BP Oil Spill : Wildlife and Fisheries Boat Tour

The most recent US Fish and Wildlife Service numbers show 1550 oiled birds, dead and alive, have been collected from Texas to Florida. Louisiana has seen the majority of oiled birds. The agency said Friday 55 boats are working wildlife rescue in the Gulf of Mexico everyday. On a boat tour with the agency to Queen Bess Island and Bird Island Two in Barataria Bay off Grand Isle, FOX 8 found both islands full of bird populations, including the brown pelican, royal terns, seagulls, egrets and more. The islands were also double boomed with hard, orange boom as a first line of defense and backed up with absorbent boom. With binoculars in hand, senior biologist Terry Adelsbach looked for birds that were considered grossly oiled and in poor condition. He said they also keep an eye out for birds with matted feathers and birds unable to fly. Adelbach said before capturing wildlife, biologists have to weigh the risk of oil impact. “We try to let nature take its course, but after some of the birds fledge off, if we’re left with some individuals that look like they’re not doing so well, we’ll take those.. but for the young especially recovering those birds.. taking them to a triage, to a rehab facility to be reared in captivity the chances of them surviving even if they are released into the wild are not that good,” said Adelsbach. Adelsbach said the number of oiled birds they’ve taken in has slacked off recently, but they anticipate the numbers will pick up especially as bird …
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