New rehabilitation pool at DBWBR—Photo by Cindy Daily
OPAS Funds New Seabird Rehabilitation Pool
Narrative by Dee Renee Ericks
In May of this year, Conservation Committee co-chair Bob Phreaner and his wife, Enid, visited Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue (DBWBR) near Port Townsend to check on a rescued Short-eared Owl, “KOA,” that they had found caught in barbed wire four years earlier. Accompanied by Arnold and Debbie Schouten of Dry Creek Waterfowl, they toured the facility with DBWBR owner Cindy Daily. During this visit, Cindy showed them a rather dilapidated pool used for seabird rehabilitation and expressed her hopes of rebuilding it.
Cindy Daily and her education Swainson’s Hawk, “Ryder,” give a presentation at the June OPAS Members Meeting. Photo by Dee Renee Ericks
Arnold Schouten is an expert in designing enclosures and pools for waterfowl, and he leads a seabird affinity group supporting the upcoming Olympic Coast Exploration Center. After discussing the project with Cindy Daily and the Schoutens, Bob recommended to the OPAS Board that Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society fund a new seabird rehabilitation pool for DBWBR. The planned project included a 300‑gallon concrete pool measuring 6 feet by 7 feet and 3 feet deep, located where the plumbing for the previous pool was already in place. The OPAS Board approved Bob’s proposal in early June.
Seabird rehabilitation pool construction in progress. Photo by Dee Renee Ericks
On July 19, Bob received word that the OPAS‑sponsored seabird rehabilitation pool was now operational—and had been gleefully endorsed by auklets! Cindy shared a short video of the new pool in action.
Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue was established in 1994. Bob noted that Cindy is continually upgrading the facilities. DBWBR takes in and releases hundreds of wild birds each year, ranging from the tiniest hummingbirds to native songbirds, crows, ravens, all types of seabirds and waterfowl, and even owls and large raptors such as Bald Eagles and hawks.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) used DBWBR’s intake room and x‑ray equipment to evaluate a sick Trumpeter Swan captured at a Spath Road pond last March.
Intake room at DBWBR. Photo by Dee Renee Ericks
The Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue facility—and the work they do—is funded by grants and generous donations from the community. They rely on this support to provide critical medical care, food, shelter, and a safe path back to the wild for injured and orphaned birds. If you find an injured bird on the Olympic Peninsula, these are the professionals to contact:
Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue
PO Box 861 Port Townsend, WA 98368
discobaywb@gmail.com 360‑379‑0802
Website: https://www.discoverybaywildbirdrescue.com/
For more information about Cindy Daily, see: https://olympicpeninsulaaudubon.org/conservation-awards