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Post by Jeff on Jul 22, 2006 9:17:57 GMT
I don't sleep well these hot nights and when I did finally get off last night it was almost dawn ! I was not best pleased then to be rudely awoken shortly afterwards by a thump on my window. Looking out I saw a young wren had flown into the pane and stunned itself. It lay on the concrete path, quiet but blinking its eyes. I hastily reached for the phone book to find the RSPB's phone number in Exeter. I couldn't believe my eyes ! Next to the number it said: "RSPB (NOT INJURED BIRDS)." Well, what the hell is the RSPB for then ?! However, the story has a happy ending since by the time I had had breakfast, the little chap had recovered and flown off. Later that day I heard his loud song from my conifers as usual. I don't think I shall be donating money to RSPB though !
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Post by roger on Jul 22, 2006 11:12:04 GMT
Hi Jeff, On behalf of the wren, thank you for your assistance! According to the RSPB website... Mmm!  Roger |
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Post by graemek on Jul 22, 2006 12:12:54 GMT
Hi Jeff,
I live on the other side of the globe to you
('side' being not the word to use)
but the story is the same.
I'm glad you were able to see the little bird recover
because my impression is that most do.
Trouble is, they're extremely vulnerable to cats, kids & cars
as they lie stunned.
I've been able to pick up a few myself & either bring them
home until they feel like flight or replace them in a safe tree
propped up so they don't fall. When you pick them up you
can often see their heads pulsing slightly to & fro which
indicates the dizzy state they're in.
We've even had a large goshawk with very long 'trousers'
hit one of our windows. Fortunately I did'nt have to attempt
a rescue as he was safe up on our roof & just walked around
for 10 mins. or so & then took off.
The theory is that the bird sees the grass reflected in the window & begins his final approach towards it at slightly
above stall speed & bang.
So the message is I guess: don't give them up.
Graemek
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Post by postscript on Jul 22, 2006 12:44:06 GMT
Hi Jeff, On behalf of the wren, thank you for your assistance! According to the RSPB website... Mmm! Roger Pipped me to it Roger! I was going to reply that i was surprised he hadn't called the RSPCA but I had to depart for a reason that connects to all these posts. 1. Going to the other end of the scale:  THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED!!! Swans can be extremely vicious and quite dangerous. The story behind it is that this girl was on her way to school when she noticed a furore amongst the birds on the canal and watched to find two mature males attempting to drown a young male. It seems it was an unpartnered single and was perceived as a threat by the two older birds. Mischke intervened, driving off the two antagonistic swans and then managing to lift their half-drowned victim out of the water. She returned home to an astonished mother who thought she had gone to school to find her once neatly uniformed daughter back on the doorstep nearly as bedraggled as the swan she was carrying. In this case there is a local specialist looking after swans and she, having ascertained the bird would recover--see picture below of one grateful bird showing its regard--called a special section of the RSPCA to have it transported to a bird sanctuary, there being no point in re-establishing it at that location as it would only be attacked again. These two pictures appeared on the front page of the local paper because: 1. It takes some courage to fight off two mature swans attacking a third and it was a positive support of young people. 2. Mischke was chairman of the Youth Council and renowned for being a political thorn in the side of the local council. 3. It was an opportunity to remind people of the swan rescue centre and another chance to slam thoughtless fishermen who leave bits of line and weights scattered along the tow path, all too easily swallowed by swans, who then choke agonisingly to death unless found in time.  I think I must emphasise this is NOT a normal relationship with a swan and is definitely NOT recommended! In this case the swan is showing its appreciation for the girl who saved its life. The connection to my interruption, preventing me from posting earlier? The girl in the photograph was the same one making a frantic call for essential supplies and 'could I have a lift, to Hemel please?' Last night I picked her up from Stansted having spent ten days with her uncle near Carcassone, leaving her parents there for another ten days while she met up with the family of a friend who are flying her out to Italy for the next fortnight, early tomorrow morning! Mind you, she's spent the last year working hard as a waitress to afford it! Relevance? Its her house, her cat, her mother's plants in the conservatory I'm house cat and plant sitting while i sort out if there are any Wales and other photographs worthy of sharing with HWI! Tell me Roger, is your conservatory logically laid out with automatic squirts from underground pipes, or like me presently, do you have to wield the watering can? This one requires fifteen to twenty watering cans twice daily! No fun at 90F and heaven knows what humidity! Peter |
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