Ilkeston Wild Bird Rescue (2025)

06/07/2025

Hey everyone. I'm so sorry for our silence. We've been absolutely inundated with birds (and other animals, which we're always happy to triage and get into other rescues if needed).
I'm doing my absolute best in keeping up with messages, but in the last week, we're averaging 30 calls/messages a day.
We help as many as we possibly can, and if you're still needing help, please send us another message. We knew that breeding season would be rough this year, but it's wiping out rescues everywhere. It has never been this busy.
The last 4 nights in a row, we've still been waiting for birds at gone midnight. We're stretched to our limits but still trying as best we can.
We've had over 30 birds come in over the last week, mainly young birds that need feeding every couple of hours.
We currently have over 70 pigeons (plus alot of babies that we're handrearing), 11 crows/Rooks, 15 magpies, 3 jackdaws, 2 geese, a duckling, a grouse, and some young songbirds.
I feel like we're missing a partridge (we have the pear tree). 😆
We've had pigeons with stringfoot that we've been out and caught in Nottingham.
(You can find our group and volunteer/ask for help under 'Stringfoot Superheroes - Nottingham' on Facebook).
We've had 3 young jackdaws come to us for release space (we're currently desperately looking for more aviaries/aviary panels/slabs).
We had a young crow come in after a RTA, we didn't think he'd make the night but he's absolutely thriving now, although his badly broken leg can't be saved, so we'll be needing to fundraise for a leg amputation in the near future, and then he'll go to an adapted aviary where he'll spend his life happy and safe.
We've had a large amount of adult woodpigeons come in, a mixture of RTA's and cat attacks. Some had horrific injuries and sadly didn't make it, others are receiving medication and wound treatment, and are expected to make a full recovery.
We currently have 2 doves in right now, one was victim to a sparrowhawk, and one was brutally attacked by a cat. Both are miraculously doing well and healing. 🤞
We've had a few feral pigeons in, mainly due to cat attacks. Some have been left disabled, and some are slowly recovering and will eventually be released for a second chance at life.
We had a surprise the other day with someone asking for help with a pipistrelle bat. After spending the day trying to find someone to take her, and then trying to reunite her with her Mum, she was brought to us. We had advice and support from bat specialists and the Bat Conservation trust to help us in caring for her in the best way possible. (It is so so important to work with other rehabbers and seek advice when needed for species you aren't experienced with. Thank you so much to all who helped guide us with the little beauty).
We now have a keen interest in learning bat care and rehabilitation. ☺️
We've had lots of baby pigeons in, from tiny babies who still have their eggtooth, to older babies who have fallen from their nest too early. We also had a young woodie that was saved from being abused by a group of kids. Other than a broken blood feather, which we removed, he's surprisingly not got any injuries.
We also ended up with a super friendly female grouse, who is quite the character and is back to being healthy and ready to leave. She's our first grouse, and an absolute pleasure to care for. 💕

We've updated our wishlist for things we need the most right now. (Anything is highly appreciated, thank you).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/WMAXZO4TR6G6?ref_=wl_share

If anyone is able to donate via PayPal, to help us continue to pay for medication, food, transport, and vet bills, it is always greatly appreciated.
(We're currently spending over £100 a week on everything needed to keep running).

https://www.paypal.me/RiversWBRescue

27/06/2025

I shouldn't have to ask, but please be patient with us. Please don't send in nasty messages because we haven't answered yet.
I run this page and the phone by myself, as well as doing all of the feeds, medication, cleanouts, intakes, records.
I'm absolutely overwhelmed right now with the amount of calls and messages I still need to answer. As of now, I have 41 unread messages and over 20 calls/voicemails I'm trying to catch up on.
As well as raising kids, keeping up with the house and our own pets, volunteering at other rescues, and battling multiple chronic health conditions.
We aren't the only rescue around, please don't message just one and wait for a reply, and then complain that you haven't had one.
We are doing our best, but we're barely staying afloat right now.
I'd also like to add the same about asking us to collect birds. I don't drive and don't have access to transport. We do have some voluntary drivers, but they also work and have their own lives.
As for if your cat brings home a bird.. Don't message us and tell us it's our job to come and collect and help the bird, it isn't our job, we don't get paid, we don't get grants or funding, we rely completely on our own money and any donations we receive to keep us running.
If your cat has brought a bird home, it is YOUR responsibility to get that bird to a rescue that can help.

I'm sorry to post this, but I am completely overwhelmed and barely keeping going right now. Physically, mentally, and financially. The last thing I need are people becoming rude and abusive. 😔

22/06/2025

Please share for awareness.

This poor little pigeon is called Banksy. (Aptly named by his rescuer, Ellie).

This is the kind of thing we're up against.
We were alerted yesterday to a video (which I'll post in the comments) regarding a pigeon in Nottingham city. Trinity square this particular one.
The video is being recorded by someone who makes 'content', and talking to a woman who witnessed what happened. As far as we know, neither of these were responsible, although the way they handled Banksy was bad enough.
Someone had taken it upon themselves to not only catch and spray paint pigeons, but also to crush up Zopiclone (which is a class C controlled drug used as a sleeping tablet) and feed it to the pigeons!
As if the poor birds don't have enough to deal with just trying to survive every day, people are now actively abusing them for fun.
Where does this end. 😔

Luckily for Banksy, Ellie went over to look for him, found him, and brought him straight over to us. Despite his ordeal, he's still very trusting of people. He's extremely underweight, covered in feather lice, and has a sore wing, but we're hopeful he'll make a full recovery. 🤞💕

These poor birds deserve so much more, but it feels like no matter what we do, or how much we try, it doesn't change the way people see them.
I wish so much they were loved and respected the way they deserve to be. So many don't get a happy ending. 🥺

(This has been reported to multiple places, but sadly we're extremely doubtful that anything will be done).

18/06/2025

Apologies to anyone that's not been able to contact us.
My phone stopped working 2 days ago (in a continuous bootcycle). It took me hours to get access to my emails and the page, and I've still not gotten into messages yet. Should be getting a replacement today so will catch up on messages as soon as I can get access to them.

Thank You.

16/06/2025

Isn't she coot!
This not so sweet Coot came into us from straws bridge, on the 1st of June.
She was found injured and wrapped up in fishing line which had begun to cut into her legs. Her rescuer had removed alot of it, but brought her up to us to give her further care.
Her left leg was swollen and she wasn't able to use it at all, choosing instead to drag it around behind her. Although extremely sore, there were no breaks in her leg. With Metacam and crate rest, her leg and foot slowly healed, and she is back to using it again like nothing ever happened.
The third picture was her lunging at me for taking a photo of her without permission. 😆
It won't be long before she's re-released back at Straws Bridge. 💕

16/06/2025

Magpies.. Some people love them, some do not.
After our last post with the video of the magpies, we got quite a few nasty comments made that I chose to remove.
Calling magpies Vermin and murderers. Saying they shouldn't be saved because they kill songbirds and steal eggs and babies.
We treat all species of birds that need help, regardless of what they do as a part of nature.
We have a fair few birds at the moment that have been snatched/attacked by magpies.
If we refused to treat them because of that, should we also refuse to treat a SparrowHawk, because their main diet is pigeon, and we have pigeons come in almost daily after being saved from sparrowhawk attacks.

All species should be and will be treated with the same care and respect. What species they're born as does not dictate whether they deserve help or not.

Anyway, here are a few of our current magpies. We have 14 at the moment spread between two aviaries. Minus one with turned feet, they are all healthy and will be released in October.
I got to handrear 9 of these babies from really young, and it's been an absolute blessing. Releasing them in October will break my heart, but they deserve to go back to the wild to live and fly free. 💕

16/06/2025

About a month back, I made a comment about how I'd not seen any baby crows yet..
Now we have 11, with more arriving on a daily basis.
These are all this years babies, some with major deficiencies.
Two are really bad, one with major 'whitewing'. Caused by a nutritional deficiency, which causes their feathers to be brittle, meaning they can't fly well if at all. This little one with more white feathers than black will take at least 1-2 years to moult out all of the bad feathers, and grow new stronger ones while being fed a good variety of food with everything they need.
One of our new crows also has 'crossed feet'. He constantly sits with one foot clawing at or wrapped around the other, leaving him to use his wings to balance and be able to move around. He will also be with us at least another year while we try and correct his feet and get him strong and healthy again.
Now, a group of crows is called a murder, and when their food bowls are empty.. It sounds like one. 😅
They eat an absolutely huge amount everyday, here's some of what we went through today alone:
30 pouches of cat meat, 2 packets of grapes, 2 packets of strawberries, 300g of mealworms, 300g of calciworms, 2 grated carrots, a pack of Digestive biscuits, 100g plain cornflakes, 2 bags of rocket, 2 packs of mince and 8 eggs.
(I'm yet to find anything they won't eat 😅).
Out of the 11, 9 are weaned and feeding themselves, and 3 of those discovered flying yesterday.
All of the healthy babies will go into a soft release aviary and be released in September. This gives them the best chance at survival after breeding season is over, and hormones have calmed down. 💕

Thank you to everyone who's donated either food or money towards food recently. It's helped immensely, and we hate asking but could really use some more help towards another weeks worth of food. (Please, and thank you so much for helping us continue 🙏).
It's never been this busy with baby corvids, so we're struggling a little more than usual.
Thank you all. 🩷

https://www.paypal.me/RiversWBRescue

15/06/2025

This little guy is Scamp, a nestling woodpigeon. He came into us on the 28th of May after being attacked and taken home by a cat. Unfortunately, Scamps sibling had already been killed.
He had multiple wounds all over his little body. It was one of the saddest things we've seen. Such a sweet young baby who shouldn't be going through what he was. Who should have still been safe in his nest with his parents.
He was given antibiotics and pain relief on admission, but I was 99% sure we'd lose him the first night.
He proved us wrong, though. He's been here for 2 and a half weeks now and is such a happy, lively little bird whose favourite thing in the world is his multiple tubefeeds a day. I think he'd sell his little soul for that feeding syringe. 🥹
We expected a ruptured crop and airsac damage when we first saw him, but this lucky little bird had neither, has made a full recovery, and will grow up and eventually be released into the world again. 🥹

Although a lot of birds attacked by cats, don't make it, even with antibiotics and care, this little guy is a prime example of why they're always worth trying for.
Even when it seems hopeless, there's still a chance they can recover and be free again for a second chance at life. 💕

08/06/2025

Let's talk Ducklings 😍
They are everywhere right now and still coming in at different ages. Some just hatched, and others a couple of weeks old that have been separated from their mum and found themselves alone and often in trouble.
Although these little guys run around and eat unaided soon after hatching, they need their mother to keep them warm and protect them from predators.
If you do find lone ducklings, please don't just leave them or put them with another parent and group of ducklings. Although sometimes they will adopt other ducklings, they may also attack them and drive them away to protect their own babies.
Always observe for a while, while watching over any lone ducklings to see if their mum and siblings can be located. Ducklings do better when left to be raised by their parents, but sometimes we do have to intervene to keep them safe.

If you've observed for a while and there's definitely no sign of Mum, the most important thing to do for them is to give them a gentle heat source. (Such as a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or blanket, or a heatpad wrapped in something).
Place them in a ventilated box with a towel or blanket with a gentle heat source, and then seek out help from a rescue.
We are completely inundated with messages and calls at the moment, so it is always best to have the ducklings safe and contained while waiting for a reply.
Don't offer food or water. Warmth is all that matters while you find help for them.
(Please also try multiple rescues, and not just wait for one to reply. Sometimes, our personal lives do make it difficult to keep up with messages, as well as volunteering at other rescues, and taking care of all of the birds already in our care).
Sometimes, people will message us and only us, and then, if not answered within a few hours, they message again to blame us for the birds death because we didn't answer in time.
I promise we are doing our best to stay afloat during breeding season. This season has been the most brutal yet, and rescues everywhere are exhausted and emotionally drained, many having to close to new intakes as they just don't have the money or resources to take anymore.

Despite us reaching capacity 2 weeks ago, we've still been taking sick, injured, and orphaned birds every day, managing the best we can.
Please always be kind, and thank you to everyone who helps keep our wild birds safe and cared for.
Even something as small as putting a bowl of water out on a hot day can make a huge difference to little lives everywhere. 💕

03/06/2025

This is the very definition of Mischief!

8 of our handreared baby magpies went into the release aviary yesterday. We finally got them all weaned, and all are eating a huge amount of pretty much everything we offer.
They're such little characters with such big personalities. They're vocal, active, mischievous, and so cute!

These babies will remain with us now with minimum contact so they can 'wild' back up ready for release into the world towards the end of September.
It really is bittersweet. Feeding every 1-2 hours for weeks, from them being tiny babies and depending on you for everything, to having to detatch yourself and watch them fly away. Knowing that you'll likely never see them again.
We do this so we can see these beautiful birds fly free again, back into the wild where they belong, but it isn't easy, and tears are often shed. 🥺💕

I'd also like to say a big thank you for any and all donations. They are greatly needed right now.
Last week, someone kindly sent us 168 pouches of cat meat. Which we just used the last of this morning.
We have a total of 16 corvids right now, and they'e eating everything in sight. 😆

If anyone is able to donate anything for these cuties, it would be so very helpful. 🥹🙏

We need things such as:
Cat meat
Mealworms
Waxworms
Grapes
Bananas
Digestive biscuits
Mince
Eggs
(Please message us directly for the drop-off address if needed)

Thank you so much. 💕

03/06/2025

This little guy is Jack. He's one of our very own town pigeons.
We received a message from a lovely lady in Holland and Barrett to say there was a very poorly pigeon outside of New Look.
We went straight into town to pick him up. He'd wandered into New Look by this point and was sat hiding under a clothes rail. (The new look staff were caring and lovely. We find a lot of shop staff to be rude and unhelpful when it comes to pigeons being in their shop, but these ladies were fantastic).

Upon 1st glance, I thought he had severe canker and possibly avian pox, but the lumps are all down to the canker, and he's clear of pox, thankfully.

We started him on Ronidazole and Metronidazole due to how severe the canker is, and somehow managed to get the tiniest feeding tube we have, safely past the canker and down into his crop to be able to feed him.
It's only been a few days, but he's already shown such a massive improvement.
A lot of the canker has dried up and is slowly falling off. The lumps have gone down, and his eye is now a lot better.
We're also now able to fit a large feeding tube down into his crop without struggling past the canker.
He's active again and wandering around in between feeds.
He has a long way to go, but with the correct care and medication, he can make a full recovery and be reunited with his flock.

They are always worth trying for. 💕

23/05/2025

We only really post the cute babies or happy and successful stories, but behind the scenes, it can be very different.
The last week, we've had some cases that have broken my heart and made me ashamed to be human.
Here's a few of them. 🥺

This adult woodpigeon was rushed in by Nonie after she was sent a picture of him and asked for help. (Nonie volunteers for Linjoy Wildlife sanctuary, but brought this poor guy straight to us for emergency treatment, as we're a lot closer).
He had been attacked, with one eye being lost and the other badly damaged.
This is typical of crows.
Crows go for the eyes, magpies go for the head, and sparrowhawks go for the back and sides.
He immediately received pain relief and started on antibiotics. We didn't think he'd make it through the night, and he's critical but still fighting. 🤞

We then had this beautiful baby pigeon in from Jamie at a local veterinary surgery.
This little sweetheart had been seen being kicked from one side of the road to the other, by a group of kids! Not only was he traumatised and terrified, he also had severe canker.
We started treatment for the canker immediately and gave pain relief. My eldest daughter spent the night cradling him and caring for him, but he sadly passed away the next day. 😢
Such a sweet, innocent little baby. Please parents, educate your children. They don't have to like certain animals, but there's no need for cruelty and abuse. 🥺

We had this very young magpie in too a couple of days ago. He had obvious airsac damage, as seen in the picture. I drained the air and nursed this little guy, but it refilled within minutes, and after battling for an hour to safe his life, he gave one tiny squeak and took his last breath. I cried most of last night after losing him. It just isn't fair. 😭

We had another magpie baby in after being attacked by a cat. He had a tooth puncture hole straight through his beak and into his mouth, and one straight through his skull. He had severe neurological damage, couldn't stay upright, couldn't keep his eyes open, and despite doing all we could, he passed away the same night. 🥺

So many times this week, I've wanted to quit. It's such an emotional and heartbreaking thing working in rescue.
I say working in, but it's completely voluntary. We aren't paid for what we do.
Some days are harder than others, and some are absolutely soul wrenching.

Please always be patient and kind with us. (All rescues and rehabbers). We're doing the best we can with what we have, as well as raising children, working, suffering from health conditions, and trying to keep up with daily life. We're tired, but we're always trying our best for animals in need. Every life is important, no matter what species they are. 💕

Ilkeston Wild Bird Rescue

06/07/2025

27/06/2025

22/06/2025

18/06/2025

16/06/2025

16/06/2025

16/06/2025

15/06/2025

08/06/2025

03/06/2025

03/06/2025

23/05/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share