Are these cardinals ill?
Female Cardinal with Mites (2008)No, they aren't ill. I took these photos of the cardinals with mites this past summer. I had a whole bunch of them coming by. I worried at first, but then asked our local Wild Bird Center about it, and they assured me that it's not unusual. Sometimes, an infestation occurs and it spreads through the birds by their nests or in other ways. It isn't harmful at all. They told me by the fall, when the weather cooled off, the mites would die and the feathers would grow right back. That definitely happened, because they all look well and feathery! I was relieved to learn that it wasn't deadly and that the feathers would regrow; they said there's nothing to prevent it, it just happens in nature sometimes.
Male Cardinal with Mites (2008)The main problem for these types of birds with the tuft of feathers on top of their heads (including BlueJays) is that they cannot pick off or otherwise shrug off the mites on the head, face and neck area and they are basically helpless to do anything. I have photos of several different cardinals but they aren't very pretty, and they include feathers off parts of the entire body. When I took these photos, I didn't think I'd ever post them because they certainly aren't appealing to the eye.
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It's a sunny day here and I am on my way out the door to see what's out there in the garden centers...if anything:) Maybe I'll get lucky. I'll definitely post about it if I do.
OH Jan I thought it was just me...
ReplyDeleteSome of my Blotanical buddies blogs are not even accessible, ughh!
Now those are some funny looking birds. Do the mites do terminal damage or is it just cosmetic. I know mites on honey bees can kill. Kim
Hi jan
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of those red birds.
I hope that you find anything beautiful in the gardencenter.I Think that you do.
Have a nice evening
Gunilla
It's sad that Blotanical isn't working, but I can get to many blogs through others. That's really good - what would I have done otherwise? Spent time cleaning the house? Studying? Sleeping? Watching TV?
ReplyDeleteI prefer reading blogs =)
Have a nice day
/Helen
I'm glad you were able to email Stuart about the problems. I go to Blotanical to keep up with my fave blogs and bloggers and was thwarted from doing so this morning. Guess this goes to show I need to 'follow' and/or bookmark my faves on my blogspot blog (which is how I accessed your post:) and my browser as well...
ReplyDeleteWere the cardinals ill due to the mites, or can they recover and grow their feathers back? Poor things.
~Aerie-el
I´m releved to hear that it an´t only me that have lost contact with with blotanical!
ReplyDeleteI do hope that it is´t a big problem with hackers and bad people!
Linda
Jan...yes when I try to go to see Jen at 'Muddy Boot Dreams' I get the same message about the account being suspended. I cannot get onto blotanical at all. Other Blotanist like you I can visit but some no...hmmm all very strange!
ReplyDeleteI just published your comment on my blog in case anyone else is totally in the dark as to all of this. I'm off to email Jen
BTW...if you ever need anything my email is sweetgraceboutique@hotmail.com
Have a super day! Kim
Poor little bird, it looks like it hurts. I have seen this from afar, but when you zoom in...wow!
ReplyDeleteHopefully all the gremlins in the blogger & Blotanical sites will be fixed.
Janet
Well, I just went to Blotanical... "account has been suspended Please contact the billing/support department as soon as possible." !!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Jan, poor Stuart, he must be getting so many emails and in the meantime trying to figure out and fix what has happened. I don't envy him! Those poor cardinals, we occasionally see that too, so sad.
ReplyDeleteFrances
I use Google reader to access my blogs as well as Blotanical. If one goes down I've got the other as backup. Might be worth doing in future.
ReplyDeleteA new bird for me! He looks rather grumpy though. Wonderful red color. Thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteOh, I saw Blotanical was down, too. I got some wierd message about accounts/payroll or something like that. I hope your comments working now. Haven't run into anything like that.
Hi, I'm Maria's husband, Henrik. I'm saw the quote by Richard Bach on your site. It was a long time ago I read any of his books, but it still makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteI think Blotanical has problems with their hosting company. Hopefully it is easy fixed.
The Cardinals are really beautiful. The birds here in Sweden are not as colourful.
Maria: I will take a look at the PIF.
Awww, poor little bald headed cardinals. But they do look funny:)
ReplyDeletePoor little bird.
ReplyDeleteI have never gotten the hang of navigation on Blotanical. I wish I had more time to spend there.
Marnie
I thought it was just me with Blotanical. I'm glad I have I can still visit lots of blogs. Maybe I'll get something done today :)
ReplyDeleteI just got back from a day in Raleigh and haven't checked what's happening with the web world today after this morning's quirks.
ReplyDeleteSo, that's what's wrong with the bird in your photos. We have a cockatiel and thankfully, he's never had mites. We had one pass away last fall (she was old).
Cameron
I see that Blotanical is back up and running again. Hopefully the problems with Blogger get worked out soon for you. I had so many problems this past summer that I switched over to Wordpress in Sept.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading blogs in the pick section, I had a message saying an account was suspended or something, and I think that's when I clicked "read in new tab" and was able to read it, and then go back to pick it.
ReplyDeleteI read quite a few, and that only happened once or twice. Once in awhile, I will have a blog not come up but it will just be blank. Oh, they were slow appearing last night.
So, are those birds going to recover?
Jan, I had the same problem with Blotanical and was rather concerned. I'm glad it's fixed now.
ReplyDeleteThose poor cardinals. I hope they'll recover.
I've never seen Cardinals with mites. What sad looking birds! I wonder if mites can't live through our Winters. Perhaps it's a good thing Cardinals range up here in the Winter! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Everyone, thank you all for your comments today. I almost deleted this post because it wasn't like my usual ones and I wasn't thrilled with it...but, since you all left comments, it's staying.
ReplyDeleteWell, Blotanical is up and running again. It was out for quite a while today...no one could get on at a certain period of time.
Blogger has been a bit confusing lately and I still worry that something is going to disappear when I do anything. But, it seems like your comments are getting posted now. If you ever come back to check and it's not there, please let me know. I did lose several today. I waited hours before I even posted 16 of them!
The cardinals are from this past summer. I had a whole bunch of them coming by. I worried at first, but then asked our local Wild Bird Center about it, and they assured me that it's not unusual. Sometimes, an infestation occurs and it spreads through the birds by their nests or in other ways. It isn't harmful at all. They told me by the fall, when the weather cooled off, the mites would die and the feathers would grow right back. That definitely happened, because they all look well and feathery!
I was relieved to learn that it wasn't deadly and that the feathers would regrow; they said there's nothing to prevent it, it just happens in nature sometimes.
Hi Jan, Stuart is working on the problem. He's received a ton of emails. He is on Twitter so updating there. He says the bill has been paid:) Don't worry.
ReplyDeleteI use my google reader all the time. So I was ok with that, I just wondered what happened to blotanical. But it looks like all is well now.
ReplyDeleteHowever, all is still NOT well with my blogger comment publisher! I just published 2 comments, above: 1 by Tina, and 1 by ShadyGardener.
Do you see ShadyG's comment anywhere???NO, because it vanished after I hit the publish button. I contacted blogger but of course, there are too many people using that, so unlike blotanical, it isn't 'personal'. I'm not sure what to do.
Glad it's nothing fatal, as too was alarmed on seeing the bird's bald headed photo. Nice to hear it's safe :) Of course they'd do well, what with your generous feeding!
ReplyDeleteoh my Jan, those cardinals are a mess. I've never seen anything like that in my yard before. It's good to know it doesn't hurt them. Thanks for sharing that information with us. Now if I see something like it, I'll know not to be alarmed.
ReplyDeleteIt was blogger that whas the problem! Not Blotanical!
ReplyDeletePlease read the not from Stuart on Blotanical!
I NEED HELP!!! I dont get it at all with how to change the feeds!
Linda
Happy to know the mite attack isn't harmful. I hope you get to see some lovely stuff at the garden centres.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen that condition, so the photos are interesting. I'll know what it is now, when I see it. Thanks for posting about it.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen this before, Jan. I'm glad to know this isn't harmful and that their feathers grow back--they look so sad in these pictures.
ReplyDeleteHope you find lots of good bargains at the garden center!
Jan, Check out http://www.amishgourds.com/site/1278922/page/441669 for all kinds of great tips on growing and drying gourds as well as everything else you'll need to know! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Shady:) Glad you came back!
ReplyDeletePoor little cardinals, they do look ill even if they aren't. I couldn't even tell they were cardinals!
ReplyDeleteHow sad looking! Oh, the ways of nature. Happy plant hunting. It's the only way to get out of the winter doldrums, I think.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Good lord, birds look weird without feathers!
ReplyDeleteI've never actually seen any birds with mite infestations like that.
ReplyDeleteThat is freaky!
I wondered about that. Glad you cleared up the mystery.
ReplyDeleteThank's for your nice comments in my blog.
ReplyDeleteYes, all the pictures on the slide presentations are from my garden.
You have so many great bird photos. ;-)
Jan,
ReplyDeleteHmmm very interesting...glad to know it is relatively harmless, just messy looking!
gail
I have never seen that up here, either. Have you seen other birds with mites?
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen other types of birds with the feather loss, but the Wild Bird Center told me it also happens in BlueJays, basically any bird that has that tuft of feathers at the top of their head...it is easy for the mites to get to & stay, because the birds can't get them off with their beaks. Thus, the birds are basically helpless against the mites.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot more photos of several different cardinals but they aren't pretty. Some had the feathers off most of their bodies.
So sad to see. Looks like they're ill.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found out that they'll be ok. You would think the other birds would pick off the mites. Glad you did this post.
Yes Jan, morning glories are annuals. It's easy to collect the seeds for the next year, but not always neccessary. They self seed freely! The instructions usually say to soak them or file a nick into the seeds, and I know I did one or the other, just not sure which! I think they are invasive in the south, but not here. Your other question was how to water my high up plant, I have a step stool next to it! I counted 35 house plants today, and I water them all at once about every five days. I always have to make sure I get them all! The guest room has about four or five plants in there, so it's easy to remember. It's so nice and sunny, and has lots of room for plants.
ReplyDeleteOh man those poor babie. I would have freaked out to go into my aviary & find my birds looking like that much less the ones flying around. So glad they recovered.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
morning jan.
ReplyDeletethe poor birds...your post made me read about mites and what you can/could do to help them if they nest in your yard. poor things scratch off their feathers...trying to get the mites off :( but you probably already knew that.
have a great weekend.
erin
erin
Hi Jan, I'm glad you posted the photos even though the birds don't look pretty. It's like our gardens and life and us - things don't stay pretty all the time.
ReplyDeleteCheers, C
I hope that the cardinal's feathers soon grow back - such beautiful birds. I wish that they would visit our shores. How was your trip to the garden centres - do tell Jan !
ReplyDeletePoor little birds.
ReplyDeleteNever knew there was a problem birds had with mites. I've never seen a balding bird before.
So that’s what it is. I have seen some birds in my back yard with bold heads, I thought it was other birds picking on the weak ones
ReplyDeleteI saw your comment over at Roses in Gardens; I so appreciate your blogging problems as I am a newbie myself.
ReplyDeleteTwo things (at least) have really saved me: one is searching online for blogs and forums where I could ask questions about my particular technical problem. People are incredibly generous with info, I find.
The other thing is: my web host was able to save my blog to some file they had when I was going through an upgrade. You might ask your host if they can do the same, or recommend an alternative. That way, if you lose the blog, they can put it back up for you. Takes the stress off!
Speaking of which, I was glad to hear the bird mites don't cause permanent damage to the birds. I collect dropped feathers and was told that the best way to avoid feather mites on these is to stroke them with your fingers every now and then. It's like a bird preening the feather, and disturbs any mite eggs so they don't hatch.
Thanks for letting me know about your post. Those poor birds, I had never heard of such a thing. I am glad to hear it isn't life threatening. Thanks for the info and for stopping by.
ReplyDelete