Latest News
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) There are increasing reports of sick sea birds being found washed up on local beaches. Do not touch them
and do not bring them to the Trust premises. Leave well alone. You may report findings to DEFRA on 03459 335577 or visit their web site
for detailed advice here.
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"Swan Notes" News items written by Trust members and volunteers and usually appearing in the “Berwick Advertiser" newspaper each
week. Unfortunately, sister newspaper the “Berwickshire News” are no longer following suit. For those unable to read these items, and
those living outside the Berwick area, here are the last few editions...
29th September 2022
Last week I said things were a lot quieter at the Rollo Centre after the rush of summer orphans. I should never have spoken. This week
things have been busy again. On Saturday I was manning the phones and I have several calls. One was from a couple on holiday near
Coldstream. They had found an injured Tawny Owl. They were happy to bring it in and they met Dick at the Centre. There were no
obvious fractures or wounds but the bird had suffered some sort of head trauma. It was unable to stand properly so It was given a cage
in the ‘Claw and Talon’ room. On Sunday morning it was standing on a log but had not eaten the chicks we left. It did not seem able to
see and this is a problem that sometimes occurs after a head injury. Jackie took this picture of him this morning (Monday). Very often
the sight returns after a couple of weeks. If he does not feed himself we will have to hand feed on Monday. It is early days but will write
of progress next week.
Another call we had was from a lady who had found a hedgehog very poorly covered
it fly strike. She was pleased she could bring him along and we met her at the
Centre. The lady that picked him up had spent some time trying to get the fly eggs
off and had almost cleared one side of the animals head. The eggs were thickly
encrusted around the eyes and ears the other side. It took some time to remove
them and the animal was very weak. We cleaned him up and gave him a heat pad
but sadly the next morning we found him dead.
While I am on the subject of hedgehogs, please keep a look out for any that may
need help. If they are out during the day or are very small they will need picking up.
One lady called us last week to say that a hedgehog that she had been feeding in
her garden, where she had also left a hibernation patch of straw and leaves, had
been kicked to death by children in a playground nearby. There had been an incident
there earlier this year when a gull had also been kicked to death. Wildlife nowadays
suffers more from humans than ever before so please try to keep an eye out for any
in trouble.
Our last three outside hedgehogs should get away before the winter but all the rest, most of whom are very small will be with us through
the winter. I am glad that we have our new Hogwards Shed up and ready for action.
The Cygnet and the two ducks have settled nicely into the big pond. I will try to get a picture of the Cygnet who is now growing very
well. The two ducks are keeping him company as youngsters never do well on their own. The youngest duck is the boss of the group. The
Cygnet will be with us through the winter. It is a shame he is on his own but we usually get at least one poorly swan in during the winter
so hopefully he can be released with a river wise swan.
Today we are releasing the Tawny Owl that has been with us from a nestling. At last all the fluffy feathers have gone. He is flying
beautifully and is certainly ready to go.
The young Badger will be moving into one of the boxes in the Big Flight and watched on camera to see how she behaves in an open
space. We are hopeful she will make it now.
Pat Goff
22nd September 2022
We have been able to release the last of our Herring Gulls this week. This meant that Mandy was able to give the little pond pen a good
clean on Monday. It will be ready for the Cygnet and two ducklings (almost fully grown) to occupy whilst the Big Pond is emptied and
cleaned on Wednesday. It takes a whole day to empty then clean the big pond and about seven hours to fill it. The birds all love the
clean water in the pond and have a thorough wash and brush up. We all love to watch them.
The Badger, Maggie Smith, is making very good progress. She is using all her limbs
now and eating everything we give her. She wrecks her cage every night. This
makes a lot of work in the morning. She really does not have enough space and we
must try to get her out into the Big Flight which has Badger boxes fitted at one end.
We have C.C.T.V. fitted round our aviaries so we will be able to keep an eye on her
and see how she moves and finds her food when we are not there. We were not
sure how she would recover from her injuries but the way she is going now we are
very hopeful. She is behaving much more like a Badger now. She gets annoyed
when we try to move her to clean her cage. She also tries to hide when she knows
we are there. These are all good indications that she is recovering. Dick had just
got her into the clean cage when he took the photo of her this week. I must say she
does look a bit cross.
After the Barn Owls were released last week we hope it will be the turn of our
young Tawny next. He needs to get rid of all his fluffy down before he can go. We
will check him out again this week. He has been with us quite long enough.
We have also been looking after a Crow that has a shortage of feathers. His wings
are in an awful state but he is beginning to fly he can manage a couple of yards off the ground but he has incredibly strong legs. He
jumps or hops down his aviary so quickly it is impossible to keep up with him. I think he will be with us some time as he really needs to
moult out and get some decent feathers. With the good food he gets he should get back in condition. He is one of this year’s hatching.
In the Lomax aviary we have five assorted pigeons. All young birds fallen from nests or attacked by cats. We also have a couple of
Collared Doves that I have been hand feeding at home. These two have just started to pick up food for themselves so they can go down
and join the other pigeon types in the Lomax. It gives them a chance to extend their flying ability and compete with other birds as they
will have to after release.
Quite a few of our volunteers have decided to go on holiday this week so we are really working the remaining workers, I’m even having
to do a bit more myself. This was not good planning. Fortunately five of our hogs were released last week and another one is almost
ready so we are down to about a dozen now. Many more will come in during the next couple of months as some hogs may have second
litters this month if the weather remains good. We shall be ready for them.
Pat Goff
15th September 2022
I have to say that the biggest talking point whilst we were working on the cleaning and feeding during the last few days has been the
shock of the death of the Queen. She seemed so well just a day before, although frail, it was difficult to believe. She has always been
there. I was seven years old at the time of her coronation, living in Northampton. My Grandad bought a television set for the occasion. I
remember watching it, but the most lasting memory I have to say, was the enormous spread that was put on at the local working men’s
club in Northampton. My brother and I had never seen so much food in our lives. On Friday Jackie found a lovely picture of Her Majesty
with a Cygnet that she used on Face book. It was very appropriate. May you Rest In Peace your Majesty and Long Live the King.
The photo this week shows our three young Barn Owls, picked up as young nestlings when their tree was cut down. Barn Owls seem to
be using holes in trees now as they are unable to find barns any more. Farmers used to encourage Barn Owls to nest in their barns as
they kept down the mice. With farming practices changing so much there
is no need for them any more. These three owls have been living in the
Big Flight Aviary for some time and are ready. They have been ringed and
will return to the wood where they were found.
The fluffy Tawny Owl will now use they Big Flight. He has also been
ringed but is not quite ready to go yet. A change of aviary will give him
more space to stretch his wings. He will miss the little tree in the Lomax
Aviary as he liked to hide himself in it. This gave us the idea of putting a
tree in a large pot in the Big Flight in memory of Patti Lomax who helped
us so much. The idea will be raised in committee this week.
We are still getting in small hedgehogs in that are very unwell. We have
at least two we are treating for pneumonia so they will be with us under
treatment for at least another month. They are arriving so tiny this year.
We currently have 15 but there are four that can go in the next week or
so. The tiny ones will be with us for the winter.
We have two young gulls that are still learning to fly and one bigger one
that had an argument with a vehicle and suffered a head trauma as a
result. It has taken several weeks to recover but is looking much better
now and is in the Little Pond pen with the other two. They all get on well, so, once the smaller ones can fly they can all go together.
The Badger, Maggie, is showing signs of improvement. She is moving about in her cage at night and when we see it in the morning it is
completely wrecked. We use eight newspapers to line her cage and they are mush by the next morning. Her bowls and blankets are all
upside down and she is usually sleeping on top of a heap of wet newspaper and damp vet bed. She is eating very well and we are having
to watch how we move around her. She has a bowl of dog food in the morning garnished with a chick which she eats as soon as it goes
quiet. At night she gets the same again. Her water is laced with honey which she loves. Progress is slow but we don’t mind that.
Pat Goff
week. Unfortunately, sister newspaper the “Berwickshire News” are no longer following suit. For those unable to read these items, and
those living outside the Berwick area, here are the last few editions...
29th September 2022
Last week I said things were a lot quieter at the Rollo Centre after the rush of summer orphans. I should never have spoken. This week
things have been busy again. On Saturday I was manning the phones and I have several calls. One was from a couple on holiday near
Coldstream. They had found an injured Tawny Owl. They were happy to bring it in and they met Dick at the Centre. There were no
obvious fractures or wounds but the bird had suffered some sort of head trauma. It was unable to stand properly so It was given a cage
in the ‘Claw and Talon’ room. On Sunday morning it was standing on a log but had not eaten the chicks we left. It did not seem able to
see and this is a problem that sometimes occurs after a head injury. Jackie took this picture of him this morning (Monday). Very often
the sight returns after a couple of weeks. If he does not feed himself we will have to hand feed on Monday. It is early days but will write
of progress next week.
Another call we had was from a lady who had found a hedgehog very poorly covered
it fly strike. She was pleased she could bring him along and we met her at the
Centre. The lady that picked him up had spent some time trying to get the fly eggs
off and had almost cleared one side of the animals head. The eggs were thickly
encrusted around the eyes and ears the other side. It took some time to remove
them and the animal was very weak. We cleaned him up and gave him a heat pad
but sadly the next morning we found him dead.
While I am on the subject of hedgehogs, please keep a look out for any that may
need help. If they are out during the day or are very small they will need picking up.
One lady called us last week to say that a hedgehog that she had been feeding in
her garden, where she had also left a hibernation patch of straw and leaves, had
been kicked to death by children in a playground nearby. There had been an incident
there earlier this year when a gull had also been kicked to death. Wildlife nowadays
suffers more from humans than ever before so please try to keep an eye out for any
in trouble.
Our last three outside hedgehogs should get away before the winter but all the rest, most of whom are very small will be with us through
the winter. I am glad that we have our new Hogwards Shed up and ready for action.
The Cygnet and the two ducks have settled nicely into the big pond. I will try to get a picture of the Cygnet who is now growing very
well. The two ducks are keeping him company as youngsters never do well on their own. The youngest duck is the boss of the group. The
Cygnet will be with us through the winter. It is a shame he is on his own but we usually get at least one poorly swan in during the winter
so hopefully he can be released with a river wise swan.
Today we are releasing the Tawny Owl that has been with us from a nestling. At last all the fluffy feathers have gone. He is flying
beautifully and is certainly ready to go.
The young Badger will be moving into one of the boxes in the Big Flight and watched on camera to see how she behaves in an open
space. We are hopeful she will make it now.
Pat Goff
22nd September 2022
We have been able to release the last of our Herring Gulls this week. This meant that Mandy was able to give the little pond pen a good
clean on Monday. It will be ready for the Cygnet and two ducklings (almost fully grown) to occupy whilst the Big Pond is emptied and
cleaned on Wednesday. It takes a whole day to empty then clean the big pond and about seven hours to fill it. The birds all love the
clean water in the pond and have a thorough wash and brush up. We all love to watch them.
The Badger, Maggie Smith, is making very good progress. She is using all her limbs
now and eating everything we give her. She wrecks her cage every night. This
makes a lot of work in the morning. She really does not have enough space and we
must try to get her out into the Big Flight which has Badger boxes fitted at one end.
We have C.C.T.V. fitted round our aviaries so we will be able to keep an eye on her
and see how she moves and finds her food when we are not there. We were not
sure how she would recover from her injuries but the way she is going now we are
very hopeful. She is behaving much more like a Badger now. She gets annoyed
when we try to move her to clean her cage. She also tries to hide when she knows
we are there. These are all good indications that she is recovering. Dick had just
got her into the clean cage when he took the photo of her this week. I must say she
does look a bit cross.
After the Barn Owls were released last week we hope it will be the turn of our
young Tawny next. He needs to get rid of all his fluffy down before he can go. We
will check him out again this week. He has been with us quite long enough.
We have also been looking after a Crow that has a shortage of feathers. His wings
are in an awful state but he is beginning to fly he can manage a couple of yards off the ground but he has incredibly strong legs. He
jumps or hops down his aviary so quickly it is impossible to keep up with him. I think he will be with us some time as he really needs to
moult out and get some decent feathers. With the good food he gets he should get back in condition. He is one of this year’s hatching.
In the Lomax aviary we have five assorted pigeons. All young birds fallen from nests or attacked by cats. We also have a couple of
Collared Doves that I have been hand feeding at home. These two have just started to pick up food for themselves so they can go down
and join the other pigeon types in the Lomax. It gives them a chance to extend their flying ability and compete with other birds as they
will have to after release.
Quite a few of our volunteers have decided to go on holiday this week so we are really working the remaining workers, I’m even having
to do a bit more myself. This was not good planning. Fortunately five of our hogs were released last week and another one is almost
ready so we are down to about a dozen now. Many more will come in during the next couple of months as some hogs may have second
litters this month if the weather remains good. We shall be ready for them.
Pat Goff
15th September 2022
I have to say that the biggest talking point whilst we were working on the cleaning and feeding during the last few days has been the
shock of the death of the Queen. She seemed so well just a day before, although frail, it was difficult to believe. She has always been
there. I was seven years old at the time of her coronation, living in Northampton. My Grandad bought a television set for the occasion. I
remember watching it, but the most lasting memory I have to say, was the enormous spread that was put on at the local working men’s
club in Northampton. My brother and I had never seen so much food in our lives. On Friday Jackie found a lovely picture of Her Majesty
with a Cygnet that she used on Face book. It was very appropriate. May you Rest In Peace your Majesty and Long Live the King.
The photo this week shows our three young Barn Owls, picked up as young nestlings when their tree was cut down. Barn Owls seem to
be using holes in trees now as they are unable to find barns any more. Farmers used to encourage Barn Owls to nest in their barns as
they kept down the mice. With farming practices changing so much there
is no need for them any more. These three owls have been living in the
Big Flight Aviary for some time and are ready. They have been ringed and
will return to the wood where they were found.
The fluffy Tawny Owl will now use they Big Flight. He has also been
ringed but is not quite ready to go yet. A change of aviary will give him
more space to stretch his wings. He will miss the little tree in the Lomax
Aviary as he liked to hide himself in it. This gave us the idea of putting a
tree in a large pot in the Big Flight in memory of Patti Lomax who helped
us so much. The idea will be raised in committee this week.
We are still getting in small hedgehogs in that are very unwell. We have
at least two we are treating for pneumonia so they will be with us under
treatment for at least another month. They are arriving so tiny this year.
We currently have 15 but there are four that can go in the next week or
so. The tiny ones will be with us for the winter.
We have two young gulls that are still learning to fly and one bigger one
that had an argument with a vehicle and suffered a head trauma as a
result. It has taken several weeks to recover but is looking much better
now and is in the Little Pond pen with the other two. They all get on well, so, once the smaller ones can fly they can all go together.
The Badger, Maggie, is showing signs of improvement. She is moving about in her cage at night and when we see it in the morning it is
completely wrecked. We use eight newspapers to line her cage and they are mush by the next morning. Her bowls and blankets are all
upside down and she is usually sleeping on top of a heap of wet newspaper and damp vet bed. She is eating very well and we are having
to watch how we move around her. She has a bowl of dog food in the morning garnished with a chick which she eats as soon as it goes
quiet. At night she gets the same again. Her water is laced with honey which she loves. Progress is slow but we don’t mind that.
Pat Goff