Re: Personal Hygiene


"Les" <Les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ytPzvCChuRyCFw2Q@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> In message <1120468890.451408.82460@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Mark
> Etheridge <mark_etheridge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>>Early days yet, but since SWMBO decreed that what the garden needed was
>>a water feature, the birds have taken to it in a big way. In the past
>>two weeks, six different species have used the facility, but of those
>>only the Blackbirds and House Sparrows have used it as a bath.
>>
>>Is it just that I have particularly filthy BBs and HSs? Are the
>>Greenfinches, Starlings, Chaffinches and Carrion Crows less concerned
>>about BO?
>>
>>Perhaps I should provide towels...
>>
>>Toodle Pip
>>Mark
>>
> The two large birdbaths we have in the garden are used regularly by
> sparrows, blackbirds, starlings, blue tits, greenfinches, chaffinches
> dunnocks, doves, wood pigeons and wrens, occasionally we see a magpie
> bathing but not crows which tend not visit the garden at all. The
> sparrows usually follow up their bath with a dust bath in my vegetable
> patch.
> --
> Les

This behaviour is in contrast to the bb's which spread their wings on
my bare earth where the sun is directly shining.
All done to flush out the mites and other pests I suppose.
Sparrows actually go in for dust baths in the dry earth, also with the
same objective.
I suspect that the water bathing is also a way of soothing the irritations
and perhaps another way of removing the parasites.
I have a book somewhere showing jays speading their wings over
a pine ants nest, which should be very effective as long as the bird
can stand it.

--
Streuth


.

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