There was a sad sight in our garden next to the Old Moor Visitor Centre today.... A great tit was seen hopping around on the floor underneath one of the feeders. Not the usual way for a tit to feed, so Titchers and I had a closer look.
He was a lovely male bird, in fine feather, but his left leg was stuck out at a right angle at his side. So he was, quite literally 'hopping'. He obviously couldn't feed in the usual way of most tits, which is by clinging or perching and generally keeping quite high up, out of the way of as much danger as possible.
A happy, handsome male great tit at Old Moor, taken today by Ian Butler. The wide, black band down his tummy, shows that he is a male.
Sadly, there is one likely cause for our injured bird's condition. That is the green net bags that fat balls come in. It is ironic and rather sad that well meaning people, trying to help birds through the winter have inadvertently caused such an injury. The bags get caught around the leg and trap it and for this guy, it seems that the struggle to free himself has resulted in dislocation of the leg. We also saw a one legged blue tit, last winter, another likely casualty and even a great tit with a net bag wrapped around it's tongue. It is highly unlikely that any of these birds survive their injury. They will either starve to death or be picked off by a predator, as they are slowed down by their condition.
On a happier note......
A snowy chaffinch, taken today on Old Moor, by Ian Butler.
We know how much enjoyment you get from feeding your birds at home. So do we!! So, it's come around at just the right time of year..... The 20% off 12.75kg sacks of seed offer is starting again tomorrow!! It runs until the end of the month, but excludes sacks of peanuts.
It's a great opportunity to come and stock up on food for your garden visitors. Please just ask one of the friendly team here, if you want any advice on which foods to buy, or help to your car with heavy bags. Maybe even take the chance to buy a metal fat ball holder, if you don't already have one, to safely offer fat balls to your birds. They are fantastic, high energy food, especially good for cold weather like we have this week.
So enjoy your birds and do try to pass the message on about the damage that green net bags can do....
:)
I always take the suet balls out of the net bags now........I wonder whether the people who make them realise the danger involved........and if so why don't they put a warning on the packs telling people to remove the balls from the nets....
If the green net bags are really so dangerous for small birds, why is it that fat balls without exception as far as I know are still sold in the things.
I have in the past hung fat balls up (in their plastic nets) and watched them go black: I have had a fat block in a metal cage that was only touched when I broke it up and spread it on the bird table.
I have bought a metal peanut globe that takes a ton and a half of peanuts to fill which then go black and congeal because the brids cannot (or choose not to )feed from the globe.
I was given a wooden frame for fat balls or apples. The fatballs disintegrated when I tried to put them in the frame and the only birds that I have seen eat apples (various members of the thrush family) have never in my experience been seen perching on anything vaguely resembling the frame if it is used as an "apple holder".
A well know manufacturer supplies a feeding station which includes a water tray that fits in a ring that slots onto the pole. The first winter the water froze the plastic tray was trashed and when I investigated the possibility of a replacement, they did not exist.
The same manufacturer supplies a feeder which when the wind is blowing, empties out overnight as the seed is blown all over.
An examination of feeders manufactered and sold might not go amiss
At the same time the message that bread is bad for ducks is almost universally ignored by the duck feeding public. At christmas we were told don't put out turkey fat and salt is bad.
There is room for a comprehensive review of bird feeding equipment and and guidance as to what kitchen scraps it is safe to put out and which kitchen scraps should be binned.
For example which of the following should not be put out.
White bread
Brown bread
Mouldy cheese
Scones
Cakes
Apple cores
Bacon rinds
The chopped remains of a chicken carcase
Mashed potato
Jacket potatoes
Sausage fat
Sausages
Finally at times I have read the advice that if pepper and curry powder and cayenne even are sprinkled on food put out for birds, cats will leave it alone and it will do no harm to the birds.Fact or fiction?
Hi John,
I understand that there can be some very confusing messages about how and what to feed our birds. There are a few things to pick up on in what you've said here, which I hope might help a bit....
For advice on what to feed from your list above and a few more 'frequently asked question' answers, please see this link: www.rspb.org.uk/.../faqs.aspx
The RSPB only sell fat balls without net bags on them.
The message to not feed ducks, swans, geese, bread is good advice. It contains minimal nutrition for them and because of the yeast in it, can ferment in their stomachs (particularly true of swans), causing damage as they can not process the alcohol produced. The message is obviously not getting across. RSPB write press releases on many topics, but we have no control over which ones are picked up by the media. We do keep trying. Then there are blogs like ours, where I'm trying to pass on some helpful information... Anyone with the internet can access this, if they ever wonder about these things....
Different feeding methods work in different gardens, with different birds, to an extent. There isn't really a 'one rule fits all' solution, sadly. There is an element of trial and error, despite our best intentions and reasoning, sometimes. For example, I know visitors who buy peanuts by the sack full for their birds, but they go untouched and rot in my garden...
Chilli is harmless to birds and can deter both cats and squirrels, when added to seed and food. www.rspb.org.uk/.../greysquirrels.aspx
Finally, as regards meat, sausages, etc. You need to consider that this food may attract rats to the garden. Any fat which does not go hard when cold, should be avoided, as it will be harmful to birds. If it sets hard though, then it's ok. Just consider the pests problem though...
Hope that helps a bit!
I boil gammon joints to cut up and slice for ham. These usually have a lot of fat which I cut off after I've soaked the meet but before I boil it. I then cut the fat onto chunks and put it into a pan over a low heat to fry it off in its own juices. There's so much liquid fat produced I soak it up with bread crusts. I know bread is not good for birds but is it ok soaked in fat the way I'm doing it?
Hi Lisa,
At this time of year, fat is a good high energy food to help keep them warm. Bread soaked in fat (again, as log as it's not jelly-ish fat when it's cooled) is a good way of making bread more nutritious for birds. A lady I know makes lard sandwhiches for her blackbirds and starlings in the cold weather!
Do look at the link given above too, for more ideas on feeding birds from your kitchen cupboards and left-overs.
I don't think the yeast in bread is going to cause anything to ferment. It can't possibly survive being baked.
Hmmmmm, you've made me think there Hilary! This is what I've been told by colleagues before. Will go and check up though....