This purple finch has only one eye. Imagine trying to fly with no vision for half your field of vision. Erm … I guess flying may not be an option for you even with both eyes. How about imagining having only one eye that is stuck on your head about where your right ear is now. Now, try to find your dinner. (In the photo on the right, it looks sort of like he has an eye; I’m not sure if that is a remnant or just crud, but it’s not an eye. They have black eyes.)
The nuthatch shown below has either a broken leg or some kind of nerve damage because the curled up foot does not work. He drags it along behind him as he hops along on one leg. Nuthatches forage by running up and down tree trunks. I have not looked to see how he manages that with only one working foot (I’m behind the bird blind with a very small field of view).
He’s been coming to the morning feeding all winter, so apparently he’s able to make do. Once, during hunting season, there was a wild turkey on my property with only one leg. He couldn’t scratch or roost and he didn’t last long.
For some reason, this winter many of the birds I’m photographing have little ticks all around their eyes. I’ve never seen this before and it seems especially odd since ticks are not normal in Virginia in February. It’s gross.
-Julie
