:: Olympus E-M1 + Zuiko 50-200mm ::
A Marbled Godwit forages on Redondo Beach in California. On many beaches, these piles of seaweed at the wrack line contain a variety of trash. Behind the bird, you can see the blur of green marine rope in another pile where s/he foraged. I don't get everything I see, but I do my best try remove and cut up fishing monofilament + hooks, and dispose of wildlife-hazardous garbage.
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Tags: marbled godwits shorebird foraging trash garbage rubbish pollution 2015 winter beach redondo beach california southern california wrack zone seaweed olympus omd e-m1 zuiko 50-200mm
... or at least have the decency to leave some chips.
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Tags: gull trash garbage beach cleanup pollution litter beach california seagull fritos chips fast food olympus e-m1 pacific ocean wrapper plastic waste rubbish bird wildlife
A discarded backpack washed up after a storm, with a backdrop of an offshore petroleum rig (THUMS islands).
Tags: petroleum offshore drilling rig island long beach california southern california backpack manufacturing thums island san pedro bay east wilmington oil field astronaut islands
The title is in reference to the animation of the same name, which shows the end effects of our refuse habits (storyofstuff.org). The Sanderling's legs were bound together by this string, with just enough room to be mobile on his feet, but not agile.
I think about scenes like this every time I put something in the trash. Imagining the possible outcome helps me cut back and take care, although there's always room for improvement. Photos like this remind me of that.
This Sanderling could fly, and was foraging with this impairment, albeit with some difficulty. Just as I saw this little guy, an amazing person just happened to pass by -- a marine animal rescue employee driving along the beach with a rescued sea lion pup in his truck. I asked if he might have a moment to attempt a quick rescue on this guy. Despite his compassion and deftness, the Sanderling was too wary and quick, and flew off in anticipation of a capture. I observed this bird throughout the morning and I hope that the material here is cotton or some other organic fiber that will biodegrade. I don't think it's fishing monofilament. Any opinions on what it could be?
Tags: sanderling trash garbage bird entanglement string fiber pollution shorebird ocean beach redondo beach tangled tied sandpiper injury injured
Please recycle or cut up and dispose of fishing tackle. This juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron had both legs bound together with fishing line. He had the ability to fly and perch but was hobbled when walking. He was waiting for handouts on the pier. His wading and foraging ability will be seriously compromised unless someone can get him and cut him free. The line was also wrapped tight around his leg as you can see in this photo, another issue altogether.
Unlike the gull I was able to capture very close to this location, there was no way for me and Hugh to catch this heron with the bare rescue kit we had (no net, etc). We tried one stealth maneuver but he evaded us. We didn't want to push it and possibly scare him into a worse situation.
I notified a local wildlife rescue in the hopes that they'll continue checking Redondo Pier for these birds. There's a lot of interaction between wildlife, fishermen, and fishing gear in that area and I did not see any monofilament recycling areas or signs alerting fisher people to the issue.
Tags: birds tangled entangled fishing line fishing gear monofilament black-crowned night heron herons juvenile young caught injured foot redondo pier redondo beach southern california los angeles pacific ocean winter january 2014 olympus om-d e-m1 zuiko 50-200mm