Collared Dove

Last Saturday after spending the day at the Birdfair at Rutland Water, I arrived home after the two hour drive, feeling tired and light of wallet to be confronted with an obviously sick and distressed Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto on the lawn of my back garden. I picked up the forlorn bird to examine it and my heart sank when I saw that the right eye was red, swollen and closed over and what appeared to be part of the brain, was protruding grotesquely from the side of the head. My first thought was that the unfortunate bird had been struck by a Sparrowhawk or possibly a cat. Resigning myself to a 40 minute round trip to St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital near Thame I put the dove in a cardboard box, jumped back into the car and raced off. Arriving at the hospital I joined the queue behind a juvenile Common Tern and a baby Edible Dormouse and waited my turn. As soon as the Dormouse was dealt with the Nurse had a look at my casualty and immediately exclaimed, "oh it's only a tick!", much to my relief and mild embarrassment considering my rather dramatic diagnosis! What I had assumed was part of the dove's brain was in fact a blood bloated tick and the horrible state of the eye was the result of an infection caused by the bite. I was told that the tick would be removed and the dove given a course of antibiotics, and stood a very good chance of making a full recovery. Apparently Collared Doves are prone to tick bites and are often brought in to the hospital for treatment. I drove home pleased that this story would hopefully have a happy ending.

If anyone finds a sick of injured Bird or Mammal the address of St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital is:

Tiggywinkles, Aston Road, Haddenham, Bucks, HP17 8AF

Tel: 01844 292292

Email: mail@sttiggywinkles.org.uk

www.tiggywinkles.com