RSPB Scotland are appealing for emergency donations to help with the ‘unprecedented’ situation on the Solway Firth.
They estimate that up to 4000 barnacle geese have died locally so far, equivalent to ten per cent of the population.
Launching the appeal, the charity said: “Staff at Mersehead have reported seeing birds “falling out of the sky” and others that are “clearly in difficulty” with one goose reported to have been “acting like it was being attacked, twisting and writhing in flight”.
“The reserve needs extra staff as emergency cover for corpse collection. Other costs are around £1000 for two months of PPE and disinfectant and £600 for the removal and disposal of the corpses.
“These costs will continue to rise as more birds sadly die.”
To contribute, go to their website www.rspb.org.uk/avian-flu-emergency-appeal
