A BUDGIE who was taken to the hearts of elderly care home residents has been nursed back to health after they feared he was heading for the big perch in the sky.

Joey the budgie is normally chirpy. But he suddenly went silent and became ill, which worried people at Springhill care home, Fairfield Street.

Auxiliary nurse Susan Spencer went to feed the green-and-blue bird but found him cowering in the corner of his cage. Additionally, he had a strange lump on one of his legs.

Mrs Spencer brought her concerns to the attention of matron Cathy Dunn and the budgie was taken quickly to the Mearley's vets practice, in Kenyon Street.

Joey's suffering was diagnosed as being caused by a bird's identity ring that had somehow moved up his leg. This had causing squeezing and soreness. The ring was quickly removed and Joey, whose age is unknown, returned to the care home with a prescription of antibiotics.

Mrs Dunn said administering the bird's medicine was a four-handed job involving nurses Sandra Duxbury and Pat Knight.

"It was clear that Joey hated the taste of his medicine and would splutter it all out. One nurse held him and kept him calm, while the other had the fiddly task of squirting the liquid antibiotic into his beak with a syringe."

She said the daily job created much mirth among residents and staff, especially when new shift nurses reported for duty and checked the drug administration chart, which stated: "Give budgie antibiotics."

Care home resident Bill Procter, 65, helps look after Joey, who came to Springhill with his owner, the late Nancy Charnley.

He said: "Joey's a nice budgie and most people are very fond of him. He keeps our spirits up. But some people get a bit annoyed when he chirps when the TV's switched on. They think he's a bit of a nuisance. But he's generally popular.

"His cage is kept in the residents' lounge and I change the bottom of it each day, which I call changing his nappy. I also give him fresh water and feed," added Mr Procter.

"I also keep a budgie called Piper in my own bedroom. I helped looked after him for another resident, Molly Wilkinson, who taught in Accrington, and then brought him into my room when Miss Wilkinson died.