Diseases in Goldfinches
17 years ago
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17 years ago- 17 years ago
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Chimney Swifts Came to Camp Nappy ....
Comments (37)Hey ChickaDDD, I know what you mean about Chicklet's story. He sounds super natural or something. Sleeping on roof, resetting his own arm, Typhoon or something and his birthday. WOW. But like you said if it is true your are surely helping them and thats all that matters. I must have missed it when the unwelcoming committee killed a catbird chick. That is awful!!! And it is not FUN to get rid of HOSP. I dont know why they would say that and it makes me sick. I cant believe they said it was fun, that is disgusting and shows how stupid they are. I hope you dont dislike ME for it but I have seen them with my own eyes terrorize my other birds and not just the cavity nesters, but i dont enjoy it. I just want to save my other birds. They were after Braveheart today when he and Scardycat would try to feed their babies AND they are building two nests in two of my boxes right now :-( When papa tries to bring food they jump him and fall to the ground. It is just pure harassment and today i noticed his right eye was closed up. I dont think it was the HOSP because he was fighting two mockers today too and they probably got fed up with him getting in the middle and decided to kick him around awhile. My blue is insane they are twice his size. But now he will be at risk of hawk attack because he cant see from that side. Ahhhhhhh SIGH. I am having such stress this year with the bluebirds. I love them and all the birds except the HOSP and it is hard on me because I worry so about the birds. My other little sparrows are building in my holly bush that the robins used three times this year ( they were busy ), you know the little ones that i keep blowing there little babies out of the bush. So at least i know where they are this time and wont blow them out. Birds are so funny. She fusses at me every time i go out there but then builds her nest right in my back steps. Go figure :-) Why would they kill a catbird? I dont understand that, it must have been before i joined because i dont remember seeing it. Do you know what month and maybe i can go back and find that post. That is very disturbing, maybe they are just animal killers? Maybe they do enjoy it. They almost had me convinced that the house wrens were evil till Bet got on there. Maybe they kill all birds except bluebirds. That's sick :-( Well im glad you didn't have any little jets get confused and end up in your house today :-) Maybe they realized that outside is where they belong. Hopefully for you and your families sake. All summer without air conditioning is a horrible thought for me. You are a very strong and sweet person to sacrifice your comfort for the little jets. I bet Daisy was hot too with all that hair. My Mary is very hairy like that ( 4 layers of fur ) and she doesn't even like to be outside in the summer. We are very spoiled. Im glad your kitties got bored with the swifts, i know you were blaming yourself for the deaths but you didn't know they were coming so im glad all is good now :-) I better go because this is long but i know i could talk a lot more!!! LOL. She who is to long winded~~~~~~~Bonnie...See MoreCatnip used as Pest Repellent
Comments (22)Thanks to Alfie for clarifying the difference between catmint and catnip; saved me the trouble! Since I have to fence my catnip to allow it to survive the depredations of my own and the neighborhood cats, I have but one plant. However, since the cats care nothing for lemon catnip, and because it self-sows with the same gleeful abandon as the regular sort, and because I much prefer its aroma and taste in tea to the standard (which to me smells like skunk, although I confess I do not find that scent--at a reasonable distance!--terribly off-putting), I have masses of that around, duking it out in one wild corner with the lemon balm, equally enthusiastically self-sowing calendula, and several mullein plants that I encourage for their medicinal properties as well. ANYhow--my point is this: if plain ol' catnip is a good 'skeeter repellent, seems my lemon catnip would be even better, as it has that citronella-like scent, same as lemon balm. We, happily, have not too many mosquitoes this year, but I will sure give it a try tomorrow for the ravenous black flies that have plagued our area the last couple of summers. I have little hope, though, since the lemon balm did not faze them...CK...See MoreGoldfinch / disease?
Comments (1)I am so sorry. I know that helpless feeling all to well. I hope you dont have a Salmonella outbreak starting. Watch for birds that look "puffed up" and hang out on the bird bath kinda "bobing" also residue on the beaks. When they can no longer fly to a safe place to roost they will find somewhere like up against a house to die. The first outbreak I had was bad, I found 30+ birds (out of a flock of aprox 200). I took a couple sick birds to a rehabber and also 6 bodies that she sent to UofM for testing. We tried antibiotic therapy but it did not work. The sad truth there is nothing you can do to save them. Keep everything as clean as you can, it is spread through their droppings. Some will say take down your feeders but I feel they will just go to the next persons feeder that may not be as clean and also spread it to birds that do not usually come to my feeders. Last year I lost only about 6 (that I found) and it seemed to run it's course very quickly. I have year round Gold Finches but also get a very large flock that winters here, I usually get it when the weather turns very cold. I do not see it every year (thank God). I have not decided wether it is best for the bird to let nature take it's course and let it die in it's natural surroundings (usually freezing first) or to bring it in where it is warm dark and quiet. So yes, rake up the seed, bleach the feeders, keep the bath clean, do what you can but know that if it is Salmonella it just has to run it's course, the strong will survive....See MoreKate, Has this happened to you?
Comments (18)Kay - ha! Yes, I hail from the deep south myself, south TX, that is! But it was pretty variable there as to whether one was in an area hotter and drier than the Sahara or muggier and swampier than the Louisiana bayous. We were mostly windy, muggy, and alternately hot with baked soil or just muggy with mosquito and polliwog-filled waters. :) I haven't escaped the mosquitoes being up north. Typically I walk around with a broad brimmed hat that has mosquito netting fixed over the top of it, so I can let it down to cover my head completely. It's a pain and makes me hotter on the warm days, but is so much more preferable to the buzzing and biting on my face and head. I get many volunteer seedlings of other things in the garden, but generally the zinnias aren't included - not sure why, since I've had big beds of them now for the past 4 years. Here's a portion of this year's batch in my overgrown corral garden. It's a little wilder than usual since I'm kinda hampered with this boot-cast on my foot: Alex...See More- 17 years ago
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