X Marks The Spot, Tern Nest Obliterated By Clean Up Crews. Gulf Wide Aid Sought.

After a very trying day yesterday, I arrived on Grand Isle just as the sun was setting.  Magenta hues blanketed the sky and a slight breeze cooled my sweaty forehead.  Excuse the colorful language, but those are actual facts, as is everything that has been reported in this blog since day one. (If anyone takes issue with anything reported here please be in touch.) I needed a beer badly, but the light was failing and I wanted to get out on the beach to get some photos of the three-day-old Least Tern chicks in the colony that Michael Seymour and his colleagues from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries had worked so hard in the past two days to get cordoned off and protected from the constant traffic on the beach.  I had gotten an email in the morning from Wayne Keller, the Grand Isle Port Commissioner that stated:

"Hopefully, I have nipped this in the bud.  At this morning's briefing at A Port, with Coast Guard and ES&H employees everyone was told to stay out of the vegetation and off the levees except at crossovers."

Day-old Least Tern chicks no longer in existence, due to ATV traffic associated with the cleanup efforts on Grand Isle Beach

We have been in communication with the Audubon Society and other concerned entities about flagging off sensitive colonies throughout the Gulf where cleanup crews are likely to be working.  It is one of the most positive efforts I have seen, thus far, involving the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and I wanted to get some good photos to blog about.  It is a really neat opportunity to involve volunteers, and I would like to put the call out right now for any Gulf residents to help out. Although some agencies have data on colony nests and other sensitive nesting areas (e.g. Snowy Plover), concerned citizens may have additional data that might help in locating important and sensitive areas.  If you have such location data, please email: gulfcolonynest@gmail.com

Please include as detailed information as possible, ideally GPS location of said colonies or nests throughout the gulf region that might be affected by the oil spill, and the clean up response to it, so that we can allocate effort to get in there and flag them off and communicate with all parties that might be involved in clean up in that area.

So, this little Least Tern Colony on Grand Isle State Beach is about a half-mile long of sporadic nests, and has wonderful flagging and staking on either side.  Though crews have all been told to stay out of it, in the last 48 hours the amount of tracks in certain locations has doubled or tripled, and the two chicks that I photographed just three days ago have been replaced with two sets of deep ATV ruts in the sand.  I cannot imagine the thoughtlessness involved in such an act, especially during this sensitive time in our Nation's history.

These two ATV tracks meet in precisely the location where the above Least Tern chicks were located.

Photo of location of nest and the matrix of new tracks in the area.

The photos that have surfaced on Anderson Cooper's CNN show, of the Brown Pelican colony on Queen Bess Island near Grand Isle, graphically display the absolute need for, if nothing else, communication between the agencies and contract workers responding to the spill.  Something needs to happen.

Cleanup workers on Queen Bess Island the day that the eggs were crushed, photo by Bridget Besaw.

Comments

[Joanne Semanie]

What is wrong with these people? Why are atv's even on the beach under these circumstances. They should be walked before anyone is allowed on there with a motor vehicle. Disgusting, makes me want to cry.

[Angela]

This must make you feel horrible :( I just knew this kind of thing was going to happen with inexperienced people tromping all over these sensitive nesting areas. I did NOT anticipate all the vehicle traffic on the beaches and IN the nesting habitat, however. I would be enraged, but it's like fighting a bureaucratic monster, so I'm just sad.

[Angela]

See Drew on Anderson Cooper at:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/16/video-oil-impacting-more-than-1000-birds/

[Rhode Island Earth Liberators]

Is this not considered 'critical habitat' for Plover and Least Tern? Unless there's been a NEPA waiver, arrest those assholes and put respirators on the Bp idiots claning their mess! ps....Thursday, during hearings,TexASS Congressman Joe Barton called your efforts and funds for clean-up a 'shake-down'....he should know, having received $1.3 mill from Bp and oil whores...surreal............

[Cyndi Bohannon]

The person responsible for the coordination of efforts to preserve, rescue and rehabilitate wildlife is Rhonda Murgatroyd. BP contracted with another firm who brought Ms. Murgatroyd on board as the Wildlife Branch Director. She is the person responsible for wildlife. She should be protecting the nesting grounds.

[Lasse lorentzen]

They do this as well as the burning of oil with sea turtles trapped in it because the amnt of oil proved to have been spilled set the fine. this is the worlds 3rd largest oil deposit and might be unclosable. if they want to save the us eastcoast and more they need THIS: www.bioversal.com

[Sarah Ells]

Mr.Drew Wheelen,...you're putting the call out to Gulf residents to help. What about an Oregon resident? Could I come down there to help you/your volunteer team, ASAP?

[kathy]

at least a case of cold ones for you Drew....keep keeping on...pardon my anger but my god how many more wtf moments can there be...thank you for keeping us informed

[deeringothamnus]

Since when does the United States negotiate on equal footing with foreign criminals? 20BB is not enough. I resent how British Petroleum framed this as a problem between equals, saying the US is a great country, BP is a great company, etc. Since when do we allow a foreign corporation to control media access to a disaster site on US soil, as per this NY times article. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/us/10access.html?src=tptw
Also, what if the well is not capped by August. Read the comment by dougr here, which explains why the flow rate is getting worse.
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6593#comment-648967

A well failure is similar to a dam failure, little trickles leading to spectacular gushers and structural collapse.

[Susan]

Drew Get seen on more TV! You are perfect for the Birds spokesperson. Blanket the media! You could be the Steve Irwin for birds! Speak their word Save the Birds. You rule! My Friend Be strong I wish you well. So does God. Susan

[Mae West]

Shall we say extermination event?
This bs catastrophe was all planned for. 4/20 is Hitler's birthday!!!
1. BP knew about the cracks 2 weeks beforehand.
2. BP sells half its stock
3. CEO sells over a million in stock.
4. Halliburton buys "Boots n Coot" a week or two before it happens.
5. BP hires UN troops and Gulf Police to patrol the waters and coastline.
6. This is not only an oil spill, they hit a volatile volcano
7. This volcano is emitting toxic poisons (4) of them into the air.
8. BP is using toxic chemicals made by Nalco to plane spray over the oil. This poison contains mercury and arsenic.
9. Gov't tells BP to quit spraying and they continue.
10. Nalco is owned by Al Gore, George Soros, BH Obama and others.
11. If this thing blows there will be a tsunami with up to 500 foot wave wiping out anything in its path up to 200 miles inland.
12. Cleanup people getting sick and dying
13. Birds falling dead out of the sky
14. Animals being picked up on shore dead in mass accumulation.
15. No protection for any of these cleaning and helping and for some who have never smoked a thing in their life, now have lungs looking like they've smoked 3 packs a day.
16. BH Obama has been down there with a bus load of his own people, not real coastline people telling us everything is okey, bs.. and then sends down 17,000 national guard.
17. All crops are dying inland of the coast. Farmers are reporting plants covered with white and yellow spots and acres upon acres rotting vegetation.
18. Federal govt is readying fema camps, bought up blocks of hotel rooms, will use post offices and military bases to evacuate in the next week or so
19. No fly zone over entire gulf.
20. The gulf stream will eventually take the oil in the ocean along the east coast over to Europe, there's is no stopping this.

WAKE UP FOLKS...no fish, no vegetation...food will soar as well as fresh water...gasoline!!!

Given a hurricane...I don't even want to think about all that it will affect.

God bless you and your family, but get the heck out of Dodge or it will kill you down there!

[Po Boiz of Sea Girt]

Drew.....as stated previously, Senator Murkowski had pdf file from Alaskan oil ecologists concerning Correctix......she balked...I hand delivered same to Senator Boxer at fund-raiser...no response...the use of this shit is clearly another 'smoke-screen' I just hope the Coast Guard/NOAA are held accountable for allowing massive 'control-burns' fueling epic tornadic/rain events and destruction of lives and property!

[Susan]

Nominate Drew for PERSON OF THE WEEK on ABC new site.
It is easy and will help expose what is happening to the birds.

[Susan]

Went back to the blog to click on prison scary egg destroying workers of ddeath.

i scroll down to view a sight of gentle life on clean sands white glistening shells and i look at my gentle little friends and think about it as a wallpaper then i go to words at bottom that say to me as i allof of sudden cannot breath and i become very aware and this can not be happening and the enormity of the situation becomes more and more clear and i think how i arise and i arise from sleep and know what deep suffering is taking place right now i cannot bear the pain and can no longer bear the feeling i get from photos aand that those who are on the frontline that feel as i do too it is so overwhelming i say this to you brothers and sisters let us turn to that which we believe and ask forgiveness and will youplease come help us now

[drew wheelan]

Sarah Ells,
I asked gulf residents, as they have the back ground info, and most of these colonies are known about. Also, these barrier islands are very difficult to get to and require boats. I assumed that out of towners might have to many difficulties to get around to be of great help. I think we have the situation under control, more or less in LA, and I think this is the most important and least prepared, in terms of colony posting, state in the gulf. Florida and MS have been very proactive about Least Terns and Black Skimmer colonies.

[Susan]

Sunday June 20 2010

Drew are you okay? I think of you always. I tell all that I can through word and posts about the nightmare unfolding.

But you Drew are on the frontline and it must be overwhelming to say the least.

I continue to pray and send good thoughts to give you strength to continue the fight.

Drew you are my hero. Go Drew Go! There is a great blue heron that lives near the river where I live I crossed the low water bridge last night and saw my friend and though grateful to see my mighty friend I cried.

[drew wheelan]

Susan,
Thank you so much for your continued support. I am doing well, despite the enormity of this disaster and lack of caring in the response and our government. They site numbers, and money sent, but the amount of caring could fit in a coffee cup. Knowing that everyday more people become aware of this tragedy, and are hopefully moved to do something about it helps a lot. It may be a different story when the migrant shorebirds arrive. I am scared.

[Mae West]

Reading the comments, I can't help but feel the compassion in the people of the south. This is such a travesty against the American people. I live in Minnesota and we have 10,000 some lakes. We have restrictions for everything. Nature is so beautiful to sit out on a warm evening watching the sun go down and listen to the birds sing, the fish jump out of the water and the tranquility of it all. I feel for the mega thousands whose lives depend on the ability to collect shrimp, clams, fish etc. Now I can't fathom the thought of eating any of it again. Daily they spray our skies with poisons up here. It will eventually affect our crops and wildlife. The government is out of control. Sometimes I wish I could wake up and have it all be a bad dream. For you folks down there I wish you the best. I pray for you and your families and hope that the suffering will stop soon. The affects of this disaster will go on for years to come. God bless you all.

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