In article , david@abacus-
nurseries.co.uk says...

On 17/10/2013 10:58, Bertie Doe wrote:


"David Hill" wrote in message ...

On 16/10/2013 21:50, Bertie Doe wrote:


"Spider" wrote in message ...

On 11/10/2013 15:58, David Hill wrote:
Had this Blue Tit on the feeder just now,
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/f...ps18fab201.jpg



All the others are normal sized, but this one was all fluffed up and
seems to have a growth on it's head, or it could be a tick.
Any ideas?

It could be avian pox. There's a link to report it on the BTO website.

I've xposted to uk.rec.birdwatching, for obs etc.

/I posted to BTO and to Garden Wildlife Health | Monitoring the health of
/Garden Wildlife
/Tick is the agreed probability

It's the first example I've seen. Don't suppose it's survivable.


I don't know. Ticks will drop off when fully fed so It may be lucky.
I just can't understand how it got it, Tits are not ground feeders and I
don't think ticks climb trees and bushes..

Their larvae climb long grass herbage or bracken to lie in wait for
a passing warm-blooded host; tits feed on grass/plant seed heads. If
you've ever waded through long grass or bracken and been boarded by a
tiny tick larvae the size of a pinhead, you can watch how fast they
climb up your trouser leg, like a little heatseeking missile looking for
skin to attach to.

Janet