Australian Seabird Rescue to honour its founder
Australian Seabird Rescue is preparing to honour its founder, the late Lance Ferris, with the inaugural Lance Ferris Memorial Dinner to be held at the Ballina RSL on December 12.
“Lance was a much-loved figure in this community and Australian Seabird Rescue is his legacy,” said ASR’s acting general manager, Keith Williams.
“Lance passed away in October 2007 and while we still miss him terribly, we know that keeping ASR going and offering the best care we can for his beloved pelicans and turtles is the best way to honour his memory.
“We still need sponsorships from local business and artists for prizes and auction items for the dinner.”
Anybody who can help is encouraged to contact Keith at ASR (Ph 6686 2852). Tickets for the dinner can be purchased from the RSL.
Meanwhile, the windy weather last weekend resulted in a few calls to Australian Seabird Rescue (ASR) but none more challenging than the plight of a baby Osprey blown from its nest at Ballina by the strong winds.
“Sunday afternoon is never a good time to be calling in help, but thanks to the quick response from Country Energy and Ballina Shire Council, our baby Osprey was back in the nest after only a couple of hours,” Mr Williams said.
“Time is critical in this situation. By minimising the time away from the nest it is less likely the parent will reject the youngster. A check of the nest on Monday morning proved that baby had settled back in and was being fed by mum.
“I must also give a big thank you to the all the people that phoned about a cormorant with fishing line coming from its mouth hanging around the public jetty at Fawcett Park.
“It took three weeks for us to catch him and in that time, we received over 40 calls about this bird.
“We tried everything we could think of during those three weeks and eventually caught him by net from a boat.
“A quick trip to the vet to remove the hook and a few days in care and he was released well away from that stretch of the river.
“The last thing we want is for him to tempted by a fish on a hook again.”
Mr Williams said most bird injuries happened with unattended lines or while people are actively fishing.
“If you do accidentally hook a bird, the best thing is to try and gently bring the bird in and remove the hook. Trailing fishing line can get caught around wings and is potentially lethal. If you need help, call ASR,” said.
ASR also received some good news on funding, with the Federal Department of Environment reversing an earlier decision and making a grant of $2300 to help with administration costs.
Mr Williams said the Department admitted it had made a mistake in assessing the ASR funding application.
“I’d like to thank our local Federal Member, Janelle Saffin, who lobbied the Ministe’s office on our behalf. It’s not a huge amount, but every little bit helps.”
ASR’s regular 10am school holiday tours start this Saturday.
PICTURE: The cormorant found injured at Fawcett Park in Ballina.
