----------
Gary Kuiper asked:

What was the swollen shut eye disease affecting house finchs' mentioned =
a=20
few months ago on TWEETERS? I have a h. finch with this symptom, the 2nd =

one here in as many years.


I missed that posting and would like to hear about the disease as well. =
I have a house finch at my feeder which appears to have some sort of =
growth low on the forehead about at about the top of the bill and =
slightly off center, obscuring its left eye. I can't be sure, but it =
appears "boney" or hard, not at all fleshy. I have also been wondering =
if it could be getting larger. I first noticed him on a rainy day about =
a week and a half ago and I thought on first viewing he was having a =
"bad hair day" i.e. a few feathers askew. Now, I would never mistake it =
for a few ruffled feathers. I think it is larger and more prominent. =
Has anyone noticed a similar abnormality and if so, what is it?

Karen Johnson
Silverdale, WA