In this issue:
• CRC
aids oiled bird response in the Gulf
• Non-Natives
Bring New Opportunities
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 CRC aids oiled bird
response in the Gulf
CRC’s assistant director, Laurin Huse, helped out in Astoria last fall
when a toxic algae bloom impacted hundreds of seabirds. Thriving
on the chaos and hard work, she was eager to get involved with the oiled
bird response to the Deep Water Horizon oil spill. When Louise
contacted the head of IBRRC (International Bird Rescue Research Center),
one of the co-responders, and outlined Laurin’s experience and
qualifications, they wanted to know how soon she could get there!
Laurin arrived in Louisiana Tuesday evening, 6/23, and had her first 12
hour work day at the Fort Jackson Oiled Wildlife Response Center on
6/24. She texted early on 6/25 that ‘pelicans were everywhere’ and
she didn’t yet have time to write. The workers are stabilizing
birds with IV fluids, drawing blood for assessment of overall condition
as well as looking for the hemolytic anemia that is caused by ingesting
oil as the birds try to preen it off their feathers, feeding them,
handling them, cleaning up after them, and eventually washing them - in
the 90º+ heat and humidity, all exacerbated by the hazardous
materials-required protective clothing. Meals and accommodations
(she’s sharing a house with 18 other people about 10 miles from the
center) are provided.
In the meantime, the remaining two staff people have taken on Laurin’s
responsibilities, and to make THAT possible, CRC has hired part-time
help (three of our long time volunteers) to cover phones, greet
visitors, supervise volunteers, assist with programs and bird training,
and maintenance. Kit and Louise are already feeling very spoiled
by the uninterrupted time to get things done!
As reported by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association in their
recent e-newsletter: "BP is required by United States law to pay for
ALL cleanup costs, including care of wildlife, related to the Gulf Oil
Spill, so donations to directly help these specific efforts are not
required or accepted. However, donations to your local wildlife
rehabilitator or wildlife center are always welcome and much
appreciated. Local wildlife rehabilitators can use monetary or supply
donations, or sponsorships to future training opportunities. Wildlife
rehabilitators legally cannot charge for rehabilitation services when
orphaned or injured wildlife is brought to them, but they can accept
monetary and supply donations. Neither the states nor the federal
government funds wildlife rehabilitation efforts, thus donations to your
local wildlife care facilities are needed and contribute directly to
providing care for wildlife in need."
Though we do not, in any way, want to capitalize on the tragedy in the
Gulf, we hope such catastrophes can help educate the general public
about what rehabilitators do - and the important services they provide -
on a smaller scale, every day. Any assistance our supporters want
to contribute to help us through baby season and Laurin’s absence, and
to help fund the additional staff, would be very much appreciated.
We are hoping Laurin has the internet connection, energy, and time to
send reports via our blog. In the meantime, Louise has consolidated her
notes from a long conversation on 6/26 into our first blog on Laurin's
trip. So, click below for lots more information!
>> The Talon Blog
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 Non-Natives Bring New
Opportunities
Our possession of native birds, either those in our care for a
short time for rehabilitation or those permanently with us for
education, is authorized by federal permits issued under the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act. The MBTA, however, limits what can be done with
them. For example, the rehabilitation birds may not be on public
view or used in education. The education birds, our non-releasable
permanent residents, may not be used in any ‘commercial’ way or in a
way that might be construed as private use. They may not be taken
anywhere except a school, a public area like a park, or to another
non-profit - with certain exceptions. For example, we could bring
the birds to the mall if they were in a general area and not associated
with any particular store or we could take them to a business, say, if
they were outside and no one had to enter a store or business in order
to see them. In that case, WE could publicize that the birds would
be there, but the business could not - in order that it not look like
the birds were being used in any commercial way or to endorse a business
or product. It gets complicated!
In an effort to expand our educational reach, and funding possibilities,
CRC has acquired two non-native birds: a Eurasian eagle owl and a Saker
falcon. Both are captive reared in the US but their species are
not found in the wild in North America. Both are species that have
a long history in captivity and are known to do well. Dmitri, our
eagle owl, is about 4 months old and has been with us for four weeks -
still very much a baby, though full grown, he is endearing and was a hit
at his first public appearance and when visitors see us training and
exercising him here at the center. The as-yet-unnamed female
falcon will be six weeks old when we get her this weekend.
These birds will be available to go to places our native birds cannot -
e.g., they can come to a private home for ‘bird-day parties’ and thus
will expand our ability to do birthday parties past the summer months
when we can host them outside on our grounds. We also hope to be
able to attract more corporate sponsorship, as we can now offer
something in exchange - a visit to a store opening or anniversary
celebration, say, or to an employee or public event.
We are also hoping that you, our supporters, will be interested in
hosting fund-raising and ‘friend-raising’ house parties - inviting to
your home friends and neighbors that you think would be interested in
supporting our work, where we will do a presentation and introduce our
birds. If you are interested in any of the above, please contact
Louise or Kit at 541-485-1320 or Louise@eRaptors.org or
Kit@eRaptors.org.
In the meantime, we are looking for sponsors for these birds to help us
cover the cost of their acquisition and housing. We don’t want
their care to take away from our basic mission of caring for our native
birds or fostering a connection between people and birds of prey - but
they will, we hope, soon be able to actively support that mission!
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Family Nature
Discovery Day
Join us for June’s Family Nature Discovery Day - A Passport
to Nature! Make your own field book for notes and stamps, as well
as your own colorful paper binoculars, and participate in a scavenger
hunt around the grounds of CRC ... find a pileated woodpecker hole or a
nurse log ... identify poison oak and nettles! Mark in your book
where prairie falcons are found in Oregon ... and win an ‘Expert Nature
Explorer’ button. Come for the noon or 2:00 Handler Talk and see
birds out on the glove, then join in the activities. Regular
admission (members are free!) plus a $2 activity fee. This Sunday,
June 27th, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Our sincere thanks to KVAL and
Unique Properties for sponsoring this day. Come enjoy what might
be our warmest day of the year, so far, in the cool of the woods.
May’s Family Nature Discovery Day was well-attended and lots of
fun! Celebrating spring nesting season, participants enjoyed
handler talks, visiting with the birds, making their own nest out of
twigs and moss, pine needles and grasses (using their ‘beaks’ - a
clothes pin - at least at first!). And then painted their own egg
to go in the nest! Many eggs had extra sparkles that a bird would
be hard-pressed to duplicate... Thank you to Bi-Mart and KVAL for
sponsoring this fun day.
Plan ahead for the other Family Days: the last Sunday of July through
September. Check out our website eRaptors.org for the activity
themes.
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Don't Forget
Summer Wine!
Now that summer has truly begun, keep in mind the 2008
estate chardonnay we bottled in honor of Toto, our long time American
kestrel. The perfect complement to a late evening snack or
afternoon picnic. $15/bottle or $150/case. All proceeds
benefit our work with the birds.
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Going, going,
almost gone!
And we are down to our last bottles of our original 2006
Washington Syrah ... come get them while they last!
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