A Fowl Reminder

“You all care about wildlife right?”

Normally when we are at the Harbor WildWatch booth our naturalists and volunteers get specific questions about the animals in the touch tanks; what do seastars eat; what kind of crab is this; is that edible?  We had just finished setting up for the Tacoma Maritime Fest when a gentleman approached us with an unusual inquiry.  He wanted to know if we could save a seagull. 

We followed him along the shoreline of Commencement Bay and just beyond the festival booths we were greeted with a pitiful squawk. Gaaaahwk!  Just out of reach (I know because I waded in as far as my shorts would let me) there was the bird floating on the surface with one wing hopelessly tangled in fishing line.  We watched as the gull alternated between a strained pull as it paddled against the snared line and pathetic flopping as it tried to fly away.  This bird was going nowhere; thankfully.   Instead of starting our day with a desperate swim after a distressed gull, we were able to wait for our diver to arrive.  In full SCUBA gear, Tom easily waded out and brought the gull in close.  Armed with a dive knife, Rachel (our resident Snow White) was able to untangle the line from the young bird’s wing.  Free of debris and only slightly ruffled, our feathered friend paddled off.  As our crew came to shore with the tangled mess of line in hand, we looked back to see the gull take off in full, unimpeded flight.  Success!

I think it is fair to say that not all entangled birds are as lucky.  It is also true that derelict gear is not only a serious problem for sea birds but for other animals as well.  From the teeny tiny zooplankton feeding on photo-degraded plastic particles, to the mighty sea lion being strangled by an abandoned net; loose lines, nets, and plastic pollution of any sort can be detrimental to all levels of the marine ecosystem.  As a steward for the marine environment, I’m not asking you to put on a badge and patrol the beach for animals in distress.  I’m requesting that we prevent entanglement happening in the first place.  The Puget Sound is not a place for harmful junk.  We should respect and protect the places that are important to us and that can be as simple as pocketing a bottle cap or wad of fishing line and taking it to the trash.

Stena Troyer, Naturalist

Note: Washington State Fish & Wildlife services were contacted prior to handling the gull as all native wild birds are protected by Washington State laws and regulations.  If you find an animal in need of help you can call the Pierce County Wildlife Rehabilitator at 360-886-8917.  Or you can call Harbor WildWatch at 253-514-0187 and we can make the report.