Nuthatch

It doesn’t always work – but it makes you feel really good when it does!

A loud clatter on a house window often means that one of our feathered friends has misjudged their route and flown full tilt into the glass. Sometimes the victim is found cold and stiff on the ground, but on the odd occasion we get to the scene quickly enough to try a trick taught to me by an old gamekeeper.

The victim is quickly cupped in the hands and a gentle breath is added at the rate of about two in every ten seconds – Gentle! - I said, you are not blowing up a balloon! Then if you are lucky you will notice a movement – quickly into a small dark box and put into somewhere warm – the odd flutter will tell you that your patient is ready for release, and this should be done gently at their own pace – there is no need to hurl them up into the air!

This was the scenario with this young Nuthatch. In the first picture it is completely unconscious with that sharp beak agape – later it was happy to sit on a finger – and finally it is checking out the Twootz fat balls before making off to tell its family of its adventures.

I’m still waiting for my silver medal from one of the wildlife outfits for my bravery in taking on the ‘kiss of life’ with that sharp beak......