The wet and wild weather over the summer is causing problems for seabirds.

WIRES volunteers, particularly on the north coast has had a busy couple of weeks, saving animals in distress.

WIRES volunteer Llyris said local carers have received a large number of calls for injured and distressed seabirds.

We have been rescuing a lot of Sooty Terns, both adults and juveniles, all along the coast but particularly on the Mid North Coast.

While they are in care, they have been requring urgent and intensive care, as they are thin and exhausted.

We have also been taking calls for a large number of other seabirds, some of which are rarely seen in care, and most of which usually only come to land to breed. 

If you find an injured seabird on the beach or elsewhere please call WIRES on 1 300 094 737

When bushfires strike around the country WIRES is often inundated with calls from the public wanting to help.  It is encouraging to know that people care so much about our wildlife.

Many calls we take are from wonderful people wanting to assist with the rescue of injured wildlife in a direct way and while these offers are appreciated at times of crisis, it is necessary for people to be licensed and trained before they are able to do this safely.

Only appropriately trained WIRES members are authorised to carry out such activities, and must not attempt to enter fire areas until authorised to do so by local fire control officers.

We would suggest that apart from donations, one of the most effective ways people can help is to think about registering now to attend one of our volunteer training courses and become a trained WIRES rescuer or carer. Then if we are faced with catastrophic fires you would be in a position ot actively assist injured wildlife in the most direct way.

It is also important for people who live in areas where fires have been to keep these things in mind to help wildlife in the aftermath:

Keep cats indoors and dogs under control wherever possible

Leave bowls of water out for animals escaping the fires

Keep a cardboard box and towel in the boot of the car in case you find an injured animal

If you rescue an animal that has been burnt, wrap it loosely, place it in a cardboard box, keep it in a dark, quiet and warm place

Call WIRES or take it to a local vet for assistance as soon as possible

Make water available

Do not try and feed the animal

Do not leave food out in the national parks for the wildlife

Now that it is spring, WIRES – the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service is receiving many calls to ringtail possums.

Possums breed all year round but are especially prolific in spring.

WIRES General Manager Leanne Taylor, said members of the public are calling WIRES about dead ringtail possums which have been hit by cars or attacked by cats and dogs but which have live joeys.

"In the last five days, WIRES has been called to possums at Ryde, twice at North Ryde, Beacon Hil, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Kirribilli, Gordon, Emu Plains, St Ives, Roseville, twice at Lindfield, Chatswood and Manly, Oatley, Forestville, Terrigal, North Epping, Ryde, Ingleside, Bankstown, Rydalmere and two at Rose Bay," Ms Taylor said.

"We are recieving calls from helpful people who have found a live joey in a pouch or on the ground nearby."

"What we would like to ask is that people have a close look for a second joey as ringtails nearly always have twins."

"A juvenile rintail has no chance of survival without its mother so we are asking people to be vigilant and remember if they find one joey, there is likely to be a second one nearby," Ms Taylor said.

Every year many WIRES volunteers find themselves inundated with chicks. Among others, we see many tawny frogmouth chicks. They come into care for a variety of reasons, sometimes a run of wild weather will contribute, other times there is no single recognisable cause for the influx.

In the first instance we try to place them back with their parents however when there are already other chicks in the nest it is often a case of - they all rolled over and one fell out - and it is very hard to place the one that has fallen from a nest back where it belongs when it is high up in a eucalyptus tree. 

When it is very busy it is often necessary for volunteers with large aviaries to specialise so we can keep the same species together.  Someone will take in the magpie chicks and others the tawnies.