Date: 4/26/24 1:59 pm From: Ursula K. Heise via groups.io <heise.ursula...> Subject: Re: [LACoBirds] Loon Rescue Update
Hello Neysa:
Please give my thank you to Patrick, and yes, please tell him that loon is
now in good hands. Very happy to see the crew working out there today - all
three guys were very helpful.
Warm best,
Ursula K. Heise
Venice
On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 1:21 PM Neysa Frechette <neysaf...>
wrote:
> Hi Ursula,
>
> So glad to hear you were able to help the loon! Patrick is our Habitat
> Restoration Manager at Friends of Ballona Wetlands, we were out doing trail
> rehabilitation work at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh today. I will let him
> know that the loon arrived at IBR!
>
> We also have a drop down menu “Found an Injured Animal?” with a list of
> helpful animal rescue/injury numbers on our Contact Page:
> https://www.ballonafriends.org/contact-us >
> Thank you for going above and beyond for that bird!
>
> Best wishes,
> Neysa
> --
>
> *Neysa Frechette* | *Manager of Scientific Programs*
>
> *Friends of Ballona Wetlands* | P.O. Box 5159 | Playa del Rey | CA | 90296
>
> *p. 818.470.3593*
>
> *<neysaf...> <neysaf...> *
>
> *www.ballonafriends.org <http://www.ballonafriends.org/> *
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 26, 2024 at 1:09 PM Ursula K. Heise via groups.io
> <heise.ursula...> wrote:
>
>> Hello Friends:
>>
>> I'm now back home and wanted to extend a warm thank you to all of you who
>> jumped in and helped out with very useful info this morning. Here's the
>> story so far:
>>
>> I spotted the loon just east of the Ballona Creek bike/ped bridge in
>> Marina del Rey a little after 9 this morning, not far from a small group of
>> surf scoters. Unlike the scoters, the loon seemed to be moving oddly, just
>> paddling in place, sort of like a buoy. So I jogged across the bridge and
>> climbed down to take a closer look, and saw that there was a fishing line
>> running from the loon to the shore.
>>
>> A very friendly and helpful passerby located a piece of broken glass that
>> we could use to cut the line (the ubiquitous trash came in handy, for a
>> change). But then I discovered to my dismay that the rest of the line ran
>> into the loon's bill. I picked it up, wrapped it in my vest and looked in
>> its bill, but the line ran down its throat. So I rushed it to my car, put
>> it in a box, and sent the emergency email, then left a voicemail with IBR.
>> Thanks so much for the quick reference to IBR from people on this list -
>> that was a lifesaver!!
>>
>> I started heading east on Culver, saw several guys doing work at the
>> Ballona Freshwater Marsh, and pulled over to see if they might have advice.
>> They checked the bird, confirmed that the hook was deep down its gull, and
>> a guy with the nametag Patrick said IRB would take it in (anyone know who
>> that Patrick might be - I want to thank him?). Real luck that I'm not
>> teaching today, so I drove down to San Pedro, and they took the loon in.
>> Vet seemed hopeful that the hook could be removed with surgery, and also
>> noted that one of the loon's eyes looked a bit funny, which I hadn't
>> noticed. It's now Pacific Loon 368 down there. I'll call on Monday to see
>> how he/she is doing.
>>
>> The loon did seem pretty strong - it struggled to get out of my vest and
>> arms in Playa del Rey and to get out of the box down in San Pedro, which I
>> thought was a good sign: I hope that it wasn't caught on that line the
>> whole night.
>>
>> I'm sending a generous donation to IBR this weekend - so glad they were
>> there in this situation! And I can't thank everyone on this list enough for
>> the referral: I was about to take the loon to the Access Animal Hospital on
>> Jefferson, where I take my pet birds, but was doubtful that they'd accept a
>> wild bird. So your lightning-fast responses to my emergency email came in
>> the nick of time!
>>
>> I've posted a picture of the loon with this morning's ebird list:
>> https://ebird.org/checklist/S170404169.
>>
>> Thank you, everyone, and let's hope this beautiful bird survives! I'll
>> send an update next week.
>>
>> Ursula K. Heise
>> Venice
>>
>>
>>
