The Common Murre is really anything but common. It spends its whole life offshore in the ocean. It only comes to shore when it is in some sort of trouble. The little penquin-like birds stay warm and dry beneath their insulating feathers. The problem starts when the encounter an oil slick floating on the surface of the ocean. The slick substance compromises their waterproofing and lets the frigid water into its skin. The result is about the same as us falling into the winter ocean...we wouldn't last very long.
  We had a Murre a few years ago and it was quite a celebrity. Channel 12 News came east to film it before the Coast Guard  took a few of our volunteers offshore to release it.
  This year, we were graced with the presence of two of these little tuxedo dressed birds. Although it was separate occasions, they were both covered with oil.
  The oil can be removed in a washing process using Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in water maintained between 102 and 104 degrees.  Sometimes the washings have to be done many times. This stresses the animals out terribly and must be performed carefully so as not to damage any of the life-saving feathers or to stress the animal to death.
  Spending their entire life out on the ocean makes these birds very susceptible to lesions on their keels (breastbone) and hocks. These extremities are used to floating on the water, not hard surfaces. Needless to say, we try to get these guys back to their natural surroundings as soon as possible.
  The first patient came from up west. Found on Fire Island the bird was covered with oil. Luckily, the oil covering did not suppress its appetite at all. Usually, disabled animals are problem eaters and have to be tube-fed when in captivity. This one was a voracious eater.
  We could not believe when the second one came in, that it was also a good eater. It makes the ordeal of capture a lot easier when the staff doesn't have to slide a tube down its throat to feed it. Most of the time, it seems the law of averages never catches up with wildlife rehabilitators, but this, apparently,  was our time.
  Ginnie released the first bird on the beach off Dune Road. The little bird flew out to the surf line and then dove in and obviously was overwhelmed with joy about being back in its element. She watched it until it swam out of site. This is the ultimate reward for the rehabilitator.
  The second bird still needs another bath with Dawn before it can be returned to Montauk where it was found. It is outside in the big 1100 gallon pool and looks like it is raring to go home.
  After a steady diet of common birds like gulls, gulls and more gulls, it is a pleasure to get to work with something different like the Murres.