Dozens of bird eggs and chicks rescued from wind-damaged eucalyptus tree in California
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks were rescued from nests in a single wind-damaged eucalyptus tree that was dangerously close to collapsing in a California park.
Now staff at the International Bird Rescue's Los Angeles Wildlife Center have been working around the clock to care for the 47 eggs and 12 chicks, all double-crested Cormorants, in hopes that they will be able to be released back into the wild in a few months.
The tree at a park in Marina del Rey was flagged earlier this month after one of its trunks fell and crushed a trash bin enclosure, explained Nicole Mooradian, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors. Its other trunk was showing signs of collapsing as well.
'It wasn't a question of if this tree is going to fail, it was more of a when,' she said Monday. 'The cracks were growing wider by the day. It was really bad.'
For at least five hours on March 10, tree contractors meticulously removed each of the 20 nests and chopped off branches one at a time. Biologists on the ground put the eggs and hatchlings in egg cartons and boxes with heated blankets acting as temporary incubators.
Double-crested Cormorants are common in Southern California and tend to nest in large colonies that may crowd a single tree, explained Kylie Clatterbuck, wildlife center manager for the bird rescue.
Taking care of them can be very difficult because when they hatch they are essentially 'naked little balls of skin' completely reliant on their parents, she said.
At the rescue in San Pedro, the chicks must be fed every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.. When staff interact with them, they wear a black suit and disguise their face, while using decoys and puppets to keep the birds from forming an attachment with them, which could make them too trusting of humans in the wild.
Rescue staff expect the birds to stay for at least three months and then once they can hunt on their own and fly, they plan to release them into the wild.
All of the chicks are healthy and happy, with some about 2 weeks old and already eating whole fish, said Clatterbuck.
'It's really hard raising baby birds. We do our best; we do what we know; we treat what we know," she said. 'And we can only hope that they do a good job and they can survive.'
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The Guardian
25-03-2025
- The Guardian
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks rescued from collapsing tree in California
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks were rescued from nests in a single wind-damaged eucalyptus tree that was dangerously close to collapsing in a California park. Now staff at the International Bird Rescue's Los Angeles wildlife center have been working around the clock to care for the 47 eggs and 12 chicks, all double-crested cormorants, in hopes that they will be able to be released back into the wild in a few months. The tree at a park in Marina del Rey was flagged earlier this month after one of its trunks fell and crushed a trash bin enclosure, explained Nicole Mooradian, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles county department of beaches & harbors. Its other trunk was showing signs of collapsing as well, threatening not only the birds but anyone on the nearby public walkway or in the parking lot next door. 'It wasn't a question of if this tree is going to fail, it was more of a when,' she said on Monday. 'The cracks were growing wider by the day. It was really bad.' For at least five hours on 10 March, tree contractors meticulously removed each of the 20 nests and chopped off branches one at a time. Biologists on the ground put the eggs and hatchlings in egg cartons and boxes with heated blankets acting as temporary incubators. Double-crested cormorants are common in southern California and tend to nest in large colonies that may crowd a single tree, explained Kylie Clatterbuck, wildlife center manager for the bird rescue. For about a month, cormorant parents incubate the eggs and then give the chicks regurgitated food for several weeks. Taking care of them can be very difficult because when they hatch they are essentially 'naked little balls of skin' completely reliant on their parents, she said. At the rescue in San Pedro, the chicks must be fed every hour from 8am to 8pm. When staff interact with them, they wear a black suit and disguise their face, while using decoys and puppets to keep the birds from forming an attachment with them, which could make them too trusting of humans in the wild. Rescue staff expect the birds to stay for at least three months and then once they can hunt on their own and fly, they plan to release them into the wild. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion All of the chicks are healthy and happy, with some about two weeks old and already eating whole fish, said Clatterbuck. 'It's really hard raising baby birds. We do our best; we do what we know; we treat what we know,' she said. 'And we can only hope that they do a good job and they can survive.'
The Independent
25-03-2025
- The Independent
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks rescued from wind-damaged eucalyptus tree in California
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks were rescued from nests in a single wind-damaged eucalyptus tree that was dangerously close to collapsing in a California park. Now staff at the International Bird Rescue's Los Angeles Wildlife Center have been working around the clock to care for the 47 eggs and 12 chicks, all double-crested Cormorants, in hopes that they will be able to be released back into the wild in a few months. The tree at a park in Marina del Rey was flagged earlier this month after one of its trunks fell and crushed a trash bin enclosure, explained Nicole Mooradian, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors. Its other trunk was showing signs of collapsing as well. 'It wasn't a question of if this tree is going to fail, it was more of a when,' she said Monday. 'The cracks were growing wider by the day. It was really bad.' For at least five hours on March 10, tree contractors meticulously removed each of the 20 nests and chopped off branches one at a time. Biologists on the ground put the eggs and hatchlings in egg cartons and boxes with heated blankets acting as temporary incubators. Double-crested Cormorants are common in Southern California and tend to nest in large colonies that may crowd a single tree, explained Kylie Clatterbuck, wildlife center manager for the bird rescue. Taking care of them can be very difficult because when they hatch they are essentially 'naked little balls of skin' completely reliant on their parents, she said. At the rescue in San Pedro, the chicks must be fed every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.. When staff interact with them, they wear a black suit and disguise their face, while using decoys and puppets to keep the birds from forming an attachment with them, which could make them too trusting of humans in the wild. Rescue staff expect the birds to stay for at least three months and then once they can hunt on their own and fly, they plan to release them into the wild. All of the chicks are healthy and happy, with some about 2 weeks old and already eating whole fish, said Clatterbuck. 'It's really hard raising baby birds. We do our best; we do what we know; we treat what we know," she said. 'And we can only hope that they do a good job and they can survive.'
The Independent
10-02-2025
- The Independent
Two types of chocolate give this elegant loaf cake deep flavor for a Valentine's Day treat
Chocolate is a must-have for Valentine's Day, but it needn't be fussy. Instead of melting bars for chocolate-covered strawberries or spending money on store-bought bon bons, give your valentine an intensely rich double chocolate loaf cake with a plush, velvety crumb. Inspiration for this cake came to us by way of Claire Ptak of Violet Cakes, a bakery-café in East London. In this recipe from our cookbook, ' Milk Street Bakes,' we achieve a complex chocolatiness using a generous amount of bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder. Any type of bittersweet chocolate will work, but for best results use one that's tasty enough to eat out of hand and contains about 70% cocoa solids. Don't use natural cocoa. Dutch-processed is best because the alkali used in its production gives the cocoa a richer, deeper hue and smoother taste that's important for color and flavor intensity. If your cocoa does not indicate type on the label, check the ingredient list. If it reads 'processed with alkali,' the cocoa is Dutch-processed. Serve slices with fresh berries and spoonfuls of crème fraîche, which has a subtle tang and creaminess that are fantastic foils for the cake. Store leftovers at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to three days. Double Chocolate Loaf Cake Start to finish: 1¼ hours (20 minutes active), plus cooling Makes one 9-inch loaf cake Ingredients: 200 grams (7 ounces) bittersweet chocolate (see headnote), finely chopped 198 grams (14 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into several chunks 195 grams (1½ cups) all-purpose flour 214 grams (1 cup) white sugar 43 grams (½ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 2 teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon table salt 3 large eggs, room temperature 1 cup boiling water Directions: Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment, allowing the excess to overhang the long sides of the pan. In a medium saucepan over medium, bring 1 inch of water to a simmer. Put the chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl on top of the saucepan; be sure the bottom does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the bowl from the pan and cool until barely warm to the touch, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs to the cooled chocolate mixture; whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a silicone spatula until evenly moistened; the mixture will be dryish and thick. Gradually stir in about half of the boiling water; when fully incorporated, whisk in the remaining boiling water. The batter will be smooth, glossy and fluid. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the center of the cake rises, forming deep fissures on the surface, and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment and set it directly on the rack. Cool to room temperature. Peel off and discard the parchment before slicing.
