Remember the wild animals

[clawnz]

Christmas Wishes to all.

Here in Auckland there seems to be a lack of food for the wild birds, and they need fresh water to drink as it has been so dry.

My Christmas Wish!
Please wherever you are, if you have time put out food and water.

This will apply to all wild animals.

And some most excellent news.
Auckland Bird Rescue caught 15 out of 16 geese that were ordered to be removed or shot. They have been rehomed on a massive property. There wings were clipped to keep them there, and by the time they have grown in new flights they will of settled into their new home.
I was stressing out over the poor lone one that spent the next two days without it's mates.
But my Christmas wish was granted and I managed to find him and catch him by the neck, while feeding it. He was reunited with his flock last night.
It seems he maybe the boss, as I am told 3x females came running over and clucked around, as if to say Ho No We have not played around. Then he went over and barked at the main bunch.
I am told there is a vid, so look forward to seeing that and posting if any good!




Auckland Bird Rescue has received over 880 birds in this month alone.

They are overloaded and need serious help with the work load.

 

[Birdbabe]

We feed the wild birds all year, I threw out extra on Christmas morning before I left for work. Hope all those birds are safe, and the rescues find great homes.

 

[itzmered]

We feed the birds and animals year round also. I love watching them and taking pictures of all the birds and animals that visit us. We go through approximately 800 lbs of corn and another 200 lbs of bird seed every year

 

[GG.]

we feed everything here too - I always put out extra chicken scratch, corn and oats for the wild birds and squirrels in addition to 4 feeders on the property

not to mention the possum that eats the cat's leftovers

Thanks for the reminder - and accessible fresh water is vital for them too, regardless of the temps

 

[Kathy]

My hubby feeds the birds all year around. We've got quite a gathering every day in our yard.

 

[Vicky Chai Tea]

Isn't it generally a bad idea to feed wild birds?

It causes unnatural groupings of birds, making them more likely to get sick because of overcrowding. It also makes them a target for predators. And if they're eating your seed, they aren't spreading around the seeds of local plants that rely on them or taking care of local insects. You may also not be providing them with a balanced diet, resulting in malnourished or overweight birds.

 

[Anne & Gang]

we throw out all the extra bird food here and we have quite the gathering, plus there are some rabbits that come...we put out food for them too

 

[GG.]

Isn't it generally a bad idea to feed wild birds?

It causes unnatural groupings of birds, making them more likely to get sick because of overcrowding. It also makes them a target for predators. And if they're eating your seed, they aren't spreading around the seeds of local plants that rely on them or taking care of local insects. You may also not be providing them with a balanced diet, resulting in malnourished or overweight birds.

I understand your concerns, but when the weather is inclement, feeding them is supplementing what is available 'in nature' and providing fresh, clean water is beneficial, actually necessary to their health

 

[itzmered]

With 4 feet of snow on the ground and little to forage for the birds come to rely on what we feed them. Our state Department of Natural Resources encourages people to feed the birds

 

[clawnz]

Yes agreed! And you make a good point.
I know Lyn would normally be against it. I feed the wild birds in winter to help them when food is short. In summer they only get the left over seed I throw out after my own birds have had their fill.
But periods like we are having here, they need topping up. there is no live stock in my large mounds of mulch. These should be full of life. And I know of one pond that has dried up, this has never happened before.
In extreme times it can be helpful to feed.
All seed coming into New Zealand should of been heat treated to sterilize.
So it should not sprout.

Isn't it generally a bad idea to feed wild birds?

It causes unnatural groupings of birds, making them more likely to get sick because of overcrowding. It also makes them a target for predators. And if they're eating your seed, they aren't spreading around the seeds of local plants that rely on them or taking care of local insects. You may also not be providing them with a balanced diet, resulting in malnourished or overweight birds.

 

[Vicky Chai Tea]

Oh! Well I can understand that. But how do you know whether or not there is a shortage of food for them in your area? Birds have been around for hundreds of years and lived through hundreds of winters without us, how do we know if there really isn't enough food around?

 

[clawnz]

That is another good question. When weather is extreme and conditions are not normal! The wild animals struggle.

This year we know there is not the food stocks here in Auckland due to long dry periods.
That could be why we are getting over 20 baby birds in a day this season.
They seem to be leaving the nest early. Top count was 48 birds handed in in one day. Most of these were birds that are just starting to fledge.

A classic last year was seeing Kiwi's out hunting food in daylight. This is a nocturnal bird and has very poor sight in daylight. It is never seen during the day.