Spent a couple of hours enjoying the mild winter weather watching the garden birds and noticed a Blue Tit with a very overgrown upper mandible; I will also tag on the other garden visitors from today.
1st the BT with the overgrown beak; I have already reported it to BTO, sent photos for their data files and on my weekly BTO garden bird watch report which goes in each Sunday. Have also filled out the "Beak Watch" survey
Poor bluey but at least the bird appears to be in good condition apart from that elongated upper mandible
and the other BT's
Coal Tit
Two squirrels were being their usual pesky nuisances ! I couldn't really put food on the log apart from live mealworms as they proved persistent little devils !
Great Tit - it's hard to be certain but I have a sneaking feeling this Great Tit is the female we took to Stapeley Grange rspca for treatment and re-released back in our garden ........... she was quite a bit paler than some of the other GT's and there's something about this bird that makes me wonder if it is her ! pity she wasn't ringed prior to release !
and this one who already had it's frilly Christmas party skirt on ...........
Next up we had a visit for these little beauties ....................
notice that blue sky lol
Wilma was on the smaller pond area and a bit distant but didn't seem right not to include her
and I'd get told off if I didn't include any robins lol so fill your boots Paul !!!!
there were two around and a fair bit of chasing one another off territory !! The only pics I really got showed this robin getting distracted (by the other robin in the area) all the time lol thought Paul would like them though :)
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Regards, Hazel
Lovely collection there Hazel, good to see Wilma, and robins for Paul, not forgetting the gorgeous lollypops.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Poor little BT. It's managing to survive, but could it feed young? Love the distracted Robins and the GT with the ra-ra skirt!
Unicum arbustum haud alit duos erithacos
(One bush does not shelter two Robins)
Zenodotus (3rd Century B.C.)
Poor wee little Blue Tit. I really don't know how it manages with a deformity like that but it looks healthy enough.
Lovely set of photos. All your other birds look in fine fettle even if Wilma was playing hard to get.
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Tony
My Flickr Photostream
Wow that beak on the Blue Tit must get in the way of feeding you would think, but it looks pretty well fed, probably glad of any easy food you put out though Hazy. Love the coal tits and I wonder if indeed that Great Tit is the one you rescued, would have been good to know for definite. Lovely to see the lollipops and the robins are so clear and sharp, great photos.
Lot to learn
Thanks everyone, the Blue Tit seemed to be happy enough so guess it is adapting its way of eating and not going hungry by the looks of it. I do feed the live mealworms year round so it may be able to eat those easier than the seeds. Preening must be difficult for it though. There is an article here if you want to read more about beak deformities. Most birds look pretty good considering it's supposed to be winter ! wonder if we are in for a cold snap in Jan or Feb. It's amazing to be able to sit in the garden at this time of year although I do have my fleece jacket on but was able to leave off the hat and gloves !
Oh that poor little BT aitch ... wouldn't it be great to catch it & have a vet clip off that excess to aid with the preening & eating?
2013 photos & vids here
eff37 on Flickr
morning Wendy, would be interesting to know if the beak could be trimmed down successfully if the bird was able to be captured for treatment; I suppose it would depend on the shape of each deformity and if it could be trimmed to leave no open gap when beak is in closed position. This downward curve would be easier I think but other shapes not possible or with crossover, etc. I found another article about the possible causes HERE and maybe a virus and not genetically passed down as it was found only in birds over 6 months old from what I have read - having said this I've only had a quick scan through the article; however, it's still uncertain to know for sure with so many factors having to be taken into consideration. It's the little Chickadee that started all this investigation and it makes for interesting reading although I'm still ploughing through the findings again. Seems our Blue Tits are closely related to the black-capped Chickadee as it is beginning to look more prevalent in these birds.
Very interesting aitch but nothing conclusive yet, much more investigation & testing required!
Yep, it's a hard one to fathom, could be any number of reasons or even a combination. Glad the BTO are working on it along with other scientists. They got back to me this morning and I have asked them if the bird could be captured would it be possible for a vet to cut the excess off . Will see what they say; maybe I could convince our local ringers to put a mist net up.
You must have been reading my mind aitch, was just picturing in my mind about setting up mist net in your garden!!