International Bird Rescue

All photos by Kylie Clatterbuck

On Tuesday, high winds toppled this tree near the Ports O’Call Village in San Pedro, located not far from our Los Angeles wildlife care center. Sadly, this tree was a rookery for many Black-crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets, and the scene was littered with broken eggs.

But the L.A. Harbor Department’s tree crew from its construction and maintenance team responded quickly to the fallen tree and rescued a total of 15 baby birds — 12 Black-crowned Night Herons and three Snowy Egrets.

Whenever possible, we will attempt to reunite baby birds that have fallen out of nests with their parents. Clearly we couldn’t do that in this case, and placing them in an adjacent tree wasn’t a feasible alternative. So we’re happy to report that all these baby birds are now in our care. They range from a Snowy Egret that likely hatched just a day or two ago to Black-crowned Nigh Herons that were close to fledging their nests.

Baby Black-crowned Night Herons

“All the babies were in great shape when they arrived, full bellies from being fed by mom earlier that day, and are eating well on their own,” staff rehabilitation technician Kylie Clatterbuck reports. “Aside from a few minor abrasions, they all look great.”

Snowy Egrets

We’ll keep you posted on their progress at our L.A. center. In the meantime, please consider supporting the care for these animals by visiting birdrescue.org/donate.

Adult Black-crowned Night Heron (left) by Jackie Wollner; adult Snowy Egret by Frank Schulenberg via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo by Cheryl Reynolds

Photo by Michelle Bellizzi

This male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) was recently sent to us from a rehabilitation group in Arizona that was unfamiliar with the species and lacked appropriate water caging. “The bird was found to have a fractured clavicle, a wound on its wing and foot lesions,” says Michelle Bellizzi, center manager of International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay center. “The foot lesions were likely the result of captivity. It was the fractured clavicle and wing injury that brought it into care.” After several weeks of rehabilitation at our center, this bird was released nearby.

The Red-breasted Merganser is one of three species of mergansers in North America. Known for their thin, serrated bills to catch fish prey, Red-breasted Mergansers are “bold world traveler[s], plying icy waters where usually only scoters and eiders dare to tread,” 10,000 Birds notes. “While all mergansers are swift fliers, the Red-breast holds the avian record for fastest level-flight at 100 mph.”

A close-up of the Red-breasted Merganser’s serrated, “toothy” bill. Photo by Dr. Rebecca Duerr.

Below, the merganser is released back into the wild.

Photo by Nicole Maclennan

Photos by Kylie Clatterbuck

Last Friday, International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles center received two nestling Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) from a worker at a local gas company. Their nest had been sprayed with a small amount of oil, and unfortunately they were contaminated. Center manager Julie Skoglund (pictured below) and staff veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Duerr washed the duo on Saturday, and after the successful procedure, they were sent to California Wildlife Center in Calabasas to continue their rehabilitation. Staff rehab technician Kylie Clatterbuck took these images of the nestlings during their care.

Both our centers are seeing influxes in baby birds. For instance, at our San Francisco Bay center, staff have received 260 Mallard ducklings and 20 Canada goslings since April 20. We expect a busy year!

During this past winter, a number of California Brown Pelicans were reported to have traveled well north of their usual habitat – British Columbia, to be exact.

Several of these birds settled in Victoria’s inner harbour, and three were found to have parasites, frostbite, and in the case of one pelican, wounds that may have been from fishing hook injuries.

After weeks of planning and the securing of appropriate permits, the birds were flown south via commercial jet cargo to International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles wildlife care center, which is equipped with the large aviaries necessary to successfully treat aquatic birds of this size. These pelicans were released at Terranea Resort in nearby Rancho Palos Verdes on April 20, 2013.

Photos and video by Bill Steinkamp. Music by Wired Ant. View the full-size video here.

Find out how you can get involved with pelicans through our Pelican Partner program.

This Barn Owl hatchling made its debut this week at International Bird Rescue!

On April 11, two Barn Owl eggs were delivered to International Bird Rescue from the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. Both eggs were placed in IBR’s state-of-the-art egg incubator. And then … we waited.

On the afternoon of April 18, one of the eggs had begun pipping as the tiny chick inside started to peck its way out of its shell. By the time staff had arrived the following morning, a check on things in the incubator revealed that this little bird had completely broken through and had hatched.

International Bird Rescue often partners with other local wildlife rehabilitators like the Lindsay Wildlife Museum. In this case, we were able to help by providing the special incubator and optimum environment for this egg to hatch. Working collaboratively with other centers ensures that we are all able to provide the highest and most comprehensive care to the animals that need it.

While this baby owl has now been transferred back to the raptor experts at Lindsay Wildlife Museum for care and feeding, many other orphaned and injured baby birds continue to arrive at our wildlife centers. Through the generosity and caring of our donors, these little chicks receive a warm and cozy enclosure and regular feeding and care until they are able to fend for themselves in the wild. We are very grateful for your support.

In these trying times, an image of simple compassion and care can have a profound effect on the viewer. Here’s one that recently moved us:

This past weekend, International Bird Rescue rehabilitation technician Kelly Berry released five Common Murres at the Malibu Pier. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that our Los Angeles center received a heavy influx of oiled seabirds earlier this year, mostly Common Murres that were found beached along the Southern California coast.

Our favorite detail of this release: “Once all of the birds were in the ocean, they jointly made the signature Murre call and headed out to the open ocean,” Berry reports. “This photo was their last look at the shore.”

Thanks to Kelly’s husband, Paul, for taking such a memorable shot.

See more on the murre influx from winter 2013 here.

A Black-backed Jackal and a Rüppell’s Vulture fight for the right to feed on a dead buffalo near Lake Nakuru, Kenya. All images © Yeray Seminario.

Admit it: Your pulse has gone up a few notches.

Viewing this Rüppell’s Vulture looming large as it defends its carrion find from a jackal (one dwarfed by comparison), can provoke a physiological response. And if that’s not a hallmark of exemplary wildlife photography, we don’t know what is.

Your skeptic’s brain may have also kicked in: Is this photoshopped? Is this bird the stuff of myths? The answer to both questions is No. Rüppell’s Vultures were prominently featured using bird’s-eye cameras in director John Downing’s recent documentary Winged Planet. Listed as an endangered species by the IUCN in part due to habitat loss, this spectacular scavenger has a wingspan of up to 8.5 feet and can soar at the altitudes of a private jet.

The photographer behind this shot is Yeray Seminario, our April Photographer in Focus. Seminario, a wildlife veterinarian who interned with International Bird Rescue in 2007 and lives in Tarifa, Spain, recently spent some time with us to share some of his favorite photos from the global field.

Seminario: The impressive scenery of the abandoned palaces in India is a great background for this critically endangered Long-billed Vulture.

Camera-worthy countries

Seminario: Every country has its distinctive flavor, a particular light that gets reflected in the pictures you take. To me, I find them all enjoyable, but in terms of pure wildlife, Kenya is probably the one that provides more opportunities to capture images of birds and mammals interacting in an open, natural environment.

There are some other characteristics of a country that can inspire you in different ways and make you feel at ease when taking pictures. India and Nepal are probably the second best to me after Kenya, as I feel more “in tune” there. Also, I live in a great place for birding and photography! In Tarifa (the southernmost tip of Spain and Europe) there are always good numbers of raptors around that make it a really exciting place to live if you are into birds and photography.

One of the highlights for any bird lover in a trip to the great country of Senegal is the Egyptian Plover.

After almost four years working with the Orange-breasted Falcon in Belize, I got to see them pretty close.

Images that inspire

It is the work of others that inspires me most! I try to think about the technical aspects of the shot, and how the photographer captures the essence of the moment. That said, I am quite happy with the series of pictures that I have of the Orange-breasted Falcon, a species I worked with for almost four years. Some of the locations where I observed them are quite remote and difficult to access, with rain, heat and insects.

Looking at those pictures brings me back to those real wild places where I enjoyed an intimate relation with nature. I hope some of my pictures will help spark an interest in other people to visit some of these places, learn more about these birds and be aware of the conservation issues they face.

You can see some of my pictures on Whitehawk and on my personal website, Light as Feathers.

Deserts don’t hold a high number of species, but those that survive such harsh conditions are quite charismatic, like these Trumpeter Finches drinking in a small puddle in Morocco.

Short-eared Owl, Tarifa, Spain

Camera of choice

I use a Canon 7D most of the time, which I found to be an improvement from my previous 50D. I have a modest array of lenses, including the 300mm f/4 with a 1.4X converter, which I use to take pictures of birds and other wildlife. Of course, I would love to have a 400mm or 500mm to have more reach, but I’m quite happy with my equipment, as I can take it with me in a backpack just about anywhere, whether to a high peak in the Himalayas or a sand dune in the Sahara Desert, which I imagine would be more difficult with a heavier lens.

This young leopard almost jumped into the middle of the road while driving in Kenya. It stayed for a minute and came back into the bush. To see one of these magnificent animals is always a privilege, and to be just a few meters away from such a beauty feels exhilarating.

Lake Naivasha, Kenya is home to several species of birds, including this Greater Flamingo. This spectacular freshwater lake is being threatened by an extensive flower industry. These huge gardens provide colorful flowers to Northern Europe while draining the lake in the process.

Photographic challenges

I find it very challenging to shoot in the rainforest, where quite often there’s very little light. I’m now trying to improve my skills using a flash in poor light conditions, which I find not easy to control to get the desired results. Of course, when birds are in flight, especially if they are fast and small, like swifts, makes it quite difficult to frame the bird and get a sharp shot.

Western Banded Snake Eagle seen in the Gambia River, Senegal

Scarlet-rumped Tanager, Panama

Animal rescue

As you are in the field taking pictures and observing birds most of the time, you find the most diverse injuries in a wide variety of species. Sometimes you can reach them and take them to the nearest rescue center, sometimes not. One of the most incredible things I can remember right now was a Black Stork that had no beak at all! She was flying with a small flock of Black Storks on their way to Africa, but I can’t imagine she could have survived long.

Orange-breasted Falcon in flight, Belize

For the beginner

My advice to a novice photographer would be to just get out there and take as many pictures as possible. Find a subject you like and experiment with different apertures, settings, times of day and different ways to frame the same shot. I think this is the best way to learn. Reading books about photography, of any kind, helps a lot too. Actually, I should follow this advice more often!

Northern Gannet in Tarifa, Spain, one of the best places in the world to enjoy bird migration

If you would like to be considered as a featured wildlife photographer for International Bird Rescue, or would like to recommend a photographer for this regular feature, please e-mail Andrew Harmon at Andrew.Harmon@Bird-Rescue.org.

And check out some of our previous featured photographers, including Jackie Wollner of Los Angeles, Matt Bryant of Florida, Robyn Carter of New Zealand and Christopher Taylor of Venice, Calif.

Hat tip to Julie Skoglund for nominating Yeray for this installment.

We welcome people from all countries to come and learn at one of our rehabilitation programs. For information on our International Internship Program, click here.

Among the birds currently or recently in care is this Common Goldeneye at our San Francisco Bay wildlife care center. Photo by Cheryl Reynolds.

And the bird photo-bombing the shot in the background? It’s a male Bufflehead.

Check out our most recent bird count at our centers here. We’ve had a few oiled birds come in since and will update our numbers soon.

Flammulated Owl nestling, all images © Jackie Wollner. jackiewollner.com

A self-portrait of Wollner with a piglet

On International Bird Rescue’s Facebook page, there are some photos we post to our loyal following that become instant viral hits, viewed and shared by thousands. The images that resonate are usually either of young and delicate birds (orphaned Pied-billed Grebe chicks, for instance) or of a species looking the camera squarely in the eye with haunting eyes (a Laysan Albatross recently released by our Los Angeles team off the Pacific Coast).

The latest such image to strike a chord meets both criteria: a Flammulated Owl nestling, photographed by Jackie Wollner of Los Angeles. Even at full size, this owl, which lives in old-growth forests of the West, weighs little more than a golf ball. “This is why I miss wildlife rehabilitation… I loved that job,” one Facebook commenter wrote upon seeing the nestling.

Wollner has volunteered as wildlife rehabber (she was trained by our own Dr. Rebecca Duerr) and is an avid photographer of many species International Bird Rescue cares for year round. Here are some of her favorite shots and the stories behind them.

Black-crowned Night Heron, Morro Bay, Calif. Wollner: This shot was taken in heavy mist and low light. I don’t think it would have been as interesting in bright sunlight.

Photographic orgins

Wollner: I got started with birds as a child because my mother is an animal lover. We spent a lot of time observing the creatures that surrounded us where I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. Some years ago I helped rescue a House Sparrow, and I was hooked. Eventually I volunteered as a wildlife rehabber and was trained by International Bird Rescue’s own Dr. Rebecca Duerr when she was animal care director at another facility that cared for a lot of songbirds.

Regarding photography, I should point out that if it isn’t already clear from my shots, I am an amateur photographer. But I have always appreciated photography. I tell my friends, “I want to see all your vacation snaps” and I mean it. I first started playing around with film photography in college. When digital cameras became available, I really dove in. I grew exponentially as a photographer when I could shoot without the care of wasting film, chemicals or money. Plus the feedback was instant.

So: Birds + Photography = Happy Happy Joy Joy

Black Oystercatcher, Marina Del Rey, Calif.

American Crow in rehab care. Adult crows appear to have almost black eyes. This photo was taken in front of a window. The bright light coming over the bird’s shoulder illuminated its eye in an unusual way.

Camera of choice

I have a Canon 1D Mark IIn. It’s big and heavy and never fails to prompt observations from (non-photographer) strangers that my camera is big and heavy. Even the name is big and heavy. Canon really ought to give some thought to its nomenclature.

When shooting birds in the field, I most commonly use the 100-400mm zoom. I’d love to have the 500 or 600 prime, but then I’d have to sell my car.

But what I really want to say about camera choice is that it doesn’t matter a lot. I have no opinion about Canon vs. Nikon. Both are awesome. I’ve seen excellent photos taken with point-and-shoots and even camera phones. It’s kind of a running joke among photographers that people say “That’s a great photo … What camera do you have?” The key is to have a good working knowledge of the equipment you do have, its possibilities and limitations. Also, you need a connection with the subject and an ability to edit your own shots. Editing is the most underrated, under-discussed topic in photography, in my opinion. When I say editing, I don’t mean photoshopping, I mean the ability, and moreover the willingness, to look at the 150 shots you took of an oystercatcher and pick just one or two to show people. It’s while I’m editing that I may refer photography as my “onerous hobby,” but I can’t overstate the importance of it.

When I edit, I first throw out everything with technical flaws, i.e. exposure, focus, etc. Sadly, this is still a lot of shots in my case. Then I look for the shot that communicates the most. Does it tell a story? Above all, is it emotional in some way? I have an engineering/science background, and I know the problems of anthropomorphizing. But as someone who is passionate about conservation, getting the public to care is the first step. People have to feel something before they act to preserve it.

Hatchling House Finch in rehab care

Galapagos Hawk, juvenile. Espanola Island

Two memorable shots

Like all the creatures in the Galapagos, this hawk had no fear of humans. It was perched on a pole near a beach on Espanola Island. The light was incredible — a bright, soft overcast. And that bird kept staring right at me, or at my camera, which was even better. Then it started stretching. The result was an unusual asymmetrical pose with that fantastic, direct eye contact. I took that shot with an early point-and-shoot camera, by the way. It was 2001 and digital SLRs didn’t exist yet.

Another favorite is the shot of the nestling House Finch stretching to its fullest and begging for food (above). It’s a favorite because I have cared for a lot of baby finches and my heart always leaps a little when I look at it. That was taken with a more current point-and-shoot camera.

House Finch fledgling in my front yard. I love the way it is looking up at the sky. It fledged the next morning.

Sanderlings at Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Calif. Sanderlings are usually running in and out of the surf. But every now and then they pause for very brief “micro naps.”

Snowy Egret with catch, Malibu Lagoon State Beach, Calif. White birds in bright sunlight are challenging to expose properly. I usually set exposure compensation to -2/3 stop or thereabouts. Newer cameras with smarter sensors may do a better job without adjustment.

Snowy Plover, Malibu State Beach, Calif. This was taken on an overcast misty morning. It’s challenging to shoot fast moving subjects in lower light. But I actually prefer soft overcast like this to bright sunlight.

Another Snowy Plover at Malibu State Beach. These birds are listed as threatened. I find them so delicate and charming. The deep tire tracks illustrate the challenge they face from loss of habitat.

Species of note

I have a particular fondness for corvids, especially crows and ravens. I’m not goth, or into Brandon Lee, or a witch, or anything like that. I just think they are the smartest, coolest creatures on two wings. I’ve worked with them in rehab settings, and I think every corvid rehabber will tell you this — when you look at them, there is definitely some “one” looking back. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they figure so prominently in mythology.

In the field, if I’m surrounded by a variety of shorebirds, I usually find myself photo-stalking the oystercatchers. Those eyes are like egg yolks! They have those big garish red-orange bills. And their legs are the pale pink color of the tights I wore in ballet class as a child. Snowy Plovers are also a favorite photo subject. There is something so gentle and fragile about them.

Ultimately I love all birds. I get all mushy emotional just thinking about all the birdy lives I’ve lost and saved. For me, bird rehab is a crushing and extraordinarily rewarding avocation.

Whimbrel, Malibu State Beach, Calif. This shot was taken in late afternoon “golden hour” light. It was low tide which is a double bonus. Shorebirds are active at low tide and the exposed rock and algae bring a lot of rich color to the shot.

If you would like to be considered as a featured wildlife photographer for International Bird Rescue, or would like to recommend a photographer for this regular feature, please e-mail Andrew Harmon at Andrew.Harmon@Bird-Rescue.org.

And check out some of our previous featured photographers, including Matt Bryant of Florida, Robyn Carter of New Zealand and Christopher Taylor of Venice, Calif.

When people report banded pelican sightings, they often photograph them and generously share these images with us. There’s nothing like watching pelicans soar through the air, whether high above in formation or with the tips of their wings nearly touching the waves. Looking like gentle and graceful dinosaurs, they’re mesmerizing to watch. We wanted to share a few of these recent images with you along with their stories. Enjoy!

On July 28, 2012, Michael Ayers was visiting San Francisco and spent some time at the famous Cliff House, adjacent to the equally famous Bird Rock — a roosting spot for many seabirds and sea lions. Michael noticed some pelicans flying overhead, one with a blue band, and snapped some photos (see above). When he returned home and looked at his images, he saw two blue-banded juvenile pelicans. They were M87 and M91, and both had just been released hours earlier at Ft. Baker on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge – about five miles as the pelican flies from where the pictures were taken. Both of these birds came into our San Francisco Bay Area rehabilitation center on July 5 and were thin and weak, something we see often with these young birds trying to make it in their first year of life.

On December 5, 2012, Kristin McCleery, who by boat looks for changes in bird activity around the San Francisco Bay Bridge, noticed that one of the Brown Pelicans flying by had a blue band on, and took a few photographs as well. That bird was P11, a first-year pelican that came into our San Francisco Bay Area center on November 5 with a few injuries and in generally poor shape. It was rehabilitated and released on November 19 at Ft. Baker. Check out this close-up of a healthy-looking P11 flying by Kristin, 17 days after its release.

Meanwhile, in Southern California C34 is a beautiful adult Brown Pelican and one of our most famous birds. This bird came to our Los Angeles center on October 13, 2009 with fishing tackle injuries. It was rehabilitated and released in San Pedro on November 6, 2009 and spends most of its time at the Redondo Beach Pier where it hangs out and gets fed fish scraps. It has been reported over 25 times to us since its release. This image of the bird flying over the water was taken last month by Bill Steinkamp, one of our volunteer photographers. We strongly discourage the feeding of pelicans or any wildlife, as it habituates them to humans and makes them more vulnerable to fishing tackle injuries. C34 is very capable of caring for itself but it loves the fish scraps from fishermen.

Pelican T77 came into our Los Angeles center weak and thin on November 25, 2012. We regularly get these skinny and weak adult pelicans, and even though we test them for many possible problems, we sometimes cannot really detect what is wrong with them. We rehydrate and feed them and get them back to a healthy state, and once they pass their release evaluation, they are returned to the wild. After over a month of care at our center, T77 was released on December 31, 2012 in San Pedro. Last week, 21 days after its release, this photograph was taken of T77 from the deck of the Monterey Bay Aquarium by Byron Chin. Our data indicate that many of our birds move quickly up and down the coastline, and within days of release they can be hundreds of miles away from where they were released.

Have you seen a Blue-Banded Pelican? You can report your sighting here. We’d love to hear from you.