Baby Birds falling from nest .. a guide to saving them
The Leads Forum is a place where ideas for posting to our neighbourhoods are offered. This one from a North Island Lead:
Hi all, as it's spring, people are seeing young birds leaving their nests. Sometimes people 'rescue' a young bird that's actually fine and doesn't need help, and other times people may find a bird that needs help urgently. Here are some tips you may like to post in your area:
1. First - check if the bird does actually does need to be rescued. If it's got feathers, don't try to rescue it - it's a fledgling and its parents will probably be nearby. Watch from a distance to make sure a parent is close and there are no predators in the area. If there are predators, put the young bird high up in a tree or tall shrub and shoo the predator away if you can.
2. If the young bird has no feathers, put it back in its nest if possible. If you can't put it back in its nest, it needs help ASAP as it will die from exposure otherwise. If it does have feathers but there's no sign of parents nearby after you've watched it for some time, it also needs help.
IF YOU RESCUE A BIRD
The #1 advice for rescued birds is to keep them warm. Birds feel the cold a lot more than people do - a mild day for humans can be freezing for birds.
--- Put it in a shoe box or similar, with an old t-shirt/soft cloth that's loosely bunched up so it can burrow inside and 'nest' (avoid towels or anything their claws may get tangled with).
--- Fill a hot water bottle or a soft drink bottle with hot water from the hot water tap - NOT boiling, but as hot as possible from the tap. Put it outside the box and rest it against one edge of the box. This acts like a little heater and the bird inside the box can get as close as it wants to the warmth.
Get it to a rescue centre as soon as possible - this site has good information and lists bird rescue centres: birdrescue.org.nz...
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.