The IBRRI has been caring for and rehabilitating birds injured
in the November 7th San Francisco Bay oil spill, along with birds
coming up injured and starving along Monterey Bay due to unrelated
causes.

State officials now say that funds for cleaning and rehabilitating
oil saoked birds cannot be diverted to help in caring for birds in the
Monterey Bay incident because the source of the problem is not petroleum
oil but some sort of protein formed in the red tide algae bloom currently
affecting the bay.

Some 600 birds have been rescued and transported to care facilities
for cleaning, drying and feeding, but State funds now may not be used
to offst the cost of their care.

If you are a bird lover, or just want to do something great this holiday
season, consider making a donation to the International Bird Rescue Resource
Institute where these birds have been being cared for and treated for release.

You’ll find them here: http://www.ibrrc.org/donate.html

Just so you know, even without any additional support or State funding, the
many local volunteer groups who have been rescuing and caring for these birds
continue to do the work of capturing, cleaning, feeding and saving birds who have
been washing up on Monterey Bay area beaches with no water proofiing since
November 8th.