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Forty members and friends of St. Petersburg Audubon Society were enjoying a sunset cruise just offishore from the bird colony at Coffeepot Bayou. With more than 600 pairs of 13 species of birds nesting there this year, Coffeepot is one of the most important urban colonies in the region. On the first circuit of the island, everyone saw the egret, its wingtip wrapped in monofilament fishing line, suspended from a mangrove. It was a big bird, standing about three feet tall with a wingspan of 55 inches and a rapier-sharp beak.
After several more rounds, during which the rescue was planned, Ann Paul, manager of Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries, slipped overboard fully clothed and swam ashore to pull the bird to safety. Hearts soared. Mission accomplished. Volunteers carried the bird to an emergency veterinary clinic, which sent it to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary for further rehabilitation before it is released later this summer.
In spite of the happy ending, the truth of the matter is that the decision to save that single bird, no matter how simple it appeared and no matter how beautiful the bird, was not simple or easy. There were many factors to consider, and the attempt potentially could have threatened the nests of dozens or more birds - as well as its rescuer, notes Rich Paul, Ann's husband who retired as sanctuary manager last year after 31 years on the job.
First, the egret was entangled in a dense, mixed-species colony where the risk of other nest losses was high. It's against the law to enter such nesting sites without proper authority because any disturbance could endanger hundreds or even thousands of birds, Rich notes. "No one should ever enter a colony for any reason, unless you are a trained biologist or under the supervision of one, and have the permission of the landowner. In this case, Audubon has permission from the owner, the Holland family, to post and manage the site."
Rescue Could Risk Colony
Trespassing near nesting birds - even with the best of intentions - often causes some disturbance that threatens the lives of unhatched birds and younger nestlings. "If the adult birds are disturbed and fly off when the sun is high, temperatures in unattended nests climb quickly - or plummet if it's raining or at night," he said. Leaving young chicks unattended also means they're vulnerable to predators, particularly opportunistic crows that can scoop up defenseless hatchlings in moments.
Aboard the Dolphin Express, the Pauls and Audubon volunteers circled Bird Island looking for nearby nests that could be disturbed. "We were on a boat with a four-foot draft so we had to stay out from the island, but as far as we could tell, the bird was reachable and there weren't any nearby nests," he said. The decision was made to try to rescue the egret.
"I had a lot of trepidation," Ann comments. "Rescuing birds is part of my job but I don't usually have a big audience watching and I didn't want other people to feel comfortable about rescuing a bird themselves."
A biologist with 14 years experience at Audubon, Ann also knew to take precautions for her own safety. Heavy-duty dark glasses protected her eyes from the egret's bill, since she knew it was likely that it would strike at her face (and it did). She carried a boat hook and wore sneakers for the swim ashore to protect her feet from oyster beds surrounding the island.
"You have to be prepared and you have to have a plan," she said. "With a job like this, you can't make up your mind in the middle."
Once she landed, however, she saw that she could barely reach the entrapped egret and that there were a number of snowy egret nests below that hadn't been visible from the boat. "If the egret had struggled, there was a chance that those nests could have been destroyed," Rich said. "But Ann knew to move slowly so the adults would fly off a few feet, and any large nestlings could move a comfortable distance without panic."
Reaching up with the boat hook, Ann was able to pull the great egret free without disturbing the nearby snowy egrets' nests. The monofilament snare that had entangled him was too high for her, and had to be left behind.
Each year, hundreds of birds are being killed by becoming ensnared in fishing line. |
Monofilament Kills
Leaving the monofilament tempered the Pauls' feelings of accomplishment because it may well snare more birds before it can be removed later this season. "Monofilament kills hundreds if not thousands of birds every year in Florida - along with turtles, manatees, dolphins and fish," Ann said. "It's great for fishing, but it's vicious stuff when it is caught in the limbs of mangroves on bird colony islands."
In fact, scientists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission believe that fishing line is the primary killer of adult brown pelicans in the state, she adds.
Unlike the hunters of the nineteenth century who intentionally killed egrets and other colonial birds for their feathers, today monofilament kills from ignorance or laziness.
"Fishermen aren't out there to intentionally kill birds - they enjoy nature too, and they even use gulls and terns to help them track fish," Rich says. "They just need to understand the importance of habitat and beware of the unintended impacts they cause when a bird flies off with their line or they throw a snarl overboard. It comes down to respect for the natural system and a willingness to enjoy it in a responsible manner."
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You Can Help!
Whether from fear, ignorance or convenience, fishermen often allow birds that have stolen their bait to fly off trailing a long line of monofilament. "They get caught in a tree and die, and then other birds come along and get tangled in the same line," says Ann Paul, manager of Audubon's Florida Coastal Islands Sanctuaries. "We've found one piece of line with seven or eight dead birds. Hundreds of birds die ensnarled in monofilament line every year in the Tampa Bay area alone. Many threats to wildlife populations are complex and difficult to correct - this is preventable."
As predators, birds can strike quickly at bait as fishermen cast or they may dive after a hooked fish being reeled in. Fishermen who inadvertently hook a bird should not cut the line. Reel it in carefully and remove the hook and line as gently as possible. Use wire cutters to cut off the barb before removing the hook.
Be careful, though, because the bird won't know you are trying to help. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. If there are two people on the boat, have the second person throw a towel over the bird's eyes to calm it down. Hold the wings and legs gently but firmly under one arm and immobilize the bill with the free hand. If possible, allow the bird to bite your hat or another soft object. Be careful not to block the nostrils, and especially with pelicans, allow them to breathe through their open bills.
Once the fishing line is removed, release the bird, head pointing away from you. If the bird is badly injured, transport it to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary or Save Our Seabirds.
Other tips from Tampa Bay experts:
- Carefully and properly dispose of fishing line, nets and other line which could entangle wildlife.
- Pick up fishing line if you see it in the bay, along the beach or on a pier or boardwalk, and throw it away properly.
- If you see a bird entangled on a nesting island, do not try to rescue it yourself. Any action that disturbs adult birds threatens the lives of unhatched birds and younger nestlings.
- Participate in annual clean-ups coordinated by Audubon and Tampa Bay Watch which net miles of monofilament and hundreds of carcasses every October when birds are least likely to be nesting. "It's heartbreaking to see the dead birds but we think we're saving hundreds of birds every year," said Paul.
For more information on the Oct. 29 clean-up, contact Audubon at 813-623-6826 or Tampa Bay Watch at 727-867-8166.
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