No - the little 'uns were all safe I just remembered that I was sitting on the bench having a cuppa one day, when a sparrowhawk [probably the same one] flew in through the gap on the boundary, passed between me and the washing - easily within arms' reach of me, circled back round and flew away again. One of those 'blink and you miss it' moments!
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
We've had a tame winter so the deer have remained mostly deep in the woods, but now that the snow pack is receding the deer are returning and tearing up the ground under the oak trees, going after the acorns.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
Very sad this morning to see a sickly looking female Bullfinch in the tray under my bird feeder. I noticed that she was looking very fluffed up and had been there for a while so I walked towards her hoping she’d fly off but she just sat there.
All typical signs of Trichomonosis, she also had food stuck to her beak and was gasping. I put some gloves on to try and pick her up so that I could place her in a cardboard box and put in a safe place but she flapped off into a bush.
We’ve had cases of Trichomonosis before and they always die in the end, it’s normally seen in the autumn though. So sad to see as it seems to take quite a long time for them to die, I wish I could be braver and put her out of her misery, but I just can’t. I’ve taken in my feeders to disinfect them and hope this is a solitary case.
This is about half of the mob of starlings that are hanging around this winter.
They're eating the dog kibble I soak for the crows, and when they get spooked they fly, en masse, up to the roof of my house. It sounds like it's pouring rain when they land! It's just so odd...no other birds land on my roof.
Yesterday one of the biggest skunks I've ever seen ran through my pasture. It was so big my brain wanted to identify it as one of the fox, but the legs were much too short. The really interesting thing about it was that it was nearly all white, usually they're black with distinctive white stripes. I'd say that I would love to get a photo of it, but honestly I'm hoping it was just passing through - the stench that followed it was horrible, and lingered for quite a while. I don't know which is smellier, skunks or porcupines.
New England, USA
Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
Very sad @CatDouch, and not much you can do unless you're happy to use a shovel. We used to get loads of chaffinches in the garden round the corner from here [previous home] but they have been extremely rare in this one, although we had a couple of youngsters visiting last year, and occasionally they've been in through winter. They were very badly affected by it, as were greenfinches, although the greenies don't visit the garden much, and never really did. Loads of them around though, as there's plenty of suitable habitat here - same with bullfinches.
What surprises me is the number of 'like' ticks your post has had....
Interesting that you don't get other birds on your roof @CrankyYankee. Plenty of them [starlings] round here too. Pigeons [wood] and magpies and other corvids land on ours quite often. Are your starlings like the ones we get over here?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My heart sinks when I see the signs of Trichomonosis @Fairygirl I managed to pick her up as it was getting dark yesterday and put her in a cardboard box lined with towels, I put some seed in with her and a little capful of water and put it in the garage but she was dead this morning. I couldn’t bear to think of her shivering and gasping in the garden overnight so hopefully she died with a bit more peace.
Unfortunately, I also saw a greenfinch in the garden with the same signs so I’ve taken my sunflower heart feeder down which is what the British Trust for Ornithology recommends. Apparently this should disperse ’my’ birds elsewhere and reduce the spread, let’s hope so.
I interpreted the ‘likes’ on my post more as acknowledgements 😊
A great pity @CatDouch. Nature's difficult isn't it. Greenfinches are very vulnerable. I found this site after reading your thread, and it was very interesting. https://www.gardenwildlifehealth.org/portfolio/trichomonosis-in-garden-birds/ I hope your actions avoid a serious spread in your area. I know when I find any dead birds, I bury them. I even bury bees. It might seem daft, but, like you, I feel it's my duty to give them something back for the pleasure they give me. A little dunnock flew into my bedroom window a couple of years ago. He was buried in a little corner. Ironically, my bedroom windows are amongst the smallest on the back of the house. I got a blind for them, and I feel that will help avoid that sort of accident in future...possibly.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It's a pity the "like" button doesn't give you alternative emotions, such as you find on Facebook. I wanted to express sympathy, @CatDouch. We had the same situation last Easter, with goldfinches affected. We immediately removed the feeders and water dish, and only started feeding again once it got cold in the autumn. I move the feeders around on the lawn about once a fortnight, scrub the water bowl every day & refill it, and have two sets of feeders so I can keep them properly clean. Not sure how effective any of these measures are though, when neighbours also feed the birds but aren't so keen on the hygiene...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Posts
I just remembered that I was sitting on the bench having a cuppa one day, when a sparrowhawk [probably the same one] flew in through the gap on the boundary, passed between me and the washing - easily within arms' reach of me, circled back round and flew away again. One of those 'blink and you miss it' moments!
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I’ve taken in my feeders to disinfect them and hope this is a solitary case.
We used to get loads of chaffinches in the garden round the corner from here [previous home] but they have been extremely rare in this one, although we had a couple of youngsters visiting last year, and occasionally they've been in through winter. They were very badly affected by it, as were greenfinches, although the greenies don't visit the garden much, and never really did. Loads of them around though, as there's plenty of suitable habitat here - same with bullfinches.
What surprises me is the number of 'like' ticks your post has had....
Interesting that you don't get other birds on your roof @CrankyYankee. Plenty of them [starlings] round here too. Pigeons [wood] and magpies and other corvids land on ours quite often. Are your starlings like the ones we get over here?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Unfortunately, I also saw a greenfinch in the garden with the same signs so I’ve taken my sunflower heart feeder down which is what the British Trust for Ornithology recommends. Apparently this should disperse ’my’ birds elsewhere and reduce the spread, let’s hope so.
https://www.gardenwildlifehealth.org/portfolio/trichomonosis-in-garden-birds/
I hope your actions avoid a serious spread in your area.
I know when I find any dead birds, I bury them. I even bury bees. It might seem daft, but, like you, I feel it's my duty to give them something back for the pleasure they give me.
A little dunnock flew into my bedroom window a couple of years ago. He was buried in a little corner. Ironically, my bedroom windows are amongst the smallest on the back of the house. I got a blind for them, and I feel that will help avoid that sort of accident in future...possibly.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...