Very concerned about a Blackcap

[John]

Yesterday, I had just replied to Susie in the Bird of the day thread. As I did I turned and to my amazement was looking at my first male Blackcap of the year. It was sitting on my bird table to the rear of the house. It disappeared as soon as I picked my camera up but that didn’t stop the elation I had for seeing it.

Today I took the opportunity of some sunny conditions that suddenly appeared about 9am and went out to do some birding. I quickly replenished the garden feeders before leaving and I was off about 09:45. I didn’t get back until 4:15pm.

Imagine my shock whilst reversing my car into my garden. Yes, you guessed it; the male Blackcap was back and this time on my side garden bird table. Unfortunately it was on the passenger side. I gingerly dropped the window down on the passenger side, grabbed my camera and leaned to the side fully expecting it to fly off, but it didn’t. As soon as I hit the button I new I was going to have a problem as it delivered one of those slow exposures you get with very bad light. I adjusted the ISO to a 1000 and fired some more off. The problem was that the lip of the bird table was hiding the lower part of the birds body. Still I had some record shots of the bird.

Now came the difficult bit. I tried to ease out of the car without frightening the bird. Imagine my surprise when the bird didn’t move. This time I could see all of the bird so fired off some more shots. It was then I became aware of the way the bird was hunkered down and all fluffed up. I moved close and took some more shots. I moved even closer, and closer again until I was less than five feet from the bird. To me it didn’t look right but at this point it became a little more alert and hopped onto the side of the table. I took a couple of shots. It then hopped onto the side of the fence (It was I felt very sorry for it as by rights it should have disappeared over the fence not weakly hopped onto something about a foot away). I must admit I was very concerned how it looked. It didn’t look too healthy to me but it then jumped onto the top of the fence (I managed a couple of shots then it flew down to a thick bush just a few feet away from the garden.


I walked around to see if I could see it and watched it jump down into the heart of the bush. I managed a couple of shots of it in the bush then left it to its own devices. About 15 minutes later I went back to the bush and the bird hadn’t moved an inch. I had become really concerned about the birds welfare now as it was only a foot off the floor and a passing cat could easily have taken it. I decided to leave well alone but I did go back to the bush 20 minutes later but this time I couldn’t find it.

All in all the bird was close to me for nearly 15 minutes. That in itself tells me there is something wrong with this bird as they are not usually that confiding. In fact quite the opposite.

I am at work all week now and the only time I will get to look at the feeders will be from 07:20 to 07:35 each day. I will keep my eye open hopefully to see if this little bird is ok, but somehow I feel that I won’t see it again.

I have attached a few photos of the bird. I’m sorry about the quality but the light was incredibly bad and with an ISO of a 1000 I was never going to get quality images.

John

[dbozkurt]

What do you do in this situation with big birds you can take to wildlife centres etc. is there anyone that would take in sick/distressed small birds like a Blackcap or do you let nature take its course?

Debs

[Paul mabbott]

Hello, John. I'm not a veterinarian but I don't see any obvious external signs of illness - the eyes and wings seem clean/clear enough. It's attidtude seems a little odd in the first photos but perhaps that's a reaction to you and your feeding site: seems much more 'natural' in the last pictures?
Perhaps it is just recovering from a long journey or a hard night?
We do tend, rather, to worry about animals which don't behave as we expect!

[wyevilla]

Clearly not a well bird but that is nature I guess. Hopefully it will recover but you're unlikely to ever know. Do you add a bit of fruit to your table(s) John.? I'm sure the blackie will appreciate that.

Despite the slightly sad circumstances, you have got some very sympathetic photos that really bring out the character of one of my favourite winter birds.

[matt_xyz]

I think the bird looks unwell. It has that 'plumped up' look that finches get when they're unwell, like this one for instance;



I really don't know what you can do in these situations. Very little I suspect, in all honesty. If it has access to food and water, which it obviously does in your garden John, then there may be a chance it will pull through. I seem to recall Graham once mentioning a sick bird he had in his garden that seemed to recover. So you never know....

Matt

[John]

On that particular table I have a load of different foods, including mixed fruit that I put out. I have plenty of fat out on the feeder station but I have now also put a small tray full of seed laden fat onto the table in case it comes back there tomorrow.

I can't agree that the bird looks healthy and it's behaviour bears that out. There is no way a Blackcap would let you get that close to it. Also it is not usual for a Blackcap to just sit there on a bird table like that for long periods. Goodness knows how long it had been there before I arrived. It certainly looked firmly ensconced there by the time I arrived.

I realise there is nothing I can do for the bird, just hope it picks up and utilises all the food I have there. It's certainly spoilt for choice as I have three feeder stations packed with loads of varieties of food.

John

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

I think the bird looks unwell. It has that 'plumped up' look that finches get when they're unwell, like this one for instance;



I really don't know what you can do in these situations. Very little I suspect, in all honesty. If it has access to food and water, which it obviously does in your garden John, then there may be a chance it will pull through. I seem to recall Graham once mentioning a sick bird he had in his garden that seemed to recover. So you never know....

Matt

Yes Matt, a Greenfinch. Acting in a very similar way to Johns blackcap, allowing me to get very close, mine looked far worse than Johns:


It still recovered, so there's always a chance.

[mrs fish]

It could be trichimoniasis that is why the bird is on the table, they virtually starve to death because they can't swallow.
Keep an eye out on the other birds

[Wild-Woman]

Think this little bird knew it was your garden it could take refuge in John. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the little fellow.

Perhaps it had, had a collision with a window and was just a bit concussed and just needs a bit of recovery time. I hope so anyway.

Jules

[Dan Salter]

Hmmm? are all these other pics of sick birds recent cases?....because....well?

I came down stairs in the morning last week and opened curtains to admire my lovely new garden and veg patch ( back garden...my feeding station is in front garden) and noticed a grey blob in centre of the lawn...as i wasnt dressed i checked with the bins to see it was a fluffed up bird?
Instinct told me at first it was a young fledgling and to leave well alone ( i could see it was a great tit) i then reminded myself what month we were in ( although it was a glorious day) and got more concerned...
I dressed and went out and it was a great tit on the grass all fluffed up and not making any effort to get away from me.

I didnt know what to do so put some bird seed in a small dish and some water....he didnt touch it as i observed through bins for an hour or so.

Then....he just keeled over and died.

He did seem to be "gasping"..."gulping" when he was alive so i presumed he was hungry or thirsty but he didnt touch the water.

I disposed of the body into the woodland next to us...but then panic set in?

I convinced myself it must be bird flu and i got in a right old state and couldnt stop washing my hands and the dishes i used etc?

I had forgotten about it until i saw this post? is it something we should worry about? what do bird flu symptoms look like?

my bird looked identical to the black cap and finches..fluffed up...not bothered to fly...and sick looking?

Dan

[Nikon Nige]

Hi, am new to WAB and just noticed this thread, my first thought was Trichomoniasis too, (I used to work in wildlife care and rehab and now in wildlife management/conservation) and looking at the photos the bird certainly look particularly unwell. Greenfinches are particularly suceptible to the disease, which is very virulent and can easily be transferred between individuals and species where they come into close contact, eg. Bird feeders. It can lead to high mortality of birds in the locality.
To avoid the spread of the disease there are two suggested options. If there is high mortality of species then it is wise to remove the feeding station, disinfect fully and wait a couple of weeks before replacing the feeding station at the location. This has two effects, removes the risk of infection from the feeder and disperses the birds, minimising the risk of cross infection. It may seem a little harsh to remove a feeding station, particularly in winter, but the long term benefits probably outweigh the disadvantages.
If there is no noted high mortality then normal cleansing and disinfection would suffice, and leaving feeding stations (and drinkers) down for a day may help stop the spread.
There is always a risk that removing one feeding station for a long time will cause higher congregations around feeder with less effective hygeine.
With only one poorly bird noticed by yourself the latter is probably most appropriate.
The BTO site has some very good info on the disease and prevention/containment measures, took a bit of finding but the follwoing link should work:
www.bto.org/gbw/hygiene/diseases/Trichomoniasis
Most wildlife centres will deal with smaller sick birds as well, although in all honesty probably little could be done for this poor individual. At least having access to the range of food you provide gave it as good a chance as any.
In the case of birds flying into windows and stunning themselves, often the best thing to do is just to place the bird somewhere warm and dark and ensure it has liquid (dehydration is the biggest killer of birds) and see if it recovers from the shock itself, many do!

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

Hmmm? are all these other pics of sick birds recent cases?....because....well?

I came down stairs in the morning last week and opened curtains to admire my lovely new garden and veg patch ( back garden...my feeding station is in front garden) and noticed a grey blob in centre of the lawn...as i wasnt dressed i checked with the bins to see it was a fluffed up bird?
Instinct told me at first it was a young fledgling and to leave well alone ( i could see it was a great tit) i then reminded myself what month we were in ( although it was a glorious day) and got more concerned...
I dressed and went out and it was a great tit on the grass all fluffed up and not making any effort to get away from me.

I didnt know what to do so put some bird seed in a small dish and some water....he didnt touch it as i observed through bins for an hour or so.

Then....he just keeled over and died.

He did seem to be "gasping"..."gulping" when he was alive so i presumed he was hungry or thirsty but he didnt touch the water.

I disposed of the body into the woodland next to us...but then panic set in?

I convinced myself it must be bird flu and i got in a right old state and couldnt stop washing my hands and the dishes i used etc?

I had forgotten about it until i saw this post? is it something we should worry about? what do bird flu symptoms look like?

my bird looked identical to the black cap and finches..fluffed up...not bothered to fly...and sick looking?

Dan

that sounds very much like trichimoniasis - it is a ( I think) a fungal infection that causes the throat to swell causing problems with breathing and swallowing - i doubt it was bird flu but you are right to be cautious, indeed it is wise to disinfect after coming into contact with any wild bird (or animal)

as regards trichimonaisis it is important to keep the feeding area clean , change drinking water regularly, and clean the feeders and table often - BTO advice is currently not to stop feeding as the cold and starvation is a bigger enemy than the disease , but if you suspect you have it in your area it is wise to keep an eye on the bto / rspb websites for changes in this advice

[Dan Salter]

Thanks eeyore
Im pretty good with my cleaning and fresh water but i shall double up my efforts now.

It did seem to be having trouble, breathing, swallowing...oh and it was not singing or making any noise so it probably was what you said.

Thanks for the info

Dan

[badgerwatcher]

It's eyes look rather dull and lidded to me, John. I do hope he survives.
When I was a small child, many years ago, I saw a blackbird looking like this. He was sitting in a variagated laurel in our garden. He sat for a long time without moving, and fluffed up, then suddenly, he quivered, and regurgitated a large red laurel berry, which he had obviously swallowed whole. He shook himself and flew away, completely recovered.
So these things don't always have a sad ending.

[Nikon Nige]

Hi, am new to WAB and just noticed this thread, my first thought was Trichomoniasis too, (I used to work in wildlife care and rehab and now in wildlife management/conservation) and looking at the photos the bird certainly look particularly unwell. Greenfinches are particularly suceptible to the disease, which is very virulent and can easily be transferred between individuals and species where they come into close contact, eg. Bird feeders. It can lead to high mortality of birds in the locality.
To avoid the spread of the disease there are two suggested options. If there is high mortality of species then it is wise to remove the feeding station, disinfect fully and wait a couple of weeks before replacing the feeding station at the location. This has two effects, removes the risk of infection from the feeder and disperses the birds, minimising the risk of cross infection. It may seem a little harsh to remove a feeding station, particularly in winter, but the long term benefits probably outweigh the disadvantages.
If there is no noted high mortality then normal cleansing and disinfection would suffice, and leaving feeding stations (and drinkers) down for a day may help stop the spread.
There is always a risk that removing one feeding station for a long time will cause higher congregations around feeder with less effective hygeine.
With only one poorly bird noticed by yourself the latter is probably most appropriate.
The BTO site has some very good info on the disease and prevention/containment measures, took a bit of finding but the follwoing link should work:
www.bto.org/gbw/hygiene/diseases/Trichomoniasis
Most wildlife centres will deal with smaller sick birds as well, although in all honesty probably little could be done for this poor individual. At least having access to the range of food you provide gave it as good a chance as any.
In the case of birds flying into windows and stunning themselves, often the best thing to do is just to place the bird somewhere warm and dark and ensure it has liquid (dehydration is the biggest killer of birds) and see if it recovers from the shock itself, many do!

[John]

Hi Nikon Nige and a warm welcome to Wab from me.

I haven't noticed a problem with any other bird at any of my feeder stations but my main problem is that if I do take out one of the stations, or just dissenfect the main one, when do I do it.

Unfortunately noticing it as late in the day as I did it gave me no chance to do anything about it. I am now faced with working throughout the week and getting home when it is virtually dark. Next Saturday is the earliest time I can get to it and unfortunately I have plans already laid out for next weekend.

That's the worst with living on your own. I rarely get to see the birds I am feeding so if there were a disease the chances are I might miss it.

I am in a catch 22 situation. I might just knock out the main station and leave the feed with the other two. I have about 10 feeders plus a bird table at the main station but only three feeders at the other two stations. The birds empty all the feeders in two days at all stations so I am already constanly replenishing them.

I am going to have to keep my eye on events prior to going to work and possibly make a decision mid-way through the week. I might just have to change things by torchlight at this rate.

John

[DDsradddar]

Dirty filthy SPAMMER removed!

Oy