Oil Starts To Wash Ashore Off Louisiana

Teams tackling the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico reported the presence of oil on a beach of an outlying island off Louisiana.

Oiled birds including gannets and brown pelicans have been found on the Chandeleur Islands.

"We have teams that have confirmed oil on the beach, at the south end of the Chandeleur Islands, at Freemason Island," coastguard Connie Terrell said.

"This is the first confirmation that Unified Command has received of oil on a shoreline," she added.

"It's largely just sheen, there is no evidence of medium or heavy oil," Ms Terrell said.

BP spokesman John Curry said three emergency response teams had been sent to the island, 30 miles off the mainland.