Cape barren gosling hatched
A Cape Barren gosling has hatched at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre.
The gosling was hatched on Friday 24 March and he is growing well, he has very distinctive black and grey markings on his body and black patch around his eyes.
Grounds manager, Steve Nasir, said: “These two birds were paired together when our WOW exhibit opening in summer 2013. They raised one gosling last year after trying a couple of times to breed unsuccessfully so we are delighted that they have reared another gosling two years on the run – before them, it had been 10 years since the centre hatched a cape barren gosling. They are being excellent parents protecting and keeping him warm. He is going to be a big attraction over the Easter holidays – especially with his black and grey ‘humbug’ markings”.
Cape Barren geese is a very large goose that is found in Australia, hence why they tend to nest in our winter. They can often be referred to as a pig goose due to the grunting sound they make. They are bulky birds with grey plumage, pink legs, blackish flight feathers and a black and green bill.The Cape Barren goose is 75 to 100 cm long, weighs 3 to 7 kg and has a 150 to 190 cm wingspan with the males being somewhat larger than females.
The gosling can be viewed in our WOW exhibit in the waterfowl gardens. Come along and see our little gosling over Easter whilst you are also taking part in our GIANT duck hunt, pond dipping, den building, canoe safari, boat tours, family crafts and much more. It is 50p to enter the duck hunt and all explorers get a certificate and a chocolate treat. For more information visit www.wwt.org.uk/martinmere
WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre is open every day from 9.30am to 6pm during the spring months and parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. The Centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. Visit the web site http://www.wwt.org.uk/martinmere/ to find out what’s on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight WWT Wetland Centres.
