These old bottles were all dug up in a long-disused household rubbish pit behind our house. Variations include bottles for medicines, tomato sauce, beer, lime juice, milk, hair oil, Vicks, Marmite, and liqueur.
Such old rubbish has become collectible and can even be visually appealing. However, in another variation, rubbish can be hazardous. Last evening at dusk, a Hadeda Ibis appeared in our garden with a blue plastic ring around its neck. We assume it had put its head through the ring when searching for food, and then the ring, made out of a rigid plastic, slipped down over its neck.
Sadly, when the bird appeared in our garden again this morning we were distressed to see that its lower bill was trapped under the inside edge of the ring. Presumably this happened when it was trying to remove it. The bill was stuck in such a way that it is wedged partially open and so the poor bird won’t be able to eat or drink.
We phoned a local wildlife rehabilitation centre for advice on how we might catch it, and their only advice was try to sneak up on it and throw a towel over it. Needless to say, this bird is already hyper vigilant. When we went slowly outside, as soon as it saw us from a distance, it flew away. We have not seen it since.
Please be careful when disposing of household and other waste. For more on the issue of plastic waste and how it can effect animals on land , see here: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/environment/ways-plastic-pollution-impacts-animals-on-land/
Posted in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge with the theme ‘variations on a theme’. For more photos on this theme see here
Posted by Carol
January 27, 2018 at 3:34 pm
Thank you for the awareness created around the hazards of our rubbish. Moving from the magnificent blue bottles to the garish plastic blue ring around that poor Hadeda’s neck was a heart-breaking moment. I so hope the Hadeda somehow removed that ring! Great photos yet again!
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January 27, 2018 at 7:44 pm
Thanks. Although it seems unlikely, it is not impossible that the hadeda might be able to free itself. We probably won’t discover what happened to it in the end.
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January 27, 2018 at 10:55 am
Absolutely right to post this tragic story. Being forced to confront the reality of our thoughtlessness can only help to change our behaviours. Such a sad end for a beautiful bird.
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January 27, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Thank you Sandra. Yes, we are feeling sad and helpless. We do all need to become more conscious of such consequences and try to modify what we do in our daily lives.
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January 27, 2018 at 7:49 am
Plastic is a real plague for the environment, the animals and finally for us humans. It is good that you have posted this story! We all can do something to avoid using and wasting plastic!
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January 26, 2018 at 9:37 pm
SO very sad – glad you posted, maybe it will make at least a few people think twice before disposing. You bottles are quite beautiful BTW!
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January 27, 2018 at 7:30 pm
Thank you Tina. We have not seen the poor bird again.
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January 26, 2018 at 3:35 am
An excellent post: the beauty and the tragedy. This juxtaposition hits the spot!
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January 26, 2018 at 10:56 am
Thank you Anne. I did hesitate to share such a sad story.
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January 26, 2018 at 11:01 am
NO! These are the images that bring home the real message of careless littering.
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January 26, 2018 at 11:09 am
Yes, in the end I thought the message was important, and there was nothing else I could do for this poor Hadeda other than raise an alert to such dangers.
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January 25, 2018 at 11:21 pm
It’s tragic what we’re doing to the wild things on this planet for no good reason. I make it a practice to cut up any plastic that forms rings like what the Ibis was ensnared with. It does leave sharp edges sometimes, but seems preferable to choking hazard. Beyond that I try to avoid buying anything that’s packaged that way. It will be difficult to get your image out of my head.
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January 26, 2018 at 10:55 am
Sorry to post such a sad image, but I thought it might help to raise awareness of the dangers of plastic and other rubbish that we discard so thoughtlessly. I also try to avoid plastic and recycle what we can’t avoid. I have made it a habit not to cut any knots off plastic bags (the knots if washed into waterways can be a choking hazard for water and marine animals) and rather cut a slit in the bag, I also cut up into short pieces thread or string that is discarded, as long pieces can entangle and trap the legs and feet of birds. I agree that cutting up (and/or crushing) items that might ensnare animals is a good practice too.
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January 25, 2018 at 10:33 pm
So unnecessary. One can only hope people will smarten up.
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January 26, 2018 at 10:47 am
It is unnecessary and such a random tragedy for this poor bird.
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January 25, 2018 at 10:20 pm
A forceful post. I guess that ibis has by now.suffered a pretty horrible death.
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January 26, 2018 at 10:46 am
We are still looking out for it, but have not seen it again. Very sad.
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January 25, 2018 at 8:58 pm
A wonderful photo of the bottles and a very sad photo of the ibis…
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January 25, 2018 at 8:34 pm
Heartbreaking story, Carol. Wildlife pays for human foibles everyday. 😦
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January 25, 2018 at 8:36 pm
It is heartbreaking and so distressing when one is so unable to assist.
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