Herald - Issue 391

25th June 2020 • The HERALD • Page 33 v READ THE HERALD ONLINE: www.herald-publishing.co.uk v 38 Pylewell Road, Hythe, Southampton, Hants SO45 6AQ Tel: (023) 8084 1000 Fax: (023) 8084 5651 www.hythevets.co.uk An Independent Local Practice The Pet Healthcare Centre ANIMAL MAGIC Keep Calm and Step Away from that Bird e RSPB advises on the do’s and don’ts for this year’s nesting season as baby birds emerge in our gardens and local green spaces. Becca Smith, spokesperson for the RSPB said: “At this time of year we get hundreds of calls from well-meaning members of the public about the seemingly helpless baby birds they’ve discovered on the ground. But it’s vital that people resist the urge to intervene – this is a natural part of the bird’s development, so keep calm and step away. Just before baby birds are ready to tentatively extend a wing, wiggle a tail feather and take flight for the first time, they leave their nest – “fledge” as it’s called. Fledglings then spend a couple of days on the ground and around the nest developing their final flight feathers. The fledglings will appear fully feathered and hop around your garden in broad daylight – hence why members of the public are convinced they need rescuing.” Becca continued: “Another common fear is that the fledgling has been deserted by its parents. But fledglings are extremely unlikely to be abandoned. Mum and dad are probably off gathering food or hiding nearby with a beady eye on their young, waiting for you to leave. Parents know best and are the experts in rearing their young. Removing a fledgling from the wild significantly reduces its chances of long- term survival – so please don’t ‘kidnap’ the baby bird, even in a well-meaning way.” ere are only a couple of situations when the public should lend a friendly helping hand: Immediate Danger: If the baby bird is found on a busy road or path, and if it is safe to do so, we advise it is picked up and moved a short distance to a safer place - this must be within hearing distance of where the edgling was found. Similarly, if you discover your cat or dog eyeing up a edgling, we recommend that you keep your domestic pet indoors for a couple of days – or at least around dawn and dusk. Injury: If an injured edgling is discovered this should be reported immediately to the RSPCA on: 0300 1234 999. Sometimes local vets treat wild birds for free, but please check with them rst. Nestlings:  If a baby bird is discovered on the ground that is either un-feathered or covered only in its fluffy nestling down, it has likely fallen out of its cosy nest ahead of schedule. Very occasionally it is possible to put these babies back in their nest, but only if you are 100% sure of the nest it has fallen from. Becca continued: “However, sometimes a parent bird will intentionally eject a chick from the nest if they sense it has an underlying health problem or is dying. It’s a harsh truth to stomach, as humans we want to fix things, but sometimes we need to allow the law of nature to run its course.” Watching the birds building their nests - to-ing and fro-ing with leaves, twigs, moss and fur - has bought joy to many people during lockdown. e RSPB has seen increased reports this year of birds nesting in more unusual places than expected, including raising their young in a de ated paddling pool, a wheelie bin, and inside a pair of trousers. If a nest is disturbed or destroyed it can be extremely distressing for the adult birds and they will o en abandon the site. With birds nesting in all kinds of weird and wonderful places, the RSPB is urging members of the public to check for nests in their gardens before beginning to clear trees, bushes and undergrowth. If you do accidentally disturb a nest then it is important to leave the vicinity of it as soon as possible so the parents can get back to it quickly. e longer the parents are away from the nest, the more vulnerable the young are. Avoid that area while the birds are nesting. If a nest has been exposed, it should be re-covered so it appears undisturbed to the birds and is protected from the elements and predators. Becca said : “It is a criminal offence to intentionally damage a nest and anyone doing so could be fined or even jailed under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. We hope that as we all begin to appreciate nature more; we can help to provide more spaces for birds to nest and lend birds a hand by giving fledglings and their nest sites a wide berth” RSPB - Photo credit: Justin Hoffman During periods of hot, dry weather, especially in the open areas of heathland, please be careful not to set re to the Forest. One carelessly discarded cigarette could cause a massive and dangerous re which would destroy a large area of natural habitat, kill countless animals and endanger nearby properties. What is a wildfire? A wildfire is an uncontrolled, unwanted or unplanned re. It can develop very quickly and rapidly spread across very large areas. Its behaviour is unpredictable and it can change direction very quickly and jump across roads and rivers. Wild res do not start by themselves; virtually all wild res are started by people, either accidentally or deliberately. Here are simple steps you can take to make sure you never accidentally start a fire: • Only barbecue at the following designated sites where running water is available: Bolderwood, Wilverley and Blackwater – disposable barbecues only on the metal plates xed to picnic tables. Anderwood, Blackwater, Bolderwood, Hatchet Pond, Linford Bottom, White eldMoor andWilverley car parks – raised non-disposable barbecues only. • Alternatively, hire a barbecue site at Wilverley or Anderwood car park (to book call 0300 067 4600 or visit the Forestry England webpage) or at Lepe Country Park (to book call 023 8089 9108 or visit www.hants.gov.uk/lepe) . • If you do have a barbecue make sure it is extinguished and disposed of properly. • Do not discard cigarette ends out of your car window when driving or drop them on the forest oor when walking. • Never start a camp re in the open forest, it can get out of hand very quickly and spread underground. • Never drop glass of any kind on the forest oor; it can sometimes start a re. • Report any y-tipping or abandoned vehicles; they may be a re risk. • Keep matches and lighters away from children and ensure they understand the dangers of re. • Report anyone who is responsible for starting a forest re. • Look out for signs which indicate high re risk areas, be especially careful in these areas and do not barbecue. • e lighting of sky lanterns is prohibited in the New Forest due to the risk of wild res and harm to wildlife. What to do if I spot a wildfire? If you spot a wild re call 999 immediately, try to give your exact location, including any landmarks and if possible meet the re engine to give directions. For a day-to-day update of the re risk in the New Forest visit the Forestry England website. Please note that during winter and early spring, Forestry England sta deliberately burn substantial areas of the open forest to stop the heather and gorse getting too tall and old. ese res are well controlled and there are always trained re ghters on hand. ank you for your help. No Wildfires Please I nformation from New Forest National Park Authority GET CYCLING THIS SUMMER Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK Regular physical activity will help you to maintain a healthy weight and keep your heart healthy. Cycling is a fun way to improve your overall health and wellbeing as well as enabling you to get out and explore your local area. We have some tips to get you started with cycling this summer. If you currently don’t own a bike You can check whether your employer o ers a Cycle to Work scheme as this can make buying a bike more a ordable. Travelling around by bike may help you to make savings on travel costs. If you don’t have access to a cycle to work scheme, you could check out the deals available from your local bike shop or look out for a cheap second hand bike. You can get advice online or at your local bike shop about which bike is most suitable for you and what extra equipment you might need. If you are unsure whether cycling is for you, why not nd out whether you can hire a bike in your local area to try it out rst. Start off small Don’t try to do too much too soon. If you try to cycle for too long the rst time you go out, you may get fatigued or injured and this may put you o continuing. Build up gradually, starting with a short cycle on fairly at ground, building up to longer and more challenging cycles slowly. Make sure you allow yourself adequate recovery time in between cycles. Fuel and fluid As you build up to longer rides as you get tter, you should always remember to take food and a drink on your bike rides. A snack, such as a banana or a cereal bar, and a bottle of water strapped to your bike frame will help to keep you going for longer. You can nd plenty more healthy tips and recipes at heartresearch.org.uk