How the bad weather has affected the centre
Thank you for all of the New Year wishes, it is appreciated and it is lovely to hear how you are enjoying reading this diary.
The cold weather over the last month has had an incredible impact on the Centre. Simple jobs take a lot longer to do because of pipes being frozen, such as cleaning out Wizzy's enclosure or simply walking around the grounds with the wheel barrow to feed the captive birds, so it has been a very stressful time for the team outside.
When the snow first fell and the temperatures plummeted our first priority is to ensure that the flamingos are locked in their houses as it is very dangerous for them to walk on ice. Their houses are heated which meant they were kept warm and well fed over the whole period. In our captive collection we also have a large number of birds from the southern hemisphere and they will be particularly susceptible to the cold so they were brought inside our tunnels so that we could keep a close eye on them. Some birds have suffered from frost bite and they are being treated at the moment but inevitably there have been some losses.
Water is very important for waterfowl, not just for drinking but water actually keeps the birds warm as they wash their features to keep themselves waterproof, so breaking areas of the ice (which is still an ongoing job) has also been a priority.
We have had to look after the wild birds as well, providing them with extra feeds on the mere. We have seen a further increase in swan numbers to 2020 - a record for the centre, so the cold weather attracted the birds to the Centre.
Hopefully we will start to see an increase in temperatures now so that we can understand the full impact of this cold weather and things can get back to normal.
Also, don't forget to watch Countryfile on Sunday evening as Martin Mere is being featured...
