This bald female Cardinal looks like she has a shrunken head! I'm pleased to say that she is usually in the company of a male Cardinal, so maybe she just likes the "punk" look and it doesn't really effect her life much.......but it's weird. I've seen no sign that the feathers are growing back.
Then I have another female Cardinal that seems to have a foot or leg problem. She looks young to me. The first time I saw her she was standing on one foot on the edge of this feeder and then sat down and did all her eating while leaning in to the feeder. She rested a lot.
Today she was back on the deck rail and again did her eating while leaning over and didn't stand up any. I did see her fly a short distance later and she had some trouble landing.
This almost blind House Finch has been hanging around for weeks and I think it looks worse all the time, but it has a hardy appetite and eats. She constantly rubs her head against branches. It sort of "stutter flies" when it lands, which makes me think it has trouble judging where to come down. The top of its wing looks a bit messy in this picture also. The other eye is a little better....not quite so red and swollen.Then I have this little Titmouse.....again it looks young.....who seems to have problems with the left leg, like maybe that leg is short or injured. It sort of leans and hops when it eats and has trouble getting where it wants to go. .
Well, I know none of that is pretty and I promise to post nicer things tomorrow, but these 4 have been on my mind alot. It makes me feel good to know that they can come to the feeders and find food, when it might be hard for them in the wild! I suppose that I'm just stopping the inevitible....survival of the fittest....but I'd rather try at least.
P.S. As of today the squirrel still has that tick by its eye! I can't believe he hasn't rubbed it off!
%2B(2).jpg)
9 comments:
Wish we could help them. I know it's part of nature...but I don't have to LIKE it!
Aw, so sad. The first Cardinal is probably just molting. They do look strange like that. Wait till the Bluejays do it too! The rest, it's tough to say what might have happened. Life is hard. I'm sorry to see that your finch has the eye disease. So far, so good with mine here.
Annie: I hate seeing the hurt ones.
Sandpiper: That seems like a strange way to molt....just the head?? I hope you are right. I think I only have one finch with the eye disease. It looks so miserable, but hangs in there. I've seen several others that seem perfectly normal.
Poor things!! It always seems like such a pity when we find out nature is not as perfect as we expect it ot be.
The female cardinal looks like a minature vulture with no feathers on its head.
Mary, I've had bluejays that look just like that when they molt. I hope that's what's going on with your cardinal. Poor birdies look rather beaten up.
Saphotographs: Yes, I guess it is no different than with humans.
John: That's a funny comparison! She gobbles food like a little "vulture".
Sandpiper: OK....I'll keep watching for new feathers. How come only the head molts??
Poor babies. I heard that house finch get conjunctivitis (from Abe's blog), which I never knew before. I hope they all heal and enjoy their summer.
s
Sandy: I looked at a site that showed a lot of the eye problem this one has and that was the name of it. It looks so miserable, I just feel sorry for it.
Post a Comment