Finches have the same. It has decimated the greenfinch population. Its very sad to see as they grow very fat and lethargic and cant feed properly. As you say, when you see it in your garden best to stop feeding them for a period. Sadly its always fatal.We had two dead collared doves in the garden within a week of each other about a year ago (well, actually the 2nd one we had to dispatch, as it wasn't quite dead, but obviously very unwell). Internet research revealed that there was a disease affecting certain types of bird (doves, pigeons etc) where their throats swell and they can't swallow any food & starve (nasty!) then the food they can't swallow is contaminated and if eaten by another bird, they catch the disease. It recommended not feeding the birds for a few days if you find a dead or obviously unwell bird to stop the spread.
I refer to our Starlings as The Thugs.We feed the birds, or at least Mrs S does and have a lot of different species visiting. We even get nuthatch and blackcap and a couple of beautiful bullfinches. Every so often a sparrow hawk takes a bird from the feeders which is a shame but spectacular to see. Recently though we have been getting increased numbers of corvids, particularly jackdaws and magpies. The latter are bad buggers rooting around looking for birds nests to raid so I get the job to chase them off the coconuts that they are attracted to. The only bird I don't really like are the starlings, scruffy hooligans. They can fuck right off out of our garden.
I am surprised that they appear in either of our gardens. Starlings are riff- raff and should only inhabit more down market gardens.I refer to our Starlings as The Thugs.
Upstarts.I am surprised that they appear in either of our gardens. Starlings are riff- raff and should only inhabit more down market gardens.
Are you putting anything out for them?Jeez BMR I am kealous, what I would give for a woodpecker, I keep my garden semi wild deliberately, at the moment so the baby frogs have some where to hide, but it is all done to encourage wild life and yet all I get is the usual, sparrows and blackbirds. The odd thrush calls as do the robins but usually it is the effin pigeons and magpies.