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... 20th November 2025 We had a very unusual visitor this week when a Woodcock was brought in. It had an injury to its right eye, It was taken up to the Vet to check on the best treatment.  Ointment applied to the eye several times a day was the result. These birds do not do well in captivity. It can be difficult providing the right environment for them and obtaining the sort of food they eat. Giant mealworms fitted the bill together with normal sized ones put in leaf litter. We were happy to release it as soon as the eye looked better. After a day or two he was very lively and tricky to catch get the ointment in his eye. After four days of treatment he was looking fit so he was released. Our two young Barn Owls have been released back to the box where we think they were hatched. They are going to be supplementary fed for a week or so to help them on their way. We have one other Barn Owl with us. He has been waiting for new feathers to grow after he lost quite a lot in an accident. They are beginning to come in now, and he can fly. We are moving him up to the Big Flight now that the babies have been released. He will need a few weeks to build up his strength but he is an adult bird so knows his way around in the wild. We have also released two pigeons that came in as nestlings, and another one that had an injured wing and has been building up strength again for quite a few weeks. We still have two youngsters nearly ready to go and another two with missing feathers that will be here a while waiting for new plumage. Last week we had thirty hedgehogs this week we have thirty four. Gill worked hard at our Christmas Fair on Saturday and found sponsors for thirteen of them. More are looking for sponsors so just ring the Rollo Centre on 01289 302882 and check the details. Hedgehogs are coming in all the time, if you see one out during the day it probably needs help so please bring it in to us. Many at this time will be too small to hibernate and will die if not offered a helping hand. We have also had another Cygnet brought in. It is not in very good condition and cannot stand at the moment. We will have to see what a few days rest will do to help it. Gill will keep you up to date with the comings and goings at the Centre as I shall be off for a few weeks. Our Christmas Fair which was held at the Berwick Baptist Church went very well. Everyone heading for the tombola stall first, then to the wine or water. The raffle also sold lots of tickets and I was lucky enough to win one of the prizes which I never normally do. We had some lovely crafts available too. Super bobble hats with hedgehogs on the front, sold quite well I think. We had home made soup, filled rolls and mince pies and there was lots of chatter and laughter around the coffee table so everyone seemed to have a good time. I must thank Jackie and the volunteer team who worked so hard to organise it all. Jackie is preparing for another event at the Guildhall on Saturday 29th November when she and Mandy are having a table at the Marie Curie Fair. Do go along and see what we have on the stall. Pat Goff 13th November 2025 By the time this article is in the press, the two barn owl youngsters should have been released after waiting for bonfire night to be over and for some calm weather.  They are siblings that were found on the floor of a barn, very underweight and with no sign of the parents.  The pair have been with us since only the 1st of October, and we have been really pleased with their progress.  The sooner birds within our care can be released back into the natural environment the better.  They are good eaters, having a regular daily evening meal of two mice and two chicks, and rarely left any of it.  They were a nice addition to the Rollo Centre for the volunteers, as they liked to sit close together on the high perch and fly back and forth down the long flight aviary whilst they were being cleaned.  This is unusual for barn owls as they usually hide in their box and looking after them has no visual rewards!  They are going back to the barn where they were found. The two Muscovy ducks that we are looking after in the small pond area are doing well.  They came to us as ducklings in mid September, quite late in the year for ducklings.  You may remember that they both had one bad leg on opposite sides – one the left and one the right - and we were not sure whether these issues were permanent and had maybe led to them being abandoned by their parents.  It is great news that they seem to have grown out of their problems in the safety of the Centre.  They are now large ducks, dark brown/black in colour, and are walking well.  We are just waiting for them to gain their flight feathers then they can be released, hopefully in another couple of weeks.  Muscovy ducks are shelducks native to Central and South America where they were reportedly one of the first duck breeds to be domesticated, it wasn’t until the twentieth century that they were brought over to the UK.  Any that are wild here have escaped from domesticity and are known as feral, they are quite common across the UK though there are not so many in the North East.  There are about thirty hedgehogs being cared for now and some have been sleeping off and on, though they have not yet gone into full hibernation.  Jackie has asked me to appeal for any unwanted hand towels (not bath towels) as the hedgehogs in the backrooms need one every day and with the spines and amount of washing, there is a lot of wear and tear, so they don’t last very long. The photo this week shows a lovely, crocheted blanket that is one of many items of craft work made for our Christmas Fair.  The blanket is lovely and would make a great Christmas gift for a child’s bedroom or anybody really!  It will be offered as the prize in a silent auction which will be held across our Christmas fundraising events.  The first of these is our Christmas Fair which is to be held this coming Saturday, 15th November from 10:30am to 2pm.  There will be seasonal refreshments and plenty of stalls, as well as the opportunity to sponsor a hedgehog for a thoughtful Christmas present.  Please do come along to support us and start your Christmas shopping.  Thank you to everyone who has brought in items for sale, or for the raffle and the tombola, it’s greatly appreciated. Gill Powell 6th November 2025 This time of year the girls and volunteers are deep cleaning aviaries that have been vacated by birds having been released. There is often a queue forming for larger aviaries needed as birds prepare for independent life in the wild. Now that queue has  come to an end, it is time for a really deep clean so that the aviaries will be ready for next season. The picture this week shows Errol in the undercover area of his aviary. The wood panelling gives him a sheltered and private area he feels safe in. All our aviaries have this type of sheltered area in one form or another. The wood is fitted on the outside of the wire as it will probably need repairing or replacing during the lifetime of the aviary. The problem is that birds, especially birds of prey, project their poo onto the wood through the wire. This is very difficult to clean. Jackie tried a battery operated steam cleaner that one of our volunteers thought would work. She was super impressed and absolutely delighted when a couple who support us offered the money to buy one. Thank you so much for this superb gift. Jackie said it cleaned so quickly and with no need for electric cables, as the aviaries are some way from power points. We are just waiting for bonfire night to be over and then we have two Barn Owl youngsters ready for release as well as some assorted pigeons. Now most of our time is taken up with hedgehogs. We have nine in the cooler Big Room to add a final bit of weight before they hibernate for the winter. The Hedgehog Shed is ready and waiting, cages all cleaned and ready. We have twelve in the Towers in the Recovery Room, very slowly adding weight but not sufficiently heavy to move to the cooler room.  Eight are still under 500 grams and on heat pads. If you see a small hedgehog out during the day please bring it in. We have had a good many this year far too small to survive hibernation so do help them if you can. Please check any bonfires and piles of leaves before raking up in case there is a wee hog curled up underneath. Holly has been busy taking photographs of our overwintering hogs so that they can be sponsored. Barbara has the paperwork ready, so do think about sponsoring yourself or as a lovely gift for someone.  Avian Influenza is here again. We have had reports this weekend quite close to us of dead and sick swans. Please take care around any sick bird. Keep your distance and leave nature to take its course or try D.E.F.R.A. We cannot take in any SICK bird and have to take extra precautions on site. I must thank the kind ladies who have sent in lovely items of craft work for our Christmas Fair which is to be held on Saturday 15th November 10.30 a.m. – 2 p.m. We are at the Berwick Baptist Church, Golden Square. Do come along, there will be soup and filled rolls, mince pies, tea, and coffee. We have plenty of stalls Wine or Water is always popular and well as a Tombola, Craft Stall and Sales table. A huge raffle and a Silent Auction for a beautiful blanket of animal pictures. I will get Gill to use a picture of it next week. It is absolutely super. Do come along if you can, without the public supporting what we do, we can’t do it. We don’t have cuddly puppies or kittens but we do care about all the wild things that make our lives complete. Pat Goff