2021 Patient of the Year Voting Begins!
Time to tell us the story that moved you most! At the end of each year, we like to reflect on the many special patients that came into our care. With both the Long Beach Tern Incident and the Huntington Beach Oil Spill, this year has kept us plenty busy. The seven contestants selected for 2021 Patient of the Year have unique recovery journeys. To help you remember, here is a brief summary with links to full blog post stories.
Remember to vote for your favorite bird by Sunday, December 26th at 2021 Patient of the Year Voting Form. Three lucky voters will win a 2022 Bird Rescue calendar!
1. Common Merganser chicks – To help them hone critical skills, we feed Merganser chicks live minnows! Hence, “chicks with expensive tastes.” This gives them the chance to dive and pursue prey just as they would in the wild.
2. “Lil Mike” the Elegant Tern – During the Long Beach Tern Crisis, this chick was found drowning underwater until Bird Rescue’s Julie Skoglund rescued him from the water and performed a life-saving coupage – a kind of avian CPR.
3. Snowy Plover Chicks – Snowy Plover chicks miraculously hatched at our SF Bay-Delta Center after being abandoned. We had to open small hole to assist the chicks who were struggling to make it out, but make it out they did!
4. Black Oystercatcher Chick – This brightly-colored chick was found on its own in Berkeley and successfully raised at our SF Bay-Delta center!
5. Released Redhead – This hungry patient came to us on Valentine’s Day after being found wounded in the street. He ate his way from 634 grams at intake up to 924 grams in just under two weeks! He was released in the Ballona Wetlands to rejoin his fellow wild waterbirds.
6. Snowy Egrets from Tree Trimming Incident – Several egret chicks were carefully rescued from a dangerous tree trimming event back in June. After dropping from the nest, the helpless baby birds were stabilized at a local vet clinic and transferred to our San Francisco Bay-Delta Wildlife Center for specialized rehabilitation.
7. Oiled Common Raven Chick – We washed this unusual patient free of oil with the help of our friends at the California Wildlife Center(CWC), who routinely care for ravens and crows.
Thank you to the rescuers, volunteers, and donors who helped give each of these outstanding birds a second chance at life!