Recently in wildlife Category
It seems that the grass can be picked up by Bluebirds and other cavity nesters such as Tree
Swallows that build their nests out of grass. They weave it into their nests, but the material can be dangerous to adults and chicks alike. Birds get tangled in the strong plastic grass and get trapped, unable to leave the nest to feed or fly away.
If you want to help spread the word about this little-known danger, here's how you can help:
Now in its third year, the Bluebird Nest Box Project has first-hand experience with this danger, especially in the spring. Our nest box monitors have continually removed strands that have been woven into the nests, as well as picked up and disposed of in clusters found on the ground.You can help by either passing the word to family and friends or by joining the group at Harbor Park to hand out fliers. Go to the website for contact information.
This year, in an attempt to educate the public about this danger, we're working with the staff at Harbor (Ken Malloy - Regional) Park to get the word out. We've created an informational flier on poles and picnic tables, and the nest box monitors will be giving them to park visitors during our weekly nest box checks.
The flier is available on our website at:
http://pvsb-audubon.org/bluebirdproject.html or click here.
And if you see the plastic grass lying in a park or your yard, pick it up!
Here's another article on the topic.
Bluebirds are pictured below.
Got this reminder from the folks at Coast & Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation about the hazards of tree-trimming season.
This is a nesting time for birds and other wildlife, so it's a good idea to check for any active nests before you being a landscaping project.
Here's more on that topic from an Orange County Register blog post.
Meanwhile, Coast & Canyon -- who already have UStream live cams up for squirrels and skunks -- have launched a new live cam focused on baby opossums. Opossums being nocturnal, most of the action on this one happens after dark.
Speaking of Coast & Canyon Wildlife (see our previous post), they've recently launched a new live cam with critters other than squirrels.
Watch live as volunteers feed and care for these baby skunks now in the "nursery." When they're ready, they'll be released back out into their natural habitats. Here's the direct link to the ustream site where you can also sign up and participate in a "chat" feature for viewers.
On Saturday they'll be sponsoring an online fundraising event called a "squirrel-a-thon." Live cams will give you a close-up view of a variety of wildlife being cared for and fed by volunteers. There also will be viewer question and answer sessions. Among the critters featured will be baby squirrels, chipmunks, skunks and opossums.
It runs from 12:02 to 4:02 p.m. and promises to be both fun and educational. Great for kids and families.
You can sign up for it here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Did you see today's Daily Breeze story on the Coast & Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation group?
Based in Malibu, Coast & Canyon founder Marcia Rybak now has a network of trained assistants throughout the South Bay. That's good news for those of you who wonder where to take an injured or abandoned baby opossum or squirrel.
There's a contact list on the group's website (scroll down for the South Bay people & phone numbers).
Meanwhile, enjoy watching this live video cam of three baby squirrels currently being cared for by the organization. But I'll warn you. It's addicting. (And I'm told that there will be audio added to tonight's 5 p.m. feeding.)
And about the coin .... A quarter was placed in the nest initially to give viewers a perspective on the size of the babies. Now, the wildlife group is getting coins sent to them from around the world so they'll be featuring some of those in the coming days. Tomorrow look for a coin and flag either from Ireland or Poland (today's U.S. flag is in honor of Presidents Day).
If you'd like to post comments live on the video along with other viewers, go to:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/squirrelwatcher
Here's another helpful link that lists all licensed wildlife rehabbers for each state.
See?
A rare Guadalupe fur seal was rescued Sunday at the tidepools at Cabrillo Beach.
Read more about it from reporter Larry Altman on the Daily Breeze home page and also on the Pipeline blog.
The 15-pound pup was not with its mother and was taken to the marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. They are now quite rare and generally are found on Guadalupe Island off Baja.
By the way, the second photo here has gotten a couple comments from readers who spotted it on our Pipeline blog. They were upset that we showed a young boy snapping a cell phone picture of the animal at close range. What do you think? Wilflife experts, of course, are always reminding spectators to stay clear of beached creatures and not to disturb them. Somehow this youngster slipped in to get pretty close.
I was walking Cowboy and Tess through our neighborhood park this morning when we were spat at by a swan? A goose? Or something. I'm not entirely sure what she was, but she had a very long neck and she was clearly irritated by our attempts to pass through her territory, disturbing her morning snooze. My colleague Sandy Mazza, who says she was once almost attacked by a swan, says it's a swan. So there you go.
But whatever she was, there she sat, right in the middle of the walkway. We waited. I tried talking to her. She wasn't much interested. I wondered if we should just turn back, it was one of these creatures, after all, that came stalking right toward us last time we tried this maneuver. (We turned tail pretty quick that time.)
Eventually, she spit at us some more and then honked as she reluctantly rose from her spot and moved (sort of) off to the side, allowing us to walk by. Talk about being in a foul mood.
Cowboy and Tess were much more interested in the squirrels, of course. But I had the sense we ruined the feathered Missy's day.
It's baby season so you may wind up finding one of these little guys in your backyard. What to do? Find a wildlife rehabilitator near you. In our local area, we have South Bay Wildlife (310-378-9921 or SBWildlifeRehab@aol.com).
HT: LAObserved.com
About the Bloggers
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.