I am not very good at this, I have just registered to the forum, BUT I can't see where to type the introduction say-hello bit but never mind. I have a largish gargen which is full of trees, too many really. I have put up up Tawny Owl nesting Boxes and Jackdaw nest boxes, in several trees. There are probably 8 or 9 in total. But I have not cleaned them out for a year or two. Jackdaws are nesting in all of them at the moment I think plus one pair are in a dissused Chimney, I can hear the young if I go into the attick. DISASTER =-- At about 6pm tonight I heard a loud crash outside, I looked out of the window and a Jackdaw Nest box had fallen out of a Pine Tree, I went out and the lid had broken off. There were three young Jackdaws with their eyes still still closed but some feathers forming. One was still warm but was dead, the other two seemed ok. I put them in a box with some hay. while I decided what to do. The box was extremely heavy the box weighs about 8Kgs. and the fact it was half full of solid nesting debris which seemed to be about 10 Kgs. of mainly dusty soil, I had not cleaned them out for several years. I put extension Ladders up the tree to which it had been attatched. There were two other boxes in the same tree both have joung in as I have seen the parents frequent visits. BUT, I could not for the life of me find where it had been srewed to the tree. The batten that was actually screwed was stilll attatched to the box with two rusting screws that had been holding it to the tree. I climbed all around at a height of about 25 - 30 feet up but no sign of the screw holes. I have photographs of some boxes on my computer but no time to look. I eventually decided on a spot and screwed the box back up about 15 - 18 feet up. took up the chicks placed them in the box and took down the ladders. Time now about 7pm. But I could tell the box was too low, much lower than it had been. SO ladders back up chicks back in the box and moved the Nest Box anothet six feet up the tree. but it was impossible to screw the box here due to branches so I jamed it very tightly between some smaller branches and also tied it securely and solidly in place. I put the two chicks back in the hay nest again, unfortunately - I should have put them in before I replaced the lid like I did the first time so this time I had to put them in through the entrance hole and I could not quite reac in far enough and had to let them fall onto the hay nest. Time now 8pm. I am extremely worried because I don't know if the parents should still be brooding the young at night. the chicks were very warm but will they still be warm in the morning without parent birds in the box with them. Does anyone know. I have looked on line but can't find this information. I am wondering if it would have been better to have kept them indoors and put them back out tomorrow, too late tonight now anyway.. The dead young one is in the kitchen but I can't photograph it tonight because I have a poorly Blackbird in the kitchen that has now gone to roost so I can't go in without disturbing him. Any comments on my terrible animal husbandry. Trevor
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Hello Bird Forum, I have just Registered, I am very interested in caring for wildlife. I have an extremely untidy wild gardenm with too many Trees. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Ttrevor
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Hi Trevor and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I think you have done the best you could have done really. At least there's a chance the adults will find the nest box. Please let us know if your efforts have been successful.
I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.
. Please join in wherever you like Hi,
Thank you very much indeed and I look forward to any help that may be on offer. I only wish I had found this forum when I was trying to get help with my injured Blackbird.
on the 25th Feb 2022 a male Blackbird came into my kitchen holdding his beak open or so I thought as he was having a fight with another Male. the other male went out and I then noticed his lower Mandible was broken and he was in a bit of a state with several wounds to his body. He was very weak, tired and cold, and he perched on the towel rail on the AGA for several hours H then went to the food I put down and started eating lots of food. Hlanded on my kitchen scales and the pointer was on abot 3 1/2 Oonces. I contacted over 25 Rescue Centes including the Exotic Avian Vets in Lytham asnd Dr. Greg Burkett Diplomate ABVP
Thank you very much indeed and I look forward to any help that may be on offer. I only wish I had found this forum when I was trying to get help with my injured Blackbird.
on the 25th Feb 2022 a male Blackbird came into my kitchen holdding his beak open or so I thought as he was having a fight with another Male. the other male went out and I then noticed his lower Mandible was broken and he was in a bit of a state with several wounds to his body. He was very weak, tired and cold, and he perched on the towel rail on the AGA for several hours H then went to the food I put down and started eating lots of food. Hlanded on my kitchen scales and the pointer was on abot 3 1/2 Oonces. I contacted over 25 Rescue Centes including the Exotic Avian Vets in Lytham asnd Dr. Greg Burkett Diplomate ABVP
Dr Greg Burkett Diplomate ABVP Avian
I hadn't finished, sorry
Dr. Burket is in North Carolina USA. I contacted all my local Vets but no one wanted anything to do with my poorly bird. I did get a reply from a very nice man at the World Owl Trust called Richard Cooper who was the the only person to offer me any hope that my Blackbids beak may be repaired. I only later found out Richar was the CEO of the World Owl Trust. I have looker at many sites on line most beak repairs involve the use of Super Glue, this is one site I found -:
WOUND CARE AND MANAGEMENT
https://www.cabi.org/isc/FullTextPDF/2009/20093018939.pdf
This is an excerpt
Create a fast, hard fixative using super glue and baking soda. Dr Pat Redig reported mixing cyanoacrylate adhesive (also known as ‘super glue’) or other thin modeling cyanoacrylate with baking soda. Simply apply baking soda over a desired area and then add a drop of cyanoacrylate. The combination rapidly forms a firm adhesive that can be shaped with a grinding tool and colored as needed. Additional layers can also be added as needed. This works great for filling in beak defects and building beak prostheses.
Blakies body wounds seem to be almost healed upo now and he looks very sleak and Blackbiurd shaped. He had severl large lumps of skin and feathers hanging off, These have now all fallen off. but his beak is still in need of some attention. He is able to feed and drink and is always singing, loves bathing and preening. What her is totally unable to though is pick food up off a surface ands he would not be asble to dig up invertebrates and I don't think he would live very long if he escaped. Does any one have any expereience of beakl repairs .
Trevor
Dr. Burket is in North Carolina USA. I contacted all my local Vets but no one wanted anything to do with my poorly bird. I did get a reply from a very nice man at the World Owl Trust called Richard Cooper who was the the only person to offer me any hope that my Blackbids beak may be repaired. I only later found out Richar was the CEO of the World Owl Trust. I have looker at many sites on line most beak repairs involve the use of Super Glue, this is one site I found -:
WOUND CARE AND MANAGEMENT
https://www.cabi.org/isc/FullTextPDF/2009/20093018939.pdf
This is an excerpt
Create a fast, hard fixative using super glue and baking soda. Dr Pat Redig reported mixing cyanoacrylate adhesive (also known as ‘super glue’) or other thin modeling cyanoacrylate with baking soda. Simply apply baking soda over a desired area and then add a drop of cyanoacrylate. The combination rapidly forms a firm adhesive that can be shaped with a grinding tool and colored as needed. Additional layers can also be added as needed. This works great for filling in beak defects and building beak prostheses.
Blakies body wounds seem to be almost healed upo now and he looks very sleak and Blackbiurd shaped. He had severl large lumps of skin and feathers hanging off, These have now all fallen off. but his beak is still in need of some attention. He is able to feed and drink and is always singing, loves bathing and preening. What her is totally unable to though is pick food up off a surface ands he would not be asble to dig up invertebrates and I don't think he would live very long if he escaped. Does any one have any expereience of beakl repairs .
Trevor
Attachments
Hello and welcome to the forum, enjoy and all the best.
Good Morning,
Problem with too many trees is lack of light during summer
I got up at 6 after an almost sleepless night and watched the newly located box, the box at the backe of the tree is being visited every 10 minutes or so but neither of the front two boxes have been visited in half an hour, It is a bit chilly this morning I think I should have kept the chicks in overnight . I don't think I have put the box in the right place. The old photo of the two boxes was taken in 2010 and that lower box may have been moved since then, I have looked at the tree through binoculars but still I can,t see where it might have been, I am just getting some food ready to put out, this is what it looks like this morning.
Trevor
Problem with too many trees is lack of light during summer
I got up at 6 after an almost sleepless night and watched the newly located box, the box at the backe of the tree is being visited every 10 minutes or so but neither of the front two boxes have been visited in half an hour, It is a bit chilly this morning I think I should have kept the chicks in overnight . I don't think I have put the box in the right place. The old photo of the two boxes was taken in 2010 and that lower box may have been moved since then, I have looked at the tree through binoculars but still I can,t see where it might have been, I am just getting some food ready to put out, this is what it looks like this morning.
Trevor
Attachments
Hi again,
I have fed the Birds, Jakdaws are going into the Box at the back of the tree and now also the Upper Box at the front, BUT the box that fell down which is the lower one still has not been visited and it is 12 Hours now since I put the two chicks in yesterday. I think they are going to die. I have taken a picture of the dead chick, What would happen if I put one chick in each of the other two boxes. ??'
Trevor
I have fed the Birds, Jakdaws are going into the Box at the back of the tree and now also the Upper Box at the front, BUT the box that fell down which is the lower one still has not been visited and it is 12 Hours now since I put the two chicks in yesterday. I think they are going to die. I have taken a picture of the dead chick, What would happen if I put one chick in each of the other two boxes. ??'
Trevor
Attachments
Hi
I looked out at 9:40am and there was a Jackdaw perched on a branch very close to the box. I was wondering if if was going to go in, it hopped onto the entrance and was looking inside then hopped back to the branch. BUT THEN, a second Jackdaw came OUT of the box, I don't know how long it had been inside, this is the first activity at the nest, but I had been watching the one on the branch for 2 or 3 minutes before the second one came out. I have not been watching all the time. There may be some hope yet.
Trevor
I looked out at 9:40am and there was a Jackdaw perched on a branch very close to the box. I was wondering if if was going to go in, it hopped onto the entrance and was looking inside then hopped back to the branch. BUT THEN, a second Jackdaw came OUT of the box, I don't know how long it had been inside, this is the first activity at the nest, but I had been watching the one on the branch for 2 or 3 minutes before the second one came out. I have not been watching all the time. There may be some hope yet.
Trevor
Hi,
update on the Jackdaw Box Disaster.
Both parent Jackdaws are still visiting the nest box, but I have no way of seeing what they are doing inside so I still don't know if the two remaining chicks survived the trauma of falling 30 feet onto the ground, I forgot to mention that when I found the box the lid had smashed off and the three chicks were scattered on the gound nearby. This Morning one of the parent birds has been taking soft nest material mainly pine needles (not sticks) into the box, I don't think this means the chicks are dead, I have seen this activity at other boxes where there are chicks calling, I think it is because I only put in a few handfuls of hay and they perhaps think it was not suitable material for baby Jackdaws maybe due to the fact that they don't remove the chicks droppings as some birds do and the chicks need to be kept clean of wet droppings.
The only way I would know for sure would be to go up again and remove the lid to look inside, I would love to know what was going on inside as I am a bit stressed not knowing, Should I do it or just leave them. I was going to put the dead chick out for my Buzzard but thought I would leave it a bit in case the parent birds recognised it and got upset so it is my fridge in a margerine tub. Open the box Yes or No please send your answers
Trevor
update on the Jackdaw Box Disaster.
Both parent Jackdaws are still visiting the nest box, but I have no way of seeing what they are doing inside so I still don't know if the two remaining chicks survived the trauma of falling 30 feet onto the ground, I forgot to mention that when I found the box the lid had smashed off and the three chicks were scattered on the gound nearby. This Morning one of the parent birds has been taking soft nest material mainly pine needles (not sticks) into the box, I don't think this means the chicks are dead, I have seen this activity at other boxes where there are chicks calling, I think it is because I only put in a few handfuls of hay and they perhaps think it was not suitable material for baby Jackdaws maybe due to the fact that they don't remove the chicks droppings as some birds do and the chicks need to be kept clean of wet droppings.
The only way I would know for sure would be to go up again and remove the lid to look inside, I would love to know what was going on inside as I am a bit stressed not knowing, Should I do it or just leave them. I was going to put the dead chick out for my Buzzard but thought I would leave it a bit in case the parent birds recognised it and got upset so it is my fridge in a margerine tub. Open the box Yes or No please send your answers
Trevor
Attachments
Hi again Trevor.
No, please leave it alone and let them get on with it. Any disturbance now could well make them desert the nest altogether.
No, please leave it alone and let them get on with it. Any disturbance now could well make them desert the nest altogether.
Hi Delia,
Thank you, looks like I will have to just watch and wait for sounds of chicks being fed. Chicks in the other Jackdaw boxes must be far more advanced as they are making a lot of noise when the parents go in.
I was worried that I was a bit rough with the chicks when I put them back in for the second time as I had to let them fall maybe an inch or two into the hay nest as I could not reach the nest through the entrance hole. What would have happenned if the chick had landed with its neck in an unusual position, (I could not see inside), would it be strong enogh to organise itself. It was also a bit procarious holding the the box and putting chicks in while 30 feet up a tree with no safety harness. Adding to that I live alone and if I had fallen no one would have missed me for weeks. When I removed them from the nest box so I could re position it, both the chicks had moved from where I had placed them, and they were both side by side huddled in the hay and looked quite comfortable. I lowered them down in a bucket containg hay, I should have taken them back up in the bucket then I could have tied it, removed the nest box lid and placed them in more carefully.
Trevor
Thank you, looks like I will have to just watch and wait for sounds of chicks being fed. Chicks in the other Jackdaw boxes must be far more advanced as they are making a lot of noise when the parents go in.
I was worried that I was a bit rough with the chicks when I put them back in for the second time as I had to let them fall maybe an inch or two into the hay nest as I could not reach the nest through the entrance hole. What would have happenned if the chick had landed with its neck in an unusual position, (I could not see inside), would it be strong enogh to organise itself. It was also a bit procarious holding the the box and putting chicks in while 30 feet up a tree with no safety harness. Adding to that I live alone and if I had fallen no one would have missed me for weeks. When I removed them from the nest box so I could re position it, both the chicks had moved from where I had placed them, and they were both side by side huddled in the hay and looked quite comfortable. I lowered them down in a bucket containg hay, I should have taken them back up in the bucket then I could have tied it, removed the nest box lid and placed them in more carefully.
Trevor
Hi Delia
Friday 20/5/22 5:45 Jackdaw Update
I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but the glimmer of hope for the two remaing chicks has just got a little bit brighter. After feeding the birds at 5pm I went to watch the box from the window, I live in a bungalow so I am looking up and getting a sore neck and they can't really see me very much as I kneel down, one of the parents arrived at the box hopped inside, and about 30 seconds later emerged with what looked like a large beakful of black stuff. I thought Jackdaws were more like Owls and did not bother cleaning up. Do you know if they take away the droppings. I am certain when the bird went in it was not carrying anthing like what it left with. The Buzzard is also in the garden again.
Trevor
Friday 20/5/22 5:45 Jackdaw Update
I don't want to get my hopes up too much, but the glimmer of hope for the two remaing chicks has just got a little bit brighter. After feeding the birds at 5pm I went to watch the box from the window, I live in a bungalow so I am looking up and getting a sore neck and they can't really see me very much as I kneel down, one of the parents arrived at the box hopped inside, and about 30 seconds later emerged with what looked like a large beakful of black stuff. I thought Jackdaws were more like Owls and did not bother cleaning up. Do you know if they take away the droppings. I am certain when the bird went in it was not carrying anthing like what it left with. The Buzzard is also in the garden again.
Trevor
Hi,
Monday 23/5/22 2:30 Jackdaw Update
The Jackdaws are still visiting the Nest Box. I want to mount a camera on the house wall looking across to the tree to record the activity at the nest. Does any one know which outdoor camera with microphone might be best suited for this purpose to record onto my Panasonic DMR EX75 HDD/DVD recorder, this is just a std Video recorder not a computer. I don't know much about cameras, but I do have a tiny little doorstep camera that someone gave me and it watches birds that vist a post in the garden. I put the dead chick out on the Post at about 8:30 last night, and about 30 minutes later a Tawny Owl took it away, so at least the poor little Jackdaw has helped to feed a Baby Owl somewhere.
Trevor
Monday 23/5/22 2:30 Jackdaw Update
The Jackdaws are still visiting the Nest Box. I want to mount a camera on the house wall looking across to the tree to record the activity at the nest. Does any one know which outdoor camera with microphone might be best suited for this purpose to record onto my Panasonic DMR EX75 HDD/DVD recorder, this is just a std Video recorder not a computer. I don't know much about cameras, but I do have a tiny little doorstep camera that someone gave me and it watches birds that vist a post in the garden. I put the dead chick out on the Post at about 8:30 last night, and about 30 minutes later a Tawny Owl took it away, so at least the poor little Jackdaw has helped to feed a Baby Owl somewhere.
Trevor
Hi again Trevor
This is a bit specialist and you'd be better to ask about the equipment in the dedicated forum: Miscellaneous Nature Study Equipment
Someone should soon be along to help you there.
This is a bit specialist and you'd be better to ask about the equipment in the dedicated forum: Miscellaneous Nature Study Equipment
Someone should soon be along to help you there.
Thanks Delia I will look at that tomorrow Thanks. The Buzzard was amungst the Jakdaw boxes this afternoon, all the Jackdaws were making alarm calls, when I looked out and the Buzzard flew off from the tree where the fallen Box is with a couple of Jackdaws chasing afer it..
Trevor
Trevor
Hi, tTrevor
Glad everything seems to have turned out OK. Just to say if you have a dead bird, (hopefully there won't be a next time!) it's best to bin or bury it. This stops any potential disease and/or parasite(ticks, lice etc) spread. Don't know where you are? but here in the UK, bird flu is a v serious issue and it's seemingly only the start. Corvids.because they eat dead animals & birds are a particularly high risk for the afore mentioned disease/parasite risk. When I was a kid on holiday I found and looked after a sick seagull. I found a local woman who took in sick birds and left it with her, she explained that gulls feed on the tip and then contract botulism! Years later I read that botulism is one of the deadliest bio-agents known to man!
Regarding your jackdaw boxes, I would check every winter that they are secure.Your very lucky to have them.
Regards.
RT
Glad everything seems to have turned out OK. Just to say if you have a dead bird, (hopefully there won't be a next time!) it's best to bin or bury it. This stops any potential disease and/or parasite(ticks, lice etc) spread. Don't know where you are? but here in the UK, bird flu is a v serious issue and it's seemingly only the start. Corvids.because they eat dead animals & birds are a particularly high risk for the afore mentioned disease/parasite risk. When I was a kid on holiday I found and looked after a sick seagull. I found a local woman who took in sick birds and left it with her, she explained that gulls feed on the tip and then contract botulism! Years later I read that botulism is one of the deadliest bio-agents known to man!
Regarding your jackdaw boxes, I would check every winter that they are secure.Your very lucky to have them.
Regards.
RT
Hi RT,
It is a long time since I sent an update to the Bird Forum, I made a mistake by replying last time using the mail method and the messages are not displayed here for some reason.
Thank you RT for your message. I did eventually decide to purchase a small camera recording system called "Zosi" I
It is a long time since I sent an update to the Bird Forum, I made a mistake by replying last time using the mail method and the messages are not displayed here for some reason.
Thank you RT for your message. I did eventually decide to purchase a small camera recording system called "Zosi" I
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