Audubon Society: Gulf coast bird populations look OK, but oil found in many places

By Cain Burdeau, Associated Press
Thursday, October 14, 2010, 9:00 AM National Audubon Society experts say bird populations along Louisiana’s oil-tainted shores are doing surprisingly well nearly six months after the BP oil spill, but caution that oil continues to ooze out of the ground in many places and multiple threats remain. Bird experts with the New York-based bird conservation group walked Louisiana’s marshy and sandy coast in September, counted about 10,000 birds and found only three with oil on them. Another good sign: There were lots of young brown pelicans. “More than half of the brown pelicans I saw were birds born this year,” said Thomas Bancroft, Audubon’s chief scientist. “I had not expected that.” The brown pelican is Louisiana’s state bird and it was taken off the endangered species list in November 2009. It is one of hundreds of bird species found in the Mississippi River delta, a crucial habitat for birds in North America. The report [pdf], released Wednesday, called the region a “Grand Central Station” for birds on their way to and from breeding grounds and wintering spots to the north and south. But the report said it was far too early to declare bird populations safe from the oil spill, caused by a damaged BP well that spilled more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf after a drilling rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers. The Audubon survey found oil in many places. “In some cases it was buried beneath the sand and oozed upward in response to pressure or changing temperatures,” the report said. “Tarballs peppered high-tide lines on some beaches.” The report said tarry material also sits on tidal flats and sends “a steady stream of oily materials to shore.” …

Coastal bird populations look OK, Audubon Society experts say