Rectory Duckling Update

The small stunted growth rectory duckling is still getting TLC and a course of antibiotics. It has been very shaky on it's feet with balance issues. The Vet prescribed a week to 10 days antibiotics, twice a day to tackle any possible ear infection and hopefully restore it's normal balance. If this does not work then the likelihood is neurological damage which is likely to be permanent. Half way through the treatment it's balance seems to have improved a little, fingers crossed it is an ear infection that will be fixed.

Apart from the balance issue, it is normal and shares the garden during the day with some of the other ducks - but keeps it's distance.    

Duck Delight

What a difference in the injured duck after 2 weeks treatment. She can now fly which was my main concern, her ability to escape too many amorous drakes at this time of year is vital.

The injury which originally caused all her problems was a damaged right wing, 

this meant she could not fly to escape amorous drakes resulting in lacerations to her back.

These have now healed after saline baths, antibiotics, and antibacterial cream. She will be released once her back has new feather growth showing.

                            I am delighted with the results !

Rock Dove Rehab

Having treated a Rock dove for a ruptured air sac last week, I thought the problem was solved.
Two days later he came back to the door with his balloon neck again filled with air from the rupture ! 

     I thought there was no way he would walk in the door again after the first experience, but I was astonished to see him come in the doorway for the second time! Since then I have extracted the air twice a day and given him a course of antibiotics as well.  Initially I was taking out a dozen syringes full of air twice a day, after a week I am now only getting 1 syringe full once a day.

 This rupture must have been severe and I think he has been hit by a vehicle on the left side, half his tail feathers are missing, and he has a bare patch on the left underside as well. 
I am fairly certain he is almost healed and hopefully can let him rejoin his flock soon, I am lucky I got a second chance to solve the problem . 

Meanwhile he is confined to the Aviary and looking much better, as the pics show. 

Sari Gets Treatment

Some days ago I noticed that Sari one of our light coloured ducks had a bad eye, it was being pecked by some other ducks to stay away. This is normal behaviour because they don't want to catch whatever is ailing the sick duck. Her left eye had a white membrane cover as though infected and going blind, she cannot see on her left side and mostly kept the eye shut. 
   

I decided that a course of antibiotics might be the only hope of saving the eye. Getting to her is a real problem because it has to be administered orally by way of food. With about 150 birds all wanting to eat as well, it's a pretty tricky business !  I'm half way through the course and hoping it will work, watch this space !

Pigeon Progress

The pigeon I have been treating after it's upper Mandible was pushed through it's lower mandible, is still with me. After letting it go the other day it returned to the Aviary and the other night it appeared to have respiratory difficulties. I could hear it wheezing badly with mouth open all the time, it sounded like an asthmatic in great difficulty. After consulting the avian web and my avian adviser down south I took the bird indoors into the warmth of the kitchen.

In view of the fact that the birds mouth was closed for many days the possibility that it was dehydrated and had a lung infection was very real. I made up a glucose type mixture which was water, salt, and sugar, that would help re-hydrate the bird. In addition my Avian adviser recommended Antibiotics tubed into the crop for any lung infection. After 3 days treatment the pigeon has ceased wheezing and is happily eating and recovering well. (short vid below)

The downside, is the kitchen is a mess with bird seed everywhere, but it's happy flying from kitchen unit to unit and looking good. I should be able to release it within a day or two.

Popeye Needs Treatment

After consultations with Sue my Avian adviser and two Vets about Popeye's infected leg, I will have to keep a close eye and start him on a course of antibiotics tomorrow. If that doesn't do the trick within the next couple of weeks, I may have to get him to a Vets surgery. Taking him away from his family will be traumatic for all of them, so I am trying to avoid that unless absolutely necessary. It's possible that the lesion will heal of it's own accord given enough time, but it could also get worse. It seems prudent to use the antibiotics route meanwhile.
I heard tonight that the Forres cygnets are now down to 3 after starting the season with 7, looks like they have a major predator over there ! 

Bonding Ritual

Popeye is showing good signs of improvement and getting back to his old self. Yesterday he took over his nest guarding duties although still resting his bad left leg, even on the nest. Today he was obliged to chase another young Swan out of the river, and found no difficulty with take off or landing. To reassure Penny his mate, he then started the bonding ritual (short vid below) and noticeably was using his bad leg again. This is the 3rd day of antibiotics, so I'm now confident he will make a full recovery very soon with no further intervention

Dog Attacks Swans !

Update for SSPCA.
These were the photos I took this afternoon. She has been bitten on the side as well as the wings. She is still eating and the bleeding seems to have stopped when I saw her this evening.

UPDATE: After a brief inspection this morning , It is obvious I will have to get the SSPCA and get the Pen out to have a closer look at the damage, it looks more serious than I had hoped for.

I am now wondering if this is the same dog that killed a drake in exactly the same spot a few months ago !

Bad news for our Swan Family tonight, they were attacked by a black Labrador around 7pm as told to me by an eye witness - The Pen has been injured. On my usual evening rounds, a lady who lives in a house overlooking the river told me she saw a woman dog walker with a black lab which jumped down the river wall and attacked the Swan family at the side of the river. The Cygnets fled, and the pen fought the dog off but received injuries which I think are to both wings at this stage, I might get a better look tomorrow morning. The Pen is at her most vulnerable this time of the year because she started moulting about 2 weeks ago and is unable to fly, she would have fought to ensure the survival of her cygnets in any case. I saw her in the harbour and took a few shots of her, there is a considerable amount of blood on her back under her wings, and I cant tell if her injuries are only to the wings (which she would have used for defence)or if there are flesh wounds to the back. I phoned my swan injury experts down south for immediate advice. They said that dog bites always result in infection and that I should get antibiotics into her as soon as possible. Because she is with her cygnets it would be too stressful to remove her from them for inspection at the vets. I decided to contact the emergency vet and get antibiotics right away, moray coast vets were good enough to come out to the surgery and give me the appropriate antibiotic. I went down to the harbour where the Swans had retreated for safety, and managed with difficulty to get the pen to take the antibiotic. She always defers to let the cygnets eat all that's going, and only occasionally takes food herself. At the moment she seemed alert and head was not drooping and wings are in correct position, I only hope it is the feather shafts that have been damaged and not the wing flesh or bones. She is the one who teaches the cygnets to fly and it would be a tragedy if she can no longer fly because of this attack !

She will have to be given antibiotics for the next 5 days but if she shows signs of going downhill I will have to catch her and take her for veterinary attention, this would be very traumatic for the whole swan family !

This for me is the last straw regarding the issue of loose dogs around this riverside area. Over the past couple of years I have personally seen dogs on 7 occasions in the river chasing the wildlife. How many have I not seen God only knows ! What I do know is that many ducks have been caught and killed by dogs, witnessed by other people. Only last week a woman told me of a dead duck laying close to the caravan site fence by the bailey bridge. The bottom line is the fact that dogs are predators, and it's quite normal for them to want to chase, catch and kill birds !

The area from the roadbridge to the bailey bridge is only about 300 yards and is home to about 120 ducks , a family of nesting swans, and the only swan nesting site on the river Nairn. The area is also used by a great variety of other species throughout the year. There is no need for dog owners to let their dogs into this part of the river at any time - Period. I will be asking for support from our local river community council and the region, to have signs put round this river area that says, dogs must be kept on leads at all times ! This could have very beneficial effects for all of us, in preventing dog mess from irresponsible dog owners who let their dogs wander freely and mess the paths and river walks. With extendable leads there is no reason to have dogs running freely round this part of the river anyway. It is time we all recognised that the wildlife in this area has to be protected, for it is an asset that Nairn cannot afford to lose !

Another item that would have had a bearing on the dog attack, is also the fact that the very vigilant Swans would not have spotted the danger in time due to the trees growing out of the river walls. These would have hidden the danger until it was too late to take evasive action,

these trees must be removed as soon as possible for they are eroding and undermining the river walls !