I brought up earlier that I wondered about the wisdom of releasing oiled birds found in the Gulf Mexico. Typically in wildlife rehab, you release birds in and around the area the injured birds were found, the area they are used to. In this case, what's the point of releasing an oiled bird back to an area already coated with oil that will be covered with more oil on a daily basis? Thanks to a link I saw from Klaus (who started the awesome Skywatch Friday), I saw this news: Birds Rescued From Oil Released Into Safety Of Merritt Island Refuge.

Rather than releasing the cleaned up birds back to the Gulf of Mexico where they run the risk of falling victim to the oil again, releasing them to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge gives them a chance. It's on the Atlantic side of Florida and relatively safe from the oil. That's no guarantee for the released birds' survival. They have to work out territory issues with the birds that are already there and birds have wings and an incredible navigational system. The birds may return to Louisiana, but at the moment this is a better chance than being released where they were found.