Win a free room at the AGM party
Book now and you could win a great freebee. Although our open days are usually member-only, our weekend at Hellidon Lakes is open to all. The AGM business part of the event is only a small part. Come along and join us for party time! Rekindling the spirit of friendship and love of waterfowl at […]
AI still affecting Black-headed Gulls
Although wild bird cases of bird flu are starting to diminish, large groups of Black-headed Gulls continue to see mass die-offs. This latest one in Bedford is a timely reminder that we still need to take utmost care with our biosecurity. See local BBC New report here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-65562633 For the latest Gov.uk info about hygiene […]
Swans killed in Essex
As waterfowl lovers, it is hard to understand why anyone takes pleasure harming these beautiful creatures. Large, close and slow moving, they could not even be described as ‘sporting’ targets. Following catapult attacks on four Mute Swans early in the new year, 2 firms with local connections have each offered £1000 for information leading to […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
What’s in a name — Maned Duck or Maned Goose? Life is a gradient of relatedness and what taxonomy tries to do is put it in that order. When the common names were thought up for waterfowl they were either called a duck or a goose according to how we traditionally recognised each — ‘ducks’ […]
Housing measures now apply to Northern Ireland and from Friday also to Wales
The requirement to house our birds was announced for Northern Ireland today. On Friday 2nd December it will also apply to Wales. The details of these housing orders are broadly similar to those in force in England. Full specific details can be found for each administration: https://www.gov.uk/animal-disease-cases-england/avian-influenza-prevention-zone-aipz-including-housing-measures-the-whole-of-england https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/avian-housing-order-introduced-ni https://gov.wales/avian-influenza-bird-flu-latest-update The ability to keep waterfowl under […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
Netting of enclosures — the times they are a-changing an old song goes… Bird flu isn’t a myth or a conspiracy. The way we keep our birds is going to evolve and netting a waterfowl collection is worth serious thought. Pros • Prevents predation of birds and eggs • Reduces food bill • Reduces disease […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
New bird flu cases are coming up most days. Is there anything that can save your birds if you are infected? Most of East Anglia is subject to a poultry (this includes waterfowl) housing order now, but it is quite likely that other areas will be added if there are more clusters of outbreaks. For […]
Avian Influenza vaccine
We do get asked about vaccines for bird flu; the Head of Virology for APHA was on Farming Today yesterday. You can listen to the broadcast on BBC Sounds. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001cp3m We asked APHA for comment, they are fully behind the content of this broadcast and confirmed that all research on vaccines is being monitored. It […]
Pal-Mates …weekend web tip
U is for underwater. All may be serene on the surface, but there’s lots going on below. Some birds prefer to stay topsides, but others spend time undewater foraging for food.
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
Q is for Quill. The bare part of the central shaft of a feather, nearest to the body. As the true feathers start to grow in youngsters, the feather is surrounded by a sheath and has a regular blood supply. When these ‘pins’ as they are known, continue to grow, they are very […]
