Latest News Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Sadly bird flu is now moving on from sea birds, to other species of birds, including geese, ducks and swans, and the Trust is receiving many calls from the public spotting sick birds. There is no treatment available and sick birds will often die within a day of showing symptoms. We cannot rescue or accept sick birds at the Centre as this would compromise those birds already in our care and could lead to the Centre being forced to shut down. Our advice, painful as it is to give, is to leave the bird and let nature take its course. Do not touch a dead bird or let a dog near it. The local Council is responsible for collecting them in a controlled manner. In some cases you may report findings to DEFRA on 03459 335577 or visit their web site for detailed advice here. *************************** "Swan Notes" News items written by Trust members and volunteers and usually appearing in the “Berwick Advertiser" newspaper each week. For those unable to read these items, and those living outside the Berwick area, here are the last few editions... 26th February 2026 It seems like Spring is on its way at last! I was working with Kay on Sunday morning in the Hedgehog Shed and noticed that the hedgehogs are beginning to wake up. Four or five of them had been out, checked out their food, had a drink and gone back to bed. It does look as though this milder weather has encouraged them to get up. We have checked out the weather forecast and for the next couple of weeks at least it should be milder. With this in mind we are ready to release two of our Barn Owls. We could not release them early due to the poor weather. These birds are unable to hunt in continuous wet weather and it would have been wrong to release them just for them to face starvation. Things are looking much better for them now and they will stand a good chance of settling back in to their territory ready for the nesting season. The awful long wet spell will have meant a good many Barn Owls will not have survived. This leaves us with one Barn Owl that has to be ringed before we release it. It will need a short spell in the Big Flight aviary to build up muscle strength but will be ready to go in a couple of weeks. On Sunday we released three of our Wood Pigeons. Two were young birds hand reared but they have been having to find their food in the aviary so know how to look for it themselves. The older one will know what to do after his wing healed. We still have another three pigeons still needing a bit of time to grow feathers but fortunately the finders of these birds are happy to take them back to where they were found and release them when the time comes. Our Cygnets are all looking good and the milder weather should mean that the river weed will be starting to grow. In our garden at home the grass is certainly growing already. We hope to get them away around Easter time. Last week we had a call about an injured juvenile swan at Branton. We are not able to rescue but the finders of this bird said they would be able to help with it so Dick went out to have a look. The poor bird had dragged itself to the reeds at the edge of the lake from the grass where it was seen earlier. Dick managed to hook the bird and bring it away from the water to examine it. He found it had open wounds on both legs. One he thought was fractured at the top. It had wounds all round its back end. It looked as though it had been attacked whilst it was trying to get away. It had no fight left and as Dick carried it carefully in a swan bag back to his car he knew it would have to be euthanised. Just as he approached the car, he was met by an R.S.P.C.A. inspector and she offered to take the bird to the nearest Vet. At least the poor bird did not have to suffer for so long. We also took in a beautiful Long Eared Owl a few days ago. It was bright eyed and looked good but when Kay checked it out it had an awful compound fracture of its wing. There was nothing the Vet could do although they checked it thoroughly. Such a shame. Jackie and Mandy are doing a Table Top Sale at the Centre on 4th. April (Easter Saturday) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Do come along. Pat Goff 19th February 2026 We are working to get our 2027 calendar to the printer so that they will be ready nice and early this year. We try to do this every year but there is always something that holds us up. This time we are working on the theme of releases. Using photos that volunteers have taken as a bird or animal goes off when it is fit. We were stuck for a picture for December which usually features Errol our Tawny Owl mascot. He is the only exception to our rule of keeping a casualty that cannot be released back into the wild. Errol has been with us for over twelve years and due to his long recovery is far too people orientated to go back into the wild. He has his own aviary and loves volunteers to chat to him when his aviary is cleaned every day. This is good for volunteers as most of the casualties in our care need to have as little human contact as possible to keep them ready for release. We decided he would make a nice December picture in his aviary if we added a few Christmas decorations. We put up a silvery star from the roof (Kay tottering on a stepladder) while Errol looked on enjoying the company. We then added a few more decorations and some shredded cotton wool on his swing, which he loves to sit on. When we finished he obligingly flew onto the swing, dislodging some of the cotton wool snow and facing the wrong way! I was moving round the aviary trying to get shots, but either the decorations were not showing or I just had a good back view of Errol. Fortunately, he looked over his shoulder and I got a picture. He flew off the swing but came back again and was looking at the bits and pieces we had put up. I think he quite enjoyed the hour we spent with him. We, meanwhile were absolutely frozen, unable to feel our fingers or toes. We have not decided which picture to use in the calendar but this is one of them that might just do. Our calendars always show the casualties we have, although they may not be professional, the shots were all taken by people actually doing the work. We did also check up on all the casualties still in care. We have three Barn Owls. None of them needed any treatment. They just needed time and a safe space to stay whilst they recovered from bruises and exhaustion. We have a selection of pigeons that were just the same, all needing food water a safe space and time. We always come back to David Rollo, whose word still apply today, ‘Just give it a bit more time’, in his quiet patient way, that used to annoy us sometimes, when we did not think it was any use carrying on with a casualty. We usually had to agree that he was right. It is the one thing we are able to do at the Centre, thanks to staff and volunteers we can give casualties time. One of the Owls took nearly a month to be able to build up strength to fly upwards. He was managing only a graceful glide down for some time. Thanks to our cameras we were able to keep an eye on him at night and we were all thrilled when Jackie said she had spotted him flying up to his perch instead of shimmying up the wire as he had done before.  We just need some dry weather before we can do some releases. Pat Goff 12th February 2026 How lovely it has been to see the blue sky and the sun for a couple of days. It seems weeks since we had a nice bright morning, instead of the grey,  dull and wet skies, day after day. Everywhere at the Centre is sodden, the aviaries a soggy muddy mess, the ponds overflowing. A little bit of sunshine and a few dry days will make everything look clean and fresh again. I have noticed at home that the birds are singing at the dawn chorus again. Probably because the day is getting light instead of staying grey twilight. At least it gives the feeling that Spring is just around the corner. We have two Barn Owls in at the moment. One, in the undercover aviary is doing quite well. He is proving David Rollo’s words true. ‘Just give it a bit more time’. A great many of the birds and animals we have come in just do need a bit of time in a safe place with good food to build their strength and they can heal themselves. We never give up on any casualty if we can help it. We are happy to spend time caring for any animal until it is ready for release. Barn Owls have really suffered this winter in the wet weather. They can’t get out to hunt in the rain as their feathers are not waterproof. I think a lot will not have survived the winter. On a happier note, the pigeons of various types and colours are doing quite well. Lost feathers are returning so they should eventually be able to go out in the spring. One that was brought in by Walter only needed a short rest and feed up after being brought in wet and bedraggled. Birds that get in this state are prone to attack by crows and cats. Walter was happy to return a fit, healthy bird to his garden. The Cygnets don’t seem to have suffered at all in the horrible damp. Rain water just runs off their feathers. They don’t seem to notice it at all. All three are looking very well and are a good size and weight to take on the river when it is not so high as it is now. I don’t think Errol (Tawny Owl) has thought much of the wet weather. Some days he sits outside in the rain looking quite depressed and sad. Other days he is undercover and probably happy he has a nice sheltered end to his aviary. The one thing I noticed is he hasn’t used his bath recently so using a good soaking rain shower as an alternative. Our hedgehogs are all well. They are all kept dry and safe when they are asleep. How hedgehogs manage to find somewhere dry and safe to hibernate in the wild in winters like this one. All the hedgerows near me are soaking wet. All the areas in my garden that a hog might choose to hibernate are all sodden. Unless we have a cold snap I think a good many will be waking early this year. Hopefully, the beetles, slugs and snails will have survived to and will provide a decent feast for early risers. Thank you to everyone who has sent us donations. We have had some lovely parcels arrive. I must admit I am not keen on gifts of cleaning things personally, but for the Trust they are a brilliant gift. We get through so many cloths and scourers, gloves and brushes, so thank you so much to the anonymous donors. Pat Goff