trash

Tag

By Doc is Angry and Heart-Sick
PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE FISHING LINE BEHIND, PLEASE.

     Doc is Heart-Sick and Angry about 3 young birds at Jordan Lake. All 3 are in trouble because someone couldn’t take the time to put broken line in the trash. A few steps to save a bird is all I am asking. Please remove trash of all kinds and help the birds and fish and people have a clean environment.

     Today we found 3 different birds in trouble at Jordan Lake – ALL three due to carelessly left behind fishing line.
     1) This young cormorant has line wrapped through it’s bill and then wrapped around its neck. You can see the swelling behind the line on the throat. This bird probably won’t make it because the line will restrict his ability to swallow a fish.
     2-4) This is an immature great blue heron – one of this year’s babies. There is a cluster of fishing hooks snagged in its neck. There is fishing line trailing from the hooks, down around its body and trailing behind it. This bird might make it if the wound in the neck doesn’t get infected.
     5) I don’t have a photo yet of the 3rd bird – it is one of this year’s fledgling ospreys. It has fishing line wrapped all around one foot and the foot is swollen. The osprey can still fly so we have no way to catch it. The Rangers are closely watching the youngster. If it becomes immobilized they will do their best to get to it to help.

By rescue in 4 photos

The Bonaparte’s gull was all wrapped in fishing line.
Scot made an experienced cast with a broken-off fishing rod that A.C.E. Ranger Lane provided from lost and found.
He snagged the gull, reeled it in and TJ gently untangled the bird….

WALK9356 Dec 16 2015 @ 16-56-55 Haw RiverBonaparte's gull rescue

It took 4 hands to untangle all the fishing line.

WALK9366 Dec 16 2015 @ 16-59-55 Haw RiverBonaparte's gull rescue

Just released, the gull floated away.

WALK9385 Dec 16 2015 @ 17-01-21 Haw RiverBonaparte's gull rescue

The Bonaparte’s gull rested a while and then was back in the air looking for fish.

WALK9416 Dec 16 2015 @ 17-41-16 Haw RiverBonaparte's gull rescue

By lakeside home
This black vulture has good reason to be worried: people keep leaving litter in his beautiful lake home.
I see the vultures as part of nature’s maintenance force.
I would hate to see what a world without the vultures’ uncomplaining work would look like.
Please share the work of the Clean Jordan Lake Organization and the Army Corps of Engineers.
Tell others of the concerns of the vultures, the bluebirds, the eagles, the herons, the ecosystem we call Jordan Lake.

vulture litter sign

By danger

This is the eastern kingbird.
I love his scientific name: Tyrannus tyrannus – yes, like the dinosaur.
This bird rules his territory and will aggressively escort any other bird, up to and including eagles, out of it.
What he cannot rule is the trash that man leaves behind.
Look below his tail and across my copyright notice: fishing line.
Look above his right wing: a fishing line leader.
Follow the leader to the snarl of line above and to the left of the bird.
Thankfully I didn’t see this bird get caught – he is a flycatcher and has quick reflexes and keen eyesight.
I wish I could have removed the line – but the whole mess is 20 feet up the tree and way out on a small limb.

WALK4717 Jun 10 2015 @ 07-28-23 Ebenezer Jun 10 2015 @ 07-28-23 kingbird fishing line

By worried deer

I was walking the Jordan Lake shoreline after the long Memorial Day holiday.
I stopped and watched when I saw this deer step from the woods.
It glanced at me and proceeded to browse the brush on the shoreline.
Then the deer saw the grill – something totally outside the deer’s experience –
and well it should be, as having a fire anywhere but in designated places is unsafe and forbidden.
The grill is an expensive piece of trash that has to be picked up by the rangers or volunteers.
The deer eventually eased back into the woods, watching the grill monster the whole time.

WALK1844 May 28 2015 @ 10-20-37 New Hope Deer grill

By please, no beer no trash

WALK7923 Apr 12 2015 08-22-16 Haw RiverVulture beer 2I was sitting across the river when I took this photo this morning. The black vulture had flown in, poked at the beer can, but then began working on the fish skeleton. As a veterinarian I don’t believe that animals, wild or domestic should have alcohol. As a citizen I was upset that people had littered the riverbank with trash and cans –
not to mention that alcohol is forbidden anywhere on Jordan Lake, or federal property on the Haw River.