[EBB Sightings] Fwd: [CALBIRDS] collection of oil spill birds in East Bay

Hello Steve,

Thanks for the update and your continuing efforts!

I have a suggestion.

Is there any way you could provide a bit of additional details to the
EBB birding community? For example which specific areas along the East
Bay your search and capture crews are having success collecting oiled
birds? Where are the current hotspots on the East Bay where the crews
are making multiple daily visits? How many crews are working on the
search and capture?

Knowing that you are probably too busy to take on additional tasks
right now, I would volunteer to put up a temporarly web page (nothing
fancy) with daily updates of maps showing locations and numbers of
captured oiled birds for the East Bay, if you could provide me with
the daily raw data about the captured birds (numbers and locations,
and species if possible).

I suspect that the information would be helpful in reducing needless
frustration and worries by the public that might lead to unsuccessful
attempts to capture those birds themselves, as well as possibly
reducing multiple reports of the same group of oiled birds your crews
are currently working on.

Just a suggestion. Thanks for your considerations.

-Akira

Akira So
Pleasanton/Emeryville
Alameda Co.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: tertial 
Date: Nov 15, 2007 10:39 AM
Subject: [CALBIRDS] collection of oil spill birds in East Bay
To: CALBIRDS at yahoogroups.com


Oiled bird catchers,

Speaking for the Response, please do not attempt to capture oiled
birds from the spill. We have search & collection crews with near
100% coverage of the central Bay and outer coast (from Pillar Pt to Pt
Reyes). The hotspots are being covered multiple times per day.

Our problem in the East Bay has been that the live oiled birds (mostly
Surf Scoters, Greater Scaup, Eared and Horned Grebes) are quite
difficult to capture along rip-rap shorelines and narrow beaches
(Richmond to Alameda). We have been most successful by letting them
get comfortable onshore during the day and getting them after dark
using spotlights and very long-handled nets. Unfortunately,
well-meaning members of the public have been pushing the birds into
the water while attempting to capture them. We have been posting some
wardens at places to keep the public away until our after-dark
operations. This may appear that we are just letting the birds
suffer, but it is really the best way to capture them.

Please feel free to report oiled birds (NOT TO MY EMAIL) by calling
877-823-6926. All these reports are being carefully documented (I've
seen them) are we have been able to adjust response accordingly.

thanks,

Steve Hampton
Calif. Dept of Fish & Game