Visitors to Minsmere over the last few weeks may have noticed more dead birds on the Scrape than usual. We can confirm that dead birds tested by Defra for avian influenza at RSPB Minsmere last week, have tested positive for the disease. We appreciate that it is distressing, for both visitors and staff, to see dead or dying birds at our site but we ask that if visitors see any dead or unwell birds, they do not touch or go near them and that they report it to us at our Visitor Centre during its opening hours, or by emailing us on minsmere@rspb.org.uk outside of these times.
Birdflu has sadly now been confirmed at many locations in Scotland and around the North Sea coasts of Europe and we are extremely concerned about the potential impacts on populations of several species of birds that are already suffering from the effects of climate change and overfishing, especially great skuas, gannets, gulls and terns