Portent of Doom
Nov. 7th, 2010 05:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
endlessraritiesI returned from an awful bike ride (20 miles in Baltic cold, and I'm SO unfit), to find a miserable finch (juvy greenfinch or siskin, not sure) sitting on the lawn. It looked fluffed up and lethargic, so the warning bells rang for finch virus.
Unfortunately, it was still too lively for me to capture it and escort it to Certain Doom at the Hessilhead wildlife sanctuary. I've just been outside to have a look for it in the gloaming, but the poor little thing has obviously moved on.
We need some heavy frosts, and we need them soon, or else this regular pestilence will raise its ugly head and this blog is going to degenerate into a miserable catalogue of disaster detailing the demise of a succession of greenfinches/chaffinches/pigeons/collared doves [delete as appropriate].
And of course the debate continues. To feed, or not to feed? If I keep feeding the birds when finch virus has been confirmed amongst my flock, then the disease is going to spread amongst healthy birds. But... If I stop feeding them, they'll just disperse and contaminate other gardens and the disease will spread just the same. It's a Catch-22 situation which I've never really found a satisfactory answer for, and which no-one seems to agree on.
Last year, I spotted two potential cases, and they vanished before I could catch them and take them away for a firm diagnosis. Then came the cold snap. Frosts and arctic temperatures wrecked the garden, but it did wonders for the finches. I think I'd opt for that, rather than endless mild, windy wet disgusting weather which sends the finch casualties rocketing.
Unfortunately, it was still too lively for me to capture it and escort it to Certain Doom at the Hessilhead wildlife sanctuary. I've just been outside to have a look for it in the gloaming, but the poor little thing has obviously moved on.
We need some heavy frosts, and we need them soon, or else this regular pestilence will raise its ugly head and this blog is going to degenerate into a miserable catalogue of disaster detailing the demise of a succession of greenfinches/chaffinches/pigeons/collared doves [delete as appropriate].
And of course the debate continues. To feed, or not to feed? If I keep feeding the birds when finch virus has been confirmed amongst my flock, then the disease is going to spread amongst healthy birds. But... If I stop feeding them, they'll just disperse and contaminate other gardens and the disease will spread just the same. It's a Catch-22 situation which I've never really found a satisfactory answer for, and which no-one seems to agree on.
Last year, I spotted two potential cases, and they vanished before I could catch them and take them away for a firm diagnosis. Then came the cold snap. Frosts and arctic temperatures wrecked the garden, but it did wonders for the finches. I think I'd opt for that, rather than endless mild, windy wet disgusting weather which sends the finch casualties rocketing.
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Date: 2010-11-07 05:42 pm (UTC)http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article637452.ece
If it doesn't work, then you should be looking for fluffed up sluggish birds that have difficulty eating. They drop bits of food and dribble, contaminating the feeding area. In the advanced stages, they're reluctant to fly and fairly easy to catch.
I believe the croup becomes stuffed up with a hard cheese-like substance which makes it impossible for the poor things to swallow, and they starve to death. Sadly, with finches there is no cure.
The disease was once confined to pigeons and birds of prey (presumably, the raptors preyed on the pigeons and caught the disease) but it made the jump to finches in Ayrshire a decade or so back. I can't help wondering if it's because massive numbers of feral pigeons 'graze' around the feeders, and from there they infect the finches.
One thing which helps combat it is to pay scrupulous attention to hygiene, cleaning feeders with Arklens or similar and changing location on a regular basis. Our problem is that our feeder hangs over the lawn, so it's not really possible to disinfect it properly.
The good news is that the virus can't survive in dry weather or sub-zero temperatures.