This morning I was due to meet Louise (another Pigeon rescuer) to visit Carshalton Ponds and look for injured Pidges. There are several that have been spotted with twine and string around their feet and we were intending to attempt to catch the worst of them. As it was raining first thing, we decided to leave it a couple of hours and review the situation. By 11am the skies had cleared and we headed to the ponds. As we were passing under the bridge at Carshalton station, we spotted a small black shape on the pavement and both thought it was not a Pidge. Suddenly it moved and I got Louise to stop the car. I ran back and there was a juvenile Pidge face down on the pavement. By face down, I mean neck twisted through 180 degrees and head tucked under the body and under one leg. Had it not moved as we drove past, we might not have stopped. The Pidge was far too young to be out of the nest and the PMV most likely caused it to fall out. The Pidge was very thin and wet but had strength enough to struggle. I placed her in the pet carrier and we contacted Sarah to see if she had room for one more Pidge. As luck had it, she did. We drove to Wallington and dropped off the little Pidge. Another case of right place, right time, especially as we failed to get any of the Carshalton Ponds birds. I named the Pidge 'Angel'. Sarah says Angel has been trying to eat but its hard to tell how successful she has been as PMV Pidges make a lot of mess with their food due to lack of co-ordination.
We just have to wait now and hope that tlc gets Angel through this. There are no meds for this viral condition, so please keep your fingers crossed for little Angel.
See what I mean about the mess? At least she's trying to eat.
Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos
(One bush does not shelter two Robins)
Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)
Unknown said:Angel weighed 254g yesterday. Today she is 318g. 'Little Fatty' as Sarah calls her!
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
At that rate it will it not be long before she becomes Big Fatty, sorry Angel, keep eating!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The weight gain is a real plus, but with PMV you never know if there will be lasting neurological issues. Angel is less than a month old and I don't know if age might be a factor. I'll ask Sarah. We're off to a good start. Keep your fingers crossed for her.
Just catching up with this little Angel, she is doing better than I thought after reading your first account MC, hopefully she will continue to gain weight and recover, well done being there for her once more.
Lot to learn
Angel was 294g when Sarah weighed her earlier today. Her crop wasn't rammed like it was yesterday, so she's not actually losing weight. 294g is a good weight for her age.
To quote Sarah: "She's quite solid, very bright and far more upright. Far fewer contortions now, only when she's picked up"
Thanks for the update MC, sounds as if Angel is holding her own, keeping my fingers tightly crossed.
Catching up now ... Poor little sausage MC, good rescue & fingers firmly crossed for her recovery!
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Last Friday, Sarah was asked to take in another PMV Pidge. This one had been on the street for at least three days and was emaciated and suffering from flat flies and lice in addition to the PMV. She asked if I would take Angel so that she could take in the new Pidge. I agreed and Angel was brought over on Friday evening. I have included photos and a video compilation that show the symptoms of her condition. While I was out on Friday evening, she managed to get her head caught under her body while she was standing on the water dish and almost drowned herself. Luckily I got to her in time. I subsequently changed the water dish. I had been using one of the glass ramekins that a certain pudding manufacturer uses. I swapped it for one with a smaller opening. Angel gets rather distressed from time to time. It must be rather a sad existence given that she is so young, but she is very affectionate. She likes having her neck stroked. She even fell asleep while I was holding her yesterday morning. However, Sarah reminded me that we want to release Angel when she recovers and as she is still young, she might imprint on me, so I should keep the handling to a minimum.
Photo taken during one of her 'episodes'
After the incident with the water dish. Her head is hanging like that because of the PMV, so it looks worse than it was.
All dried off and back in the pet carrier
Simply drinking water is a messy experience and she still gets most of her head wet!
Enjoying a quiet moment. Isn't she adorable?
Back in the pet carrier. I clean it out each morning and evening. The water dish is cleaned out several times a day.
Angel weighed 303g yesterday midday and 305g today. She does love her seed.
I will have her here for just over a month and she will be re-assessed at that time. Please keep her in your thoughts. She hasn't had a very happy start to her life.
Very nice Paul, and she can turn her head under herself, never seen that before, and yes I will keep her in my thoughts.
Jim
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Thanks Jim. The head twisting is an involuntary movement brought on by the PMV. She almost thrashes about sometimes, so I try to keep a cloth over the front of the pet carrier so that she doesn't get spooked by any sudden movements. She does calm down when I hold her, but as I have been advised against it, I am keeping contact to a minimum. I have to pick her up when I take her out of the pet carrier to change her food and water and replace soiled cloths, but that is it.