Who Knew?

[keschete]

WHO KNEW?

Baby Pelicans are just like some Velociraptor babies. I thought I was getting a special assignment to help tube feed some baby pelicans...my first suspicion was the head gear with the face shield. The adults try to get away, the babies run at you biting. Heck they even sound like baby dinos when they are fussing. These little guys are sometimes called pterodactyls by Volunteers.

Here are some pictures that Daniel Beltra took one day while I was at the Fort Jackson Rescue center in Venice, Louisiana. Beltra is a Spanish Photographer who takes pictures for Greenpeace. He travels all over the world and he told me he has even been to Antartica. He is a really neat guy.

Thankfully I haven't been in any pictures yet, you notice we all look pretty disgusting!

Clean Baby Pterodactyls Attacking!


Oiled Baby Pterodactyls


From Dirty to Clean








My friends Max holding a clean Brown Pelican for a tube feeding.

[Zed Homme]

Looking at these photos breaks my heart. My hat is off to you for taking the time to help these poor creatures...

[keschete]

Originally Posted by Zed Homme

Looking at these photos breaks my heart. My hat is off to you for taking the time to help these poor creatures...

I hope it makes you feel better to know that all of these birds, with only a very few exceptions are successfully being returned to the wild in Texas and Florida, far away from the oil!

We got 2 baby Royal Terns, 2 baby Laughing Gulls, a Snowy Egret, a Reddish Egret, 1 Magnificent Frigate bird, 2 Northern Gannets, 2 young Brown Pelicans and a White Pelican that only had one wing yesterday evening. The White Pelican was so tough he actually loast a wing and survived. Hew was brought in unoiled and was sent to the Jackson zoo in Mississippi.

It was actually a slow day yesterday and today 70 some odd brown Pelicans are going to be released in Aransas Wildlife Refuge in Texas.

[B Square]

Again, thank you Kaya. I wish I could be there with you
Boyd

[STEELINOX]

Truly admorable work Kaya !
And no, I didnt know the connection to the dino's...

[jcherskine]

Job satisfaction.
You must be really pleased when these birds are released again, knowing that without your help they would never survive.
Great work.

[Esexx]

Excellent work Kaya!!

Thanks for helping all the wildlife.

[AWATCH]

Thank you for your efforts

[keschete]

Thanks guys, I just want people to know that there is VALUE in saving a pelican. Some articles have come out recently questioning what we are doing. Questions about whether it is worth the money.

I only go one a week. This makes week 5. I work a regular job during the week as an NP. So I am only able to do one 12 hours shift a week. It's a 2 hour drive to get there. I wish I could go more often, but I am scheduled through July and into August already.

It's really Tri-State and IBRRC volunteers who are there every single day! The are the ones who are really making the difference. They do oil spills all over the world.

[datejust1]

Kaya, seeing these pictures of how you are helping these animals, has brought a smile to my face. Amazing work, Kaya, keep it up! All of us at TRF are proud of you. :)

[keschete]

Here is Daniel Beltra's website and he is also on facebook!

http://www.danielbeltra.com/

[figbo]

One time I was fishing under a bridge in New Smirna Beach and we had caught plenty of fish,when this old pelican stole a fish from a guy fishing right next to me,he grabbed its neck,stuck his fist through its beak and retrieved the fish and his bucket was full,what a d...head!

[Brunotheboxer]

It makes me happy to see people like you fixing these birds. GJKG = Good Job Kaya Girl.

[Pep04]

These pictures are so ridiculous they enrage me!!!!!!

What you are doing is the work of angels. It is truly a noble thing that will ensure you a better life (karma)...

What makes me sick is seeing those poor defenseless animals covered in oil!!!! WOW!!! And to think that there are so many sea turtles and countless species that we cannot even help!!! Now imagine, the oil keeps spewing even as we write this!!!!!

VERY SAD!!!!!

You are truly a great person for assisting in this tragedy.

[keschete]

Originally Posted by Pep04

These pictures are so ridiculous they enrage me!!!!!!

What makes me sick is seeing those poor defenseless animals covered in oil!!!! WOW!!! And to think that there are so many sea turtles and countless species that we cannot even help!!! Now imagine, the oil keeps spewing even as we write this!!!!!

You know, it's kind of strange, but being an ER nurse, by trade, then an NP, these are like patients.

After a while, you aren't mad, just sad, but when birds start to come in, there is no place I would rather be that in Triage, we call it Intake. I will describe so you all can get an idea of what happens.

A bird comes in a crate, or maybe two or three in a crate. They are delivered by USFWS or LFWS and at the back door there is a sign "live birds <-- dead birds --> " So the dead are droped at a reefer truck manned by USFWS enforcement agents (guys with guns). They are evidence.

The live birds in crates come inside and are placed near our Triage area. They usually have a slip of paper with info in a plastic bag zip tied to the crate or they have some duct tape with the coordinates they were found at and who found them, care they received.

We take them out, a holder, a Vet and a scribe. I am usually the scribe because of my charting/ER experice. I don't wear tyvek (the white suits) for this. I have gloves and work as a circulating nurse. So I am part clean and part oiled. I love best when I can work with Dr. Erica Miller from Tri-State bird rescue. She will work 16 hour days and longer with only 24 hours off every 14 days. She is INCREDIBLE! I learn so much every time I work with her.

They get weighed in a plastic container on a scale. Then they get a temperature taken....rectal..they are not happy. Then some blood work and sometimes IV fluids. They get a band that is numbered.

They get a mug shot side and front with a little tile with the oil spill number MC 252 and species and bird number...we were at 682 last night when I left.

We pluck a few feathers, wrap them in foil and label as evidence. There is a chart or piece of paper that I fill out as the one person holds the bird and the vet does the exam. How much oil and where. How is the animal's condition, thin? dehydrated? oil in mouth? any injuries?

Then the bird goes to a pen, where they get Carafate (like peptobismal) and tube fed pedialyte.

Once they are stable, they get washed. Might be the next day, might be two days. They have a whole staff of animal nurses to care for them.

We actually have few birds as of yesterday. The only people allowed to catch birds are USFWS and LFWS and that is because some other "unnamed" National Non Profit Wildlife groups went out in the begining and they were baiting the birds with food. That wasnt kosher with USFWS. So all these groups "Saving birds" actually are NOT SAVING them.

We are at the mercy of the heat and the whims of politics about how many birds get picked up and brought in.

Please do not just donate to any group....I was pissed at Larry King for hosting a show to collect for the "groups".

The ones to donate to is you wish to are IBRRC http://www.ibrrc.org and Tri-State Bird Rescue http://www.tristatebird.org/

Hope this gives any who are interested more insight into what is going on. As per BP I am not allowed to speak to reporters, nor am I allowed to take pictures But no one said I can't talk about it to my friends!

I post lots of stuff on facebook!!!

[Johny]

Thank you kaya.