View From the Shed by Shaun Finnie - YOU'RE GORGEOUS

YOU'RE GORGEOUS

Regular readers will know that I like to put some cultural reference into the title of these blogs every now and again. So today's title relates not only to the creatures we find around our Dearne Valley reserves (and to you, if you need that personal affirmation) but to a local indie band who had a big hit single in 1996 with the title shared with this piece. Give yourself two points if you can remember their name. Clue – it's also the subject of this blog.

There are chicks aplenty all over the place at the moment. In the trees, on the water, in the reeds and on the ground around all of these other environments. A few weeks ago I wrote about how the food chain needs plenty of small and/or young animals to remain stable. The creatures at the top simply need to eat plenty of the lower species to survive, and in doing so they stop the world being overrun by small mammals, small birds and the like. Some of us don't like to hear this because it doesn't fit with our cute and cuddly view of nature but the truth is that this is how the natural world works, and has done since long before humans emerged as the dominant species.

Occasionally someone will turn up at my Welcome Shed asking for advice about an 'abandoned' chick or even carrying a box full of baby fluffies that they've 'rescued'. I'm happy with the former. I'm always pleased to talk to visitors. The latter scenario? Well to be honest it fills me with dread when I see someone armed with a box full of good intentions. It's one of those situations that isn't likely to end well.

So what should you do if you happen across a bird that seems far too young to be out on its own, at the mercy of those bad ol' predators with no Momma and Poppa bird anywhere in the vicinity? The answer is simple and can be summed up in three words;

LEAVE IT ALONE.

I know that may not be what many of you want to hear and you'll have plenty of objections.

“But it might get eaten by a predator!”

That's true. If that happens then a fox or Sparrowhawk or whatever hunter will be able to feed its own babies.

“But it might starve / freeze to death / get hit by a car!”

That's true. If that happens then a Red Kite or Jackdaw or whatever carrion cleaner will be able to feed its own babies.

It may seem unpleasant to us but Nature doesn't play by our man-made rules. It exists by balance and evolution. If you find a young bird that has at least some feathers, is moving on its own, walking or perching and appears bright and attentive, then enjoy it for a few seconds and move away, happy in the knowledge that this is what it should be doing at this time of year. It's probably tried to leave the nest and is resting, waiting for its parents to appear with food. It hasn't learned the arts of camouflage or flight yet but the chances are that it will, as long as you leave it to do so.

Don't believe me? Well perhaps the words of the RSPB will carry more weight: “However tempting, interfering with a young bird will do more harm than good. Fledglings are extremely unlikely to be abandoned by their parents. Just because you can't see the adult birds does not mean that they're not there. The parents are probably just away collecting food - or are hiding nearby, keeping a watchful eye, or even being frightened away from their youngster by your presence. You should leave fledglings where they are, in the care of their own parents. Removing a fledgling from the wild reduces its chances of long-term survival to a small fraction, and is a very last resort.”

The RSPCA agree. Their statement on the subject includes, “Fledglings have all or most of their feathers and leave the nest just before they can fly, so it's normal to see them on the ground. Keep your pets away from them, leave the fledgling alone and monitor it, as the parents are usually nearby and feeding the bird.”

There are a few exceptions to this LEAVE IT ALONE rule but they are very few. See these sites for details.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/rspb-news-original/news/stories/baby-birds-release/

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/orphanedanimals/babybirds

And there's another factor that must now be taken into account. Abandoned or not, endagered or not, alive or not, you should never, ever touch a wild bird in these days of Avian Flu. I'll be addressing this issue in a later View From the Shed but for now I'll just say that we at the RSPB are taking this threat incredibly seriously and are taking huge extra precautions in the rare cases that we actually have to handle a bird. Please, just don't do it.

More info on Avian Flu: Avian Flu guidance

It's important to remember that enough chicks will usually survive to continue their species, which is the driving force in every creature's existence. And, in general, the strongest will survive. That's not always the strongest individual creature but the traits that make it strong will be evident in most of the ones that grow to adulthood, to breed and to raise its own young.

And there are plenty of healthy youngsters to see at the moment. Here recently we've seen juvenile Bearded Tit, Marsh Harrier, and Avocet among many others. We've got our fingers crossed for some young Bitterns too but at the time of writing none have been seen. It's not too late though.

Please, don't bring any young birds to us at Old Moor. Come and enjoy the birds that are already here instead. We promise you'll see nature in balance.