aviary pools (which are workable, but not particularly good for this type of situation). Luckily, the city allowed us to use the fire-hydrant for a little while to fill up some pools because we were low on waterpressure in a part of the "yard" and it had been taking us several hours just to fill a pool, let alone keep all the pools flowing (required for water quality issues so that the birds can waterproof). They've been releasing birds almost everyday for about a week--averaging about 30 birds each release. I got to go on a release last week and it was a awesome experience. Particularly special was the fact I got to help release a Common Loon---a species that is VERY difficult to rehab. We also released some Surf Scoters, Western Grebes, and a Ruddy Turnstone.

There's a chance I will be going to "the other oil spill"....apparently there are oiled birds coming in to another facility in the Santa Cruz area (a lot of fulmars---a bird similar to gulls, but they live almost exclusively out in the ocean....). I think it's still a mystery where the oil came from---I've been so focused on rehabing the birds here at the Cordelia Center that I'm not up on all the news/details of anything else happening!

Well, I must go get some sleep.....I miss my chickens and ducks...and oh yea my family& dogs& cats!!!!!!!!!!

Sandra


PS....peeps and bunnies.... I did take a few pictures and will be swapping pics with some other folks that are working the spill.... I'll get something on photobucket at somepoint....after I get some major SLEEP!
 
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Oh Sandra I have been thinking of you and the situation/ :-(
I saw a clip yesterday on CNN and the lady they interviewed about the birds started crying.
SO SO SAD you all must be so tired. PLEASE take care
and what ever you do don't be hard on yourselves you are all doing all you can.

Ally your BYC friends are proud of you.

HUGS
 
Best of luck and lots of blessings! If I were anywhere near the left coast, I'd be making you all coffee, probably (HAZWOPER-certified for this sort of cleanup). As it is, I'll see if my employer can do a donation from their vet division for you guys.
 
Hats off to you....

I did wildlife rehab for years and know the dedication it takes. I commend you and giving up your holiday to help these birds!!
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THANK YOU rosalind!!! And yes--those of us working with the animals are all at least HAZWOPER certified...luckily all the food and coffee they bring is in the "cold zone"...so no HAZWOPER required. Can't eat in the hot zone!!!! (the hot zone is where there are oily birds, and because it's a toxic chemical there are special considerations and protective gear required---yes..that means a training!)

ANYWAYS... I've been "demobilized". After working on the San Francisco Oil Spill (The Cosco Busan Spill) I was picked up as staff and got sent to the Santa Cruz Mystery Spill where many birds came in with an oily substance on them (as well as a few with some of the costo busan spill oil). The mystery is not only where did it come from, but what is it??!! It seems that there is an especially large red tide in the bay, and instead of flushing out of the bay it's is sort of swirling in the bay and the churning of the waves is causing a protein based foam that has oily properties --even looked like an oil slick from the air (that's how I understand it anyways). Several hundred birds were brought in...as wells as over 100 fulmars. I was sent down to help with the waterproofing issues that they were having with the fulmars (the person who was initially doing it was needed back at the cordelia facility)---The fulmars need to be waterproof before they can be released as they spend 100% of their time on the ocean (except when nesting on islands in the arctic). Fulmars are known for being incredibly hard to rehab...for those with wild bird rehab experience--they're harder than loons which are known to be one of the hardest. We were lucky to be able to use a facility with salt water (some sea otters pools--the seaotters lived in their primary housing areas...while we used their extra large pools). Anectodally, the saltwater seemed to make a difference in the fulmars' feeding and general behavior--enough that the lead vet got me access to some saltwater to put in the temporary pools--the two otter pools weren't big enough for all the fulmars. I left on Friday with approx 70 fulmars still in care, including a little over a dozen of them ready for release and the rest generally waiting to finish gaining weight and better blood values (many were anemic and/or had too high of white blood cell counts and they can't be released in that condition--Many passed the "physical" for release but failed on blood values).

There were MANY volunteers and I do need to credit both staff and volunteers for the hard dedicated work that they all did and continue to do (at both the Cosco Busan Spill and the Santa Cruz Mystery Spill). Many people that would have been able to finally get some time off had their work extended when it was decided that birds from Santa Cruz would be sent to the cordelia facility (it was already being used for the Cosco Busan Spill and slowing down...but it was better suited (and ready to go) than the Santa Cruz facility--only ~2hours drive) Every bird that was not released (except the fulmars) was sent to the Cordelia facilty. There are folks there that are STILL working 15 hour days--many of which were there already before I showed up. There are also MANY volunteers continuing to give their time and energy on a regular basis! It is truly amazing.

Well, I'm glad to be home-even though part of my heart is still down there.....-it was evident that all my animals missed me--the cats which usually are mad at me for at least a day when I return from a trip seemed as if they knew I was gone for a good cause and spared me the torment! DH, of course, was the happiest to see me home and he did a wonderful job of keeping the menagerie running in my absence.

I got to spend a lot time with vets who specialize in wild bird care (yes, such a thing exists)...and I learned a lot from being surrounded by folks who have done this more many more years and/or events than I. It is truly amazing how much rehabing of wild sea birds has progressed in the last 10years that I've been involved (let alone since the early 70's which is considered the beginning of oiled seabird rehab--at least in Cali).

Thank you all of your kind encouragment...I do appreciate it!

I haven't gone through...let alone downloaded all of my pics...I promise I'll get some on photobucket for you all to see! I have to admit..most of my pictures are of clean birds as I worked mostly with already cleaned birds at these two events--helping them to waterproof, gain weight, and prepare for release.
Sandra

PS..excuse my poor grammar and spelling....I'm still tired!
 
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