Hawk shot with nail gun - CAPTURED!

Photo by Catherine Clarke. Taken Oct . 14th. 

Last Sunday, October 16th, WildRescue was notified of a hawk with a projectile through its face. It was seen near the Golden Gate Park Botanical Gardens in San Francisco.

Reports came through WildCare, a local birding group, and from concerned citizens who spotted the bird while visiting the gardens.

We reached out to local authorities and other wildlife groups to make sure we would not be 'stepping on toes' if we were to take on the rescue.

As with the Budweiser gulls (CLICK FOR STORY), it seemed we were the only entity able to invest the time and resources necessary for this difficult rescue operation.

On Monday, October 17th, Duane and Rebecca made the 100-mile journey to Golden Gate Park. This is their account:

We met up with Kate, a local resident who showed us where she'd originally observed the bird. Unfortunately, it was no where to be found.

Later that evening, though, after we'd left (of course), Kate spotted the hawk again, and was able to capture additional photographs, confirming the projectile was a framing nail from a nail gun.

Photo courtesy Katherine Ulrich

We alerted US Fish & Wildlife Service and the San Francisco Animal Control as we believed the bird was harmed intentionally. We also sent out press releases that included Kate's graphic images of the injured animal, hoping to get the community involved in reporting sightings. We also announce the reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible - the reward stand at $10,000.00.

We returned to the Botanical Gardens Tuesday morning. With Kate's help, we scoured the area in search of the elusive raptor. We used binoculars to scan the trees as we listened for sounds that could give away the predator's location - squirrel alarms or mobbing of birds.

Nothing.

We decided to just wait in the area the bird had been seen nearly every day. We waited and waited and waited. 

Click to enlarge.

Finally, around 3:00 pm, one of the groundskeepers sighted the hawk - it had just made a kill - a squirrel. 

Occupied with its meal, the hawk allowed us within a few yards, but we were hesitant to use a net for fear that the material would snag on the nail and do more harm. 

Our plan was to use a bal-chatri - a trap designed especially to trap raptors - but in order for this to work, the bird must be hungry enough to be lured to the bait.

Clearly, the bird was not interested in anything but the squirrel. We called it a day.

Wednesday, one of our Bay Area responders, Mark Russell, monitored the area on and off throughout the day. It was Kate, though, who spotted the hawk again in the arboretum. She watched it successfully capture and consume a gopher.

Thursday, the bird was only observed once, when it was quickly chased off by an adult red-tailed hawk.

By this time, the story of the hawk had made it around the world and we were receiving numerous reports of sightings, some dating as far back as October 9th. We received a photo of an uninjured hawk, closely resembling the injured one - observed near Buena Vista Park in September.

These sightings provided information on the bird's history and its daily pattern, helping us build our search and capture plan.

Reported sightings of the injured hawk.

On Friday, we staked out the arboretum the entire day, heading home, feeling quite frustrated, at about 6:00 pm. The entire day we observed two adult red-taileds and a quick glimpse of two juveniles as they flew over the arboretum. At 6:45 pm we received a call that someone had spotted the hawk at 15th Avenue Steps Park around 6:15. It was observed hunting.

We were feeling pretty low, not to mention exhausted from the many hours on the road.

Saturday, we took our time making it into the city. We were about 10 minutes away when a call came in from someone at the Gardens - they had their eyes on the hawk!

One of our East Bay responders, Akira, had just arrived and we were just minutes away with the traps.

We caught up with the finder and others who were watching out for the bird - but it had flown off - they'd lost sight of it. As a group we began searching. All of a sudden, this fellow said something like "Are you looking for him?" - pointing at eye-level, only a few feet away...

There he was - perched in a small tree right next to the path.

We quickly escorted bystanders a good distance away and set out the bal-chatri. Within a few minutes the hawk landed on top of it, but failed to be entrapped. He flew back to one of the small trees. 

We decided to deploy a second trap.

Photo: Katherine Ulrich

After about an hour of watching and waiting and shepherding park-goers from the area, the hawk landed near one of the traps. He was obviously hungry. Finally, he was caught! The crowd of onlookers cheered.

Photo: Katherine Ulrich

This video, below, was shot by someone at the park - it shows the actual capture. The capture and possession of wild birds is unlawful without federal and state permits.

Thanks to the many wonderful park visitors and Botanical Garden staff who helped us collect our gear and exit quickly, we were on the road and headed to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in no time. 

We arrived at the wildlife hospital at 6:35. Their medical team had stayed late to receive the bird.

We will keep you apprised of his condition with hope of returning him home when he has recovered.

A reminder, WildRescue is an all-volunteer organization - no salaried positions, no paid staff - all the 75-or-so man-hours it took to capture this hawk were all volunteer with no compensation whatsoever.

Injured Canada goose returns home

In an earlier post we shared a story about a Canada goose that had its legs bound with fishing line. On October 21st, 7 days days after it was successfully captured, it was returned to its home and its mate. 


Thanks to the expert medical team at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, the bird recovered from its injuries. Here is Deanna's account of the release:

The park was buzzing with people and dogs and remote controlled boats. It was not long before we spotted the group of waterfowl. We placed the crate near the water's edge. The goose was pounding so hard to get out of the carrier that he was bouncing it off the ground - it was pretty funny. Then, when we opened the door, he strutted out, like he owned the place, like "Here I am - did you miss me? Goose with attitude! 

He walked to the edge and looked around as if to take it all in. The other geese swam up to the edge. When he jumped in the water there was no over-the-top reunion like I had hoped for, but the 4 of them did form a line as they had done before.

It was so refreshing to go from seeing him limp around and have to sit down every couple minutes, to seeing him strutting around freely. His leg looked fantastic! Having that opportunity to be apart of it from beginning to end was awesome. Wish they could all end so well.

I am including a photo of my daughter and me - a reminder of WHY this happened to the goose in the first place: fishermen not cleaning up their line!

We stayed for at least 30 minutes just walking and picking up errant line - it covered the ground, glistening in the setting sun. There was so much of it that the ground was "twinkling."

The woman who works there came out to say hello again and thanked me. She says she's regularly cleans up the line but just can't keep up with it. There are garbage cans everywhere, but I think signs would be a nice touch.

Super tired. Just finished cleaning out the carriers and my car, which now smells like a seabird pool. Gotta get some rest for my class tomorrow. 

Deanna is one of our lead responders in the South Bay. She's attending an intensive 2-day wildlife rehabilitation class. Good luck, Deanna!!!! 

Hook, line, sinker, and bobber...

Thanks to our wildlife responder extraordinaire, Kelle, a gull that was found snagged in fishing tackle at Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge, was successfully rescued Thursday evening. Gull 1580 is now undergoing treatment at WildCare in Marin. Way to go, KELLE!

In pursuit of a wild goose...

It is one thing to set a trap to capture a group of flighted birds. It is tremendously challenging to capture an individual flighted bird. It takes a great deal of planning, patience, and steadfast determination.

A wild Canada goose with fishing line wrapped around both of its legs was discovered at a park near Watsonville, CA. It limped, but could still fly. Unfortunately, over two consecutive days, the bird was chased by untrained people with nets, thinking they were doing the right thing, but only making matters worse - making the bird fearful.

Deanna, one of WildRescue's lead responders took on the challenge. Here is her account:

On Friday, October 7^th, Day One of the "Wild Goose Chase", I met up with the finder, Matt, who had been kind enough to take notice of the injured goose and seek help. Matt was working with the bird as best he could, feeding it throughout the day, trying to gain its trust. Since the goose seemed comfortable with him, I let Matt continue to bait the bird while I crouched behind his frame with a net. 

The injured goose immediately looked at me as though I was an intruder. He appeared very nervous and I knew if I swung the net and missed, we might never get a second chance. 

There were several people nearby, some with small children running, and others walking dogs. This had all the birds on alert. I backed off and spent 30 minutes tossing grain and crackers until the entire flock was startled by a passerby and took to the lake for safety. 

I went back the next day, an hour's drive from my home, and found four geese and an assorted group of waterfowl feeding near the shore, except for the injured one. Through binoculars I saw it resting on a floating structure in the lake, as if to taunt me. Matt, offered to keep watch and contact me if the goose came to shore.

No such luck. It was a beautiful weekend, which meant the park was bustling with visitors.

When I returned on Monday, all of the geese were resting on shore. I approached slowly and quietly along a fence, away from the geese, and looped around without them noticing (or so I thought). I set the hoop of my long-handled net behind two garbage cans, to keep it hidden, and then sat next to a picnic table near the geese. 

I began baiting them in with grain, and was able to get the injured goose within a few feet of me. As I extended my arm for the net, I noticed that his eyes were fixed on the garbage cans as if he already knew the net was there. I had not fooled this goose and the slightest movement spooked him.

I scooted towards the goose on my knees, inch by inch, tossing grain with one hand and sliding the net along the ground behind me with the other. As soon as he was within arms reach I swung the net around and over him. By that time he had lifted off the ground. I had him partially inside the net but he was so fast and so incredibly strong that he tilted to the left and out of the net.

Tuesday marked my fourth visit to the park in pursuit of the injured goose. I arrived to find all of the geese swimming on the far side of the lake. I decided to give him a break and I need a mental break, too. Now that he'd been conditioned to fear the net, I needed to come back with an entirely different plan. Game on.

Friday marked one week. I arrived with a different strategy and determination - I was not leaving empty handed.

All of the geese were swimming close to shore. I collected my gear - scissors, camera, pillowcase, but no net. I sat down at a picnic table near the geese and ignored them. 

I waited at least 45 minutes until, finally, they came ashore and began preening. 

I waited for them to settle in and get comfortable before walking towards them slowly, tossing grain. They formed a semi-circle around my feet. Soon, the injured goose, tired of standing on one leg, sat down. 

I slowly positioned myself behind and to the left of him (placing him to my right - my stronger side). I knelt down, continuing to toss tidbits. I could tell my positioning made him nervous. I distracted him with an extra-large portion of grain, tossed purposefully to his right, forcing him to turn slightly away from me. I told myself, “It’s now or never, and don't hesitate!" 

I counted to 3 and sprang. Quickly uncoiling, I enveloped his body - my chest over him, ‘hugging’ him while I carefully folded in his powerful wings. 

He was quite mad - and was hissing. 

I carried him to the picnic table and managed his head and most of his body into the pillowcase, leaving his legs exposed. This reduced his visual stress, kept his wings folded, and allowed me to quickly snip the main line and perform a very quick assessment of his injuries. A bystander, John Benka, asked if he could help. (Thank you John!)

CLICK to enlarge.

My hope was to remove the line and release the goose back to his mate, which was now anxiously watching from the water's edge. Unfortunately, the line on the left leg had cut deeply into the flesh and the joint appeared inflamed. I placed the goose in a carrier and headed to the wildlife hospital.

During the drive I begin to question my actions. I was thrilled that, finally, after a week of this "game", I was able to catch the goose, and "won". But now, what will its fate be?  


If I had cut the line and released him, would he have lived?  He had been managing with a limp, he could fly and paddle, he was eating, and his mate was at his side.

Had it not been reported, had we not ‘rescued’ it, nature would have taken its course, and now I feel I've interrupted that. Was it for the better? What if it loses its foot? 

In a rehabilitation setting, most birds that lose use of an appendage will be considered for euthanasia. This is not the decision of the wildlife hospital necessarily, but of the permitting agency under which it operates. In most cases, this is in the best interest of the bird - especially large-bodied birds that might suffer severe, secondary ailments as a result. 

If they can't save the foot, will this goose be euthanized? Will all that time and effort to "save" him have been for nothing? I'll have captured him and simply driven him to death's door. 

It's never black and white, though. Every situation is unique. As animal rescuers, we make a decision in the moment that we feel is the right one, often from a human-based perspective, not always considering the animal's. I just hope that this doesn't turn out to be a "lose-lose". I have a lot of respect for this goose, and I'd love nothing more than to see him back in the wild again. This has definitely been a journey on many levels.

GOOD NEWS!!! The goose is recovering at the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley and is doing pretty well, according to caregivers. It's on anti-inflammatory medication. It's blood work looked good - no sign of infection. It will undergo further evaluation in the coming days. They say he or she is a real fighter - a very big and very angry goose. 

If you'd like to contribute to the care of this particular goose - help the center pay for its medications, please click HERE.

Cargo ship strikes reef off New Zealand

CLICK to enlarge

In the early hours of Wednesday, October 5th, as the Captain a 21-year old Liberian-flagged cargo ship, carrying hundreds of containers (many carrying toxic material) and loaded with half a million gallons of heavy fuel, ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef off New Zealand's Bay of Plenty coast, just 12 nautical miles from Tauranga. Click maps to enlarge.

New Zealand is facing its greatest marine environmental disaster. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil is said to have spilled from the stricken vessel, with an estimated 1,300 tons remaining onboard. Bad weather has delayed salvage efforts. In the meantime, the ship fractured nearly in two, and threatens to break apart.


Here is a LINK to an article that chronicles the event in a timeline.

More than 1,000 birds have been found dead; more than 100 are undergoing treatment. Massey University Wildlife Health Center is overseeing the care of oiled animals at a makeshift hospital at the Te Maunga wastewater treatment plant. 

The oil poses a risk for many marine species. Of greatest concern is the impact it could have on the New Zealand dotterel, an endangered shorebird, with a population of only 1,200.

The wreck could not have happened at a worse time. As North America braces for winter, the Southern hemisphere is entering into its summer months and the peak of breeding season for thousands and thousands of marine animals.


With 86 seabird species breeding in its territorial waters, 38 of them endemic - New Zealand is known as the seabird capitol of the world.


Help arriving! Reportedly, more than 4,000 people have signed up to volunteer to help clean the beaches and experts from around the world are converging to assist with recovery and care of oiled wwldlife, among them, our colleagues from International Bird Rescue.

Another hazard of discarded line...

This morning we responded to a call from the Moss Landing Harbormaster. They'd had a report of two cormorants hanging from an old abandoned pier. One was still alive.

We were on scene within thirty minutes, and were quickly escorted by boat to the platform.

As we got close, we could see the structure was being used by Brandt's cormorants as a nesting site - there were about twenty or so empty nests - rounded, shallow mounds of seaweed and grasses, covered in a thick layer guano.

Sadly, we found both birds were dead. 

We discovered something really interesting, though. The birds' legs were tangled in fishing line, but the line was part of the material used to construct their nest! 

After cutting the bodies free and removing the remainder of exposed line, we cut tangles of fishing line from nests within reach.

How sad - the parents can't tell the difference between soft, spongy clumps of seaweed or grasses and wads of errant fishing line. 

A wad of fishing line mistaken for a clump of dried sea grass.

'Tis the season...

This week, we received a number of calls about wild animal 'invasions'. People were calling, upset that patches of their lawn were upturned, concerned about seeing a raccoon in their tree, upset by a coyote trotting through their neighborhood in broad daylight. 

'Tis the season.

This is the time when the young of the year begin to disperse, striking out on their own, heading off for new territory. Lacking experience, they may appear less fearful of cars and humans than one might expect.

This is also the lean time for wildlife. Creeks have disappeared, the soil has turned dry, and food is scarce for many. Thirst and hunger will drive animals from their wild habitat into urban environments where they might find water and a meal. It’s all about survival. 

What people can do to protect their property and keep safe:

1)    Be much more cautious about letting small pets outside and unattended - we see a heightened take by coyotes this time of year.

2)    Make a few ‘penny-cans’ (aluminum cans filled with a few pennies) and use them to scare off unwanted wildlife.

3)    Use Critter Ridder to help deter animals from digging up lawns/flowerbeds. Works on gophers, too!

4)    Inspect your home for access points, where animals can enter crawlspaces. If you find a hole, don’t just seal it up - you will entomb whatever is living inside.

For help, no matter where you live, call:

1-866-WILD-911

We offer affordable, humane, non-lethal solutions that work!

Imagine...

...a 24-hour wildlife medic and animal ambulance service for the Bay Area. There is nothing like it - and it is very, very much needed!

The expertise necessary to handle emergencies involving injured and distressed wild animals differs greatly from the skills needed for handling dogs and cats. 




To correctly identify and assess a wild animal's condition, to capture and house it without causing the animal more harm, to provide it with emergency aid - this takes extensive training and experience.


What if it's a healthy baby wild bird and needs to reunited with its family? This, too, requires advanced training and skill, and it can take hours, even days to accomplish. 




There are a number of wildlife hospitals in and around the Bay Area, yet few send rescuers into the field on a regular basis. Animal shelters provide pick-up services as they can, but impounded wildlife must then endure a second journey to an appropriate wildlife center for treatment.

Help us provide San Francisco with a wildlife medic and animal ambulance service beginning March 2012 - it's time.

Make a donation towards the Bay Area animal ambulance HERE.

Save the date - December 3rd, 2 pm - for our gala fundraiser at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Click HERE for more information.

Saga of the Glendale Coyotes

We just got off the phone with the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commission and they have indicated that, at this time, the coyotes do not present a threat to the community and the agency WILL NOT be taking action - WILL NOT be setting traps to eradicate the animals.

A group of coyotes had been seen in the backyard of a vacant, burned out home on Brockmont Drive near Los Angeles, where Brockman Canyon, part of the wilderness of the Verdugo Mountains, descends into the City of Glendale. 

Without concrete evidence of a den (which to our knowledge has yet to be discovered), we believe the coyotes are being observed as they frequent the site, but they are not residing there.

In all likelihood, they are being drawn to the abandoned property by the smell and activity of rodents and the scattered refuse. It is also appears as though neighboring residents have not employed aversion tactics to drive the animals away. This is key when dealing with large predators.

 


What we want residents to understand is that coyotes and other wild animals will always be a part of their community and they must learn to co-exist - to safely and soundly live amongst their wild neighbors. This is absolutely possible, and we are here to help. 

For those experiencing problems with coyote, mountain lion, or bobcat, we offer FREE consulting to encourage non-lethal methods of resolving conflicts with large predators. Our Humane Wildlife Management program can be reached by calling 1-866-WILD-911 (866-945-3911).

We also want to acknowledge the Mayor of Glendale, Laura Friedman, who indicates she is in favor of non-lethal action in most cases. Letters supporting her position can be emailed to her by clicking HERE.

WildRescue is committed to being at the ready to organize and lead opposition to unwarranted lethal control of coyotes in California. If you'd like to donate specifically to this cause, to hep cover travel expenses and educational materials when needed, we've set up a separate donation account, HERE. Thank you!

White-Tailed Kite Reunion

T.Llovet/flythebirdpath 2010

If you have ever seen a large gray and white bird in flight but stationary, fluttering like a moth - that is likely a kite. On the West coast of the U.S., it would be a white-tailed kite, (formerly black-shouldered kite).

Nearly a week ago, on the edge of Stanford University, a young kite was found grounded, being harassed by a domestic cat. The bird was admitted to Peninsula Humane Society's wildlife hospital where our Bay Area Team leader, Patrick, evaluated its condition.

Even though the fledgling had quite a few of its baby-feathers emerging, he was in very good shape and feisty - a good candidate for reuniting.

Wild animals stand a better chance of surviving as adults if they are raised by their wild parents. Whenever possible, a healthy wild animal should be reunited with its family unit - it is not just an option, it is a must.

If raised by humans in a captive environment, even at the finest wildlife facility, young animals miss out on learning valuable skills and key information about their home territory and single animals miss the opportunity to socialize and bond with wild sibling.

T.Llovet/flythebirdpath 2010

Young white-taileds are known to socialize with their siblings many months after leaving the nest. More importantly, they receive schooling from their parents for weeks after they fledge, fine-tuning the characteristic hover-and-dive hinting technique necessary for their survival. With luck, they will make their first kill one month after learning to fly.

After a few days in rehabilitative care, the kite was taken home. Patrick used a bucket to hoist the bird up to a high branch in the bird’s home tree where he was left to reunite with the rest of his family. His parents could be heard calling.

We will post updates as we receive them.

Once, white tailed kites were widespread over much of California’s grasslands… until they were covered with concrete and steel… It was thought that habitat loss contributed to their decline in the 1930s, when the species neared extinction. Protection from shooting and rodent-rich agricultural fields may have helped the species recover, but like so many other species they are not out of the woods - or are they?

This particular family of white-tailed kites has historically nested in the treetops above a bustling campus, successfully raising one or two broods a year. Perhaps the species is adapting to living in close proximity to humans.

MANY THANKS TO PATRICK AND
THE PENINSULA HUMANE SOCIETY!!!