releasing grebes.mpg

Releasing eared grebes into Quail Lake after they crash landed during a snow storm in Cedar City, Utah Dec 13th, 2011. Martin Tyner, founder & CEO of the Southwest Wildlife Foundation was among the volunteer rescuer's that cared for and released thousands of wild migratory birds that were grounded by the snow storm. The grebes can only take off from water and mistook parking lots, roads and freeways as lakes and rivers; landing on what they thought was the safety of water but in fact was asphalt. Phone calls started coming in shortly after 10 p.m. on December 12th and continued throughout the night and the next few days as people were directed to where the birds could be dropped off for examination and transportation to lakes in Hurricane and St. George areas that were not frozen over. Many birds were injured during crash landing and many others were killed by snow plows. Fortunately, the combined efforts of Southwest Wildlife Foundation, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the citizens of Southern Utah have saved over 3000 grebes so far.
www.gowildlife.org

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Bird Migration
• grebe
• ducks
• wildlife rescue
• Wildlife Rehabilitation
• Cedar
• City
• Utah
• Southwest Wildlife Foundation
• Southwestern United States
• Birds
• Nature

[poodlepainter1]

A grebe episode like this is rare in Utah, though this is not the first grebe event that I've I've helped with in the state. And yes the grebes were released in a lake 20 miles south and a much lower ellivation which means open water and no snow.

[DualofChaos]

Thank you for rescue.

[mbksdamsel]

@PROFILESophiaYates - Cedar City (where they landed) is higher in the mountains than St George (where they were released). Lakes wouldn't be frozen in St. George. Good thought though if you weren't familiar with Utah.

[flylikeIdo1]

@PROFILESophiaYates I read the lake is 20 miles from where they crash landed.

[PROFILESophiaYates]

hm if they were caught in a snow storm and these r some of the birds that survived a day later gee the weather sure cleared up fast to dump the survivors into a lake Im sure that has to be near by somewhere to where they landed. Im worried about this. Wonder if this will make the mainstream news?