My complaint yesterday about not seeing any auks was answered in the worst way today, with the reappearance of oiled guillemots along the coast. This one floated under Deal pier, just keeping its head above water.
It duly beached on the shingle, so I rang the local rescue centre and within minutes Mark was on the scene with a long-handled net. Another - dead - guillemot floated offshore, giving impetus to our efforts to save this one.
Mark deftly netted the bird with considerably more grace than I achieved last year, when captures were made in a flurry of wings, beak and legs.
It was taken for first aid to Dover, and if it is not too far gone will then be passed on to the RSPCA's Mallydams Wood near Hastings for recuperation and release. Mark tells me that it's been a poor breeding year, so they are under attack from all sides - the north-east wind presumably bringing oil and birds closer to the coast than usual.The local number to ring for the resucue of oiled birds is 07801-248850 .
8 comments:
bloody tankers flushing their tanks no doubt......I hope they sink!!!
Steve ,
Good man , let's hope the Guillemot makes it .
I found a juvenile guillemot at St. Margaret's beach yesterday. Covered in oil and made no attempt to escape. It was just preening which of course meant that it was ingesting the toxic substances. So I caught it and took it to Burnham Vets in Dover. A meal of charcoal, some fluids and a good clean should sort it out. Apprently more were taken in from the same area that day, so I'm keeping my eyes peeled.
Good for you for getting him help! I'm glad you have a good local resource for rehabbing birds.
Thanbks for the various comments......
Anon, well done for catching yours - Ian at Sandwich Bay observatory reckoned that the changed wind has brought them in, and may not be due to a particular spill. I'm not so sure.
Ditto re comments of "well done" & thanks for providing Mark's tel number
Hi Ben,
The number is actually of Wildlife Careline in Dover, while Mark is one of their 'catchers'.
No more auks washed up at Kingsdown today, it seems.
I'm glad you could catch it to be cleaned up and saved. I hate this sort of thing. Man is responsible for a lot of misery for nature, but I'm thankful for those like you who try to reverse the trend. Thanks for caring about this bird enough to do something.
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