Nuthatch’s life saved at bird photo hide

On 10 June 2016 at the bird photography hide, there were many birds. Including this nuthatch.

That was in the morning. Quite some nuthatches came all day; including this one in the afternoon.

Then, disaster. A nuthatch does not notice the window of the hide, and collides with it. It falls into the pond. Don’t let it drown! We grabbed the bird out of the water and put it on the bank of the pond. Close to us, no predators expected here. Too close for the telephoto lens. Is it dying; is it dead? No, it still breathes. Its eyes move a bit.

Then, it turns it head and looks at us. Again, later. About half an hour passes. Then, it turns it head to look at us again. Then, it flies off! I hope it did not suffer any permanent damage.

From eNatureBlog in the USA:

Do You Know What To Do When Birds Collide With Your Windows?

Posted on Wednesday, June 01, 2016 by eNature

As spring continues and bird activity is peaking, you’ve probably noticed birds colliding with your windows, especially if you live in a wooded area.

This is a common but huge problem that takes the lives of millions of birds annually.

What can you do to keep birds from your windows?

And what should you do if you see a bird collide with your window?

Our birding expert, George Harrison (the birder, not the Beatle!) offers some tips below…..

How To Keep Birds From Hitting Windows

Window collisions occur when a flying bird sees the refection of the yard or sky in the glass and flies into it. Anything that will reduce or eliminate these reflections in the glass will reduce bird collisions.

Some people hang shiny streamers or fine screening on the windows during peak migration periods. Others cloud the glass with soap. If the house is under construction, the windows can be installed tilting downward slightly to reduce reflections.

Other people paste silhouettes of hawks, owls, or spider webs on the windows, which is effective only around the area where the silhouette is located. Locating feeders on or near the windows will reduce the speed at which birds hit the glass.

What To Do If A Bird Hits Your Window

George states, “It has been my experience that only one out of ten collisions is fatal.” He adds that usually the bird is stunned, falls to the ground, and begins a period of recovery that may take up to an hour.

During that recovery period, the bird is vulnerable to hawks, house cats, or weather conditions. Some hawks have learned a hunting strategy of swooping down on active bird feeders, causing the birds to panic in all directions, including into windows, where they become easy prey.

To protect a stunned bird that has hit a window, George suggests covering it with a large kitchen sieve. The bird is less visible and is confined, allowing it time to recover. When the bird attempts to leave the sieve, it has recovered enough to be liberated.