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... 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 5th February 2026 The picture this week shows the swan that is on the beach at Eyemouth. Hopefully, if the weather calms down a little, it will decide to move further along the coast or move on away from the pair of birds that are usually there. We have had a lot of phone calls about this bird but it is quite alright. It is not the best place in the world to be but it is coping. We have been keeping an eye on it and we have taken it some food, although it did not seem very hungry. We will never move a swan unless we absolutely think it necessary. They have a habit of just flying back. We are keeping a watch on this bird and the family group on the river, which is very high at the moment. Last week we took in yet another Barn Owl, this one was very underweight, lying flat in the cage. We left it two chicks overnight, which had gone in the morning. The bird had pelleted and then ate three chicks during the next twenty four hours. It is now standing and although one wing looked low when it came in, we may try him in an aviary to see how fit he is. Barn Owls are finding it very hard to feed this winter. They cannot fly in really wet weather to hunt as they get waterlogged. Unlike other birds they have no waterproofing on their feathers. They will be eating whatever they can find and I think a good few will not survive this constant wet weather. Jackie was telling me that when travelling to Hawick last week she saw a Barn Owl in the middle of the road eating roadkill. These poor birds are bound to suffer this winter. All the hedgehogs are doing well and will hopefully be ready for releasing after Easter sometime. It just depends, sometimes, on when they wake up if they have been hibernating. There doesn’t seem to be any one thing that triggers their wake up signal. Each hog is different. We have also taken in several pigeons Feral, and Wood pigeons, luckily they all came in and their finders sent in supplies of food for them. We have had several bags of grain which is very useful and saves us a good deal of expense. Thank you to these very thoughtful people. We have also received a couple of parcels from Amazon from kind supporters. One contained cleaning cloths, sponges, scourers and brushes,  the other hedgehog food and bird food. The bin we have at Tesco’s is also saving us from buying a lot of extra food for the hedgehogs that are awake. If hedgehogs can’t eat it we can put it by for birds of prey and other young birds. Thanks to all who have donated. We are already busy looking out pictures for our 2027 calendar, (I know it seems too early for us too), we are trying to use pictures of releases to show the successes! Yes, we get a few, the trouble is birds fly out of the boxes with such speed all we get is a blur of feathers and not much else but we have lots of photo’s to go through and we have asked the volunteers if they have any so, hopefully, we will have enough for a calendar. Jackie and Mandy are preparing for Easter by planning a table top sale, using the office as early April could be cold and wet. I will let you have more details soon. Pat Goff