Oiled Pelicans Find Sanctuary on Texas Coast

Four pelicans sit atop a light pole at the sleepy Goose Island State Park campground, scanning the water for the silvery flicker of fish jumping from St. Charles Bay. One bird spots a catch, dive-bombing into the water. The others go back to preening.

Nearby, park spokesman Mike Mullenweg sits in his idling pickup truck, scanning the pelicans for red and silver leg bands that would mean they came from Louisiana, rescued from the Gulf oil spill. The pelicans ignore his booming voice, the chug of the engine and the dredge out in the water.

Such is the low-key reception Texas has given to nearly 200 rehabilitated birds, mostly pelicans, since the spill. Veterinarians and volunteers cleaned the birds, which then got a lift from the Coast Guard to the Texas shore. These are the survivors. Deepwater Horizon Unified Command every day produces a report of how many animals responders find and whether they are clean, "visibly oiled” or dead. So far, responders have collected more than 1,400 birds alive in Louisiana alone. Another 2,100 have turned up dead.

As of Sunday, nearly 700 birds have been rescued and released. Neither disaster responders in Louisiana nor park officials in Texas are sure just how much the pelicans' rescue and release has cost. But they say they are tracking the expenses, and they expect BP to foot the bill eventually.

Here at Goose Island, near Rockport, the birds seem to be thriving. They enjoy plenty of fish and the company of thousands of other pelicans, Mullenweg says. But officials are holding their breath to see whether the rescued birds stick around — no sure thing, say veterinarians and biologists involved in the pelicans' release. The birds may fly back to Louisiana, where they could again face dangers in contaminated habitats.

More: http://www.texastribune.org/texas-state-agencies/texas-parks-and-wildlife/oiled-pelicans-find-sanctuary-on-texas-coast/