Monthly Newsletter
Marathon Wild Bird Center
P.O. Box 501328
Marathon, FL 33050
MM 50 at Crane Point Hammock
Phone: (305) 743-8382
Fax: (305) 743-8172
Welcome to the Marathon Wild Bird Center's monthly e-mail newsletter!
Last newsletter (Feb, March, April) newsletter
May 2010:
No loon in the lagoon . . . anymore!
Well, we did it! And quite honestly we're pretty darn proud of our accomplishment! In last month's online newsletter (April 2010) we told you about a Common Loon patient, Loony Tunes, who volunteer JD Fagan had rescued on March 11th. Loony Tunes had been found on the shoreline of Grassy Key with remnant pieces of a drift net tightly wrapped around her bill. This inability to eat caused her to nearly starve to death. After seven weeks of recuperation, of which most was in an enclosed lagoon behind the Marathon Wild Bird Center (MBWC), she needed to be released. However, the challenge was how to catch a professional diving bird in a completely enclosed lagoon as the lagoon is surrounded 95 percent by mangrove trees. For days we tried to come up with a solution to this situation. Then, out of the blue, a visitor to our booth at Bahia Honda State Park's annual Earth Day Celebration asked a question that triggered, what we hoped, would be our answer! The visitor asked if there were loons in the Florida Keys. As director Kelly Grinter began to answer the question she stopped suddenly when she realized that her response to this visitor could very well be the solution to Loony Tunes situation! In 1998 Kelly herself learned there were indeed loons in the Keys when two researchers from an institute in Maine asked for her assistance in capturing loons (in the Middle Keys) to take mercury samples from. They explained to Kelly that they needed a boat owner who would take them out after dark. When a spotlight is shined in the eyes of a loon it freezes, much like a deer in headlights. So, on April 29th, just days after the full moon, volunteers JD Fagan, Karyn Buckley and Frank Pauly gathered at the lagoon. Earlier in the day JD had put a kayak in the lagoon. Quietly JD and Kelly slipped into the kayak, armed only with a net, and paddled out into the center of the lagoon. It was pitch black and drizzling rain. Just as quietly, on cue, Karyn and Frank turned on spotlights and began to scan the lagoon searching for Loony Tunes. Just when we thought she might be nestled up in the mangroves for the night, there she was. JD quietly paddled towards her but, when they were only five feet away, she silently slipped under the water. The good news was that the loon didn't seem startled by the presence of the kayak in the dark.
Figuring the spotlights from shore weren't strong enough from a distance, Kelly and JD paddled over to Frank and Karyn. Karyn handed her waterproof spotlight to Kelly and off she and JD went into the darkness. Again, when they were close to the bird, they turned on the spotlight and continued to approach her. Within moments Loony Tunes, who appeared to most certainly be in some sort of trance, was alongside the kayak. As JD paddled, Kelly scooped the bird up with the net she was holding. "We got her!" Kelly informed Frank and Karyn who were standing only 50 feet away on the lagoon's only exposed edge. JD quickly paddled back to the other volunteers. Kelly handed Karyn the net with the bird in it and she and JD exited the kayak. Karyn retrieved the startled bird from the net and the group swiftly walked over to the bay's rocky shoreline. Kelly took a quick picture of the loon, now in summer plumage, the more-familiar black feathers with white dots. Since JD had been the bird's original rescuer and had spent many days bringing bait fish to the lagoon to feed Loony Tunes in her "outdoor enclosure" we chose him to be her releaser. He carefully climbed down the large coral rocks to the water's edge and Karyn handed him the bird. Then, with everyone smiling from ear to ear, JD gently tossed the loon into the water. We were all surprised when she didn't simply bolt away, but literally turned to face us as if to say, "Are you sure about this?!" Then, a moment later she vanished into the night. We hung out for another five minutes and twice during that time we heard the eerie call of a loon, farther and farther away as she left us behind to make her way home . . . free as a bird!
A new setting for Envirothonn
For the last decade, the Bird Center has participated in Envirothonn, an educational event that brings middle school kids from around the Florida Keys to participate in a competition. The kids, groups of approximately four to eight 5th graders, form two teams for each of their schools. Then the students rotate from station to station spending a brief 10 minutes at each. Some of the other stations this year included Mosquito Control, the Key Deer Refuge, Sea Camp and Bahia Honda State Park. At each station the kids participate in an environmental discussion. For example, at the Bird Center station volunteer Jerry Underhill and director Kelly Grinter told the kids they were going to be quizzed on their ability to identify birds commonly found in the Florida Keys. Our first group surprised us by NOT being able to identify more than one or two of the 20 bird photographs we held up. But the good news is that as the morning went on the other groups proved that they were, indeed, more knowledgeable on local bird identification. As one group departs and the next heads to our station we score the teams between one and four. We usually reserve four for the groups that work together, as a group, discussing the answers among themselves and allowing each student to give an answer. We give a lower score to a group in which one or two of the team members did all the talking or the group members didn't converse among themselves. A pizza party followed for lunch and a good day was had by all! This year was the first time that the event was held at Sombrero Beach and we must admit it was nice. Special thanks to Joy Tatgenhorst of NOAA for continuing to see that this fun event continues year after year.
Introducing KeysReuse.com
Last month Marathon local Michael Welber went public with an idea he'd been pondering for a while. He introduced a new Keys-specific website called KeysReuse.com. His idea was to make it easy for folks to find out if the items they have--whether it's something surplus or something simply headed for the curb--could be useful to someone else. The new site lists local non-profits in one section and items that these non-profits need in another section. The idea is simple "Don't throw it away, give it away!" If you have an item to give away, for example a washing machine (hint, hint--the MWBC is looking for one of these!), you would peruse the section entitled "Items." Under "Appliances" you'll find "Clothes washer" and next to that are the acronyms for the non-profits that need this particular item, one being the MWBC! You click on the acronym to find contact information for the non-profit. It's that simple! Visit the website just to see what it's all about! It's an excellent way to help a Keys non-profit while, at the same time, keeping some of our "stuff" out of the landfill!
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Read on and you'll see why these days a donation to the Bird Center is of special importance . . . and why your willingness to volunteer might be essential. You can mail a check of any amount to Marathon Wild Bird Center, P. O. Box 501328, Marathon, FL 33050, or donate online. Because we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation is tax deductible. Remember: if you ever find a sick or injured bird, please give us a call at 305.743.8382. We answer this line 24 hours a day.
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Icky oil: important information from MWBC's director, Kelly Grinter
We certainly can't avoid discussing the unfortunate problem that faces everyone in the nation these days, and especially those of us who reside along the Gulf of Mexico. As most of you are probably aware, BP Global, a huge oil company, is responsible for a disastrous oil leak, referred to as the Deepwater Horizon incident, in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. I don't intend to talk about any of the details here since the events have been well publicized. For those of you interested in learning more specifics about what happened and what is happening I suggest you visit BP.com or Keysspill.com. What I will discuss here is what the Bird Center has been doing to prepare for the very likely possibility that we will be faced with oiled wild birds in the near future.
The longer this leak continues (and we've just passed the 40-day mark and have been informed that it could be weeks or even months before the problem is solved) the more feasible it is that the oil will eventually make landfall, in one form or another, in the Florida Keys. Scientists have predicted that the Keys may be most affected by tar balls. Tar balls are balls of oil mixed with sand that float on the ocean, landing on our beaches. While this would have a less direct damaging effect to our birds (versus the thick oil that floats on the surface closer to the leak), it is still the addition of mega toxins to our pristine environment which in turn will affect the creatures in the ocean and birds that forage for fish or along shorelines. Since the incident occurred, many locals, and some people from other parts of the country, have called to have their names added to our volunteer list. As things develop we get in touch with these people and tell them what they can do. We have published in several newspapers and on our website a list of supplies that we are gathering, just in case. However, US Fish and Wildlife (USFW) has given us specific instructions that anyone wishing to help in one way or another, whether it is cleaning up beaches or eventually assisting with oiled animals, must be HAZMAT certified.
Unfortunately, there are few instructors available to provide free courses for individuals here in the Keys. If you are MWBC volunteer and interested in taking a free online course for this certification, send an email to wildbirdmarathon@bellsouth.net for more details. We have also been told by USFW that Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research (TSBRR) in Delaware has been hired by BP to be the official respondent to oiled wildlife. Today, TSBRR is set up and washing birds in Louisiana. TSBRR specializes in this type of response and, if necessary, will come to the Florida Keys and set up an oil cleaning station for wildlife in Key West. They would work closely with the Key West Wildlife Center (KWWC) and we, in turn, would work closely with them. As most of the oil that would travel through the Gulf loop is expected to pass by Key West, and therefore possibly affect them more significantly, the MWBC would accept all non-oiled animals from the KWWC so that they could focus their attention, with TSBRR, on helping the oiled wildlife.
Please note that individuals must NOT attempt to wash oiled animals at home as the animals MUST first be evaluated and stabilized (this is a very stressful situation for them) and the water that is used to wash oiled animals immediately becomes considered a hazardous material itself and must be properly disposed of. Washing this oil down the drain simply puts it right back into our environment, whether there is a local sewer system present or a septic system. Please contact us by email or phone (305.743.8382) if you are interested in helping in any capacity. And yes, funds are needed and sincerely appreciated, as always!
Watch for us on Facebook
We plan to start a Facebook page so we can keep our supporters up to date on the oil leak as well as ongoing news on our patients. Expect that soon, and please join us there. We'll let you know more details in the June newsletter.
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