Reedswamp exhibit works
We have restructured our Reedswamp exhibit this by removing silt out of the pond, adding more land area for geese to graze and removing the foot bridge.
Machinery works were completed on the Reedswamp project in April . In July we added topsoil, grass seed and an area of wetland plants.
The project began in early March 2022 when we we dropped the water level in preparation for works. The exhibit's ducks and geese were caught up for their spring health checks then moved into other exhibits as their temporary homes. Moving into the Lakes & Forests exhibit directly across the pathway were the marble teal, Baikal teal, swan geese, magpie geese, red shoveler and Chiloe wigeon species. Our Icelandic Lake exhibit is temporarily housing the white-headed ducks, ferruginous duck, Orinoco geese and Philippines duck species.
The wooden footbridge was then removed as it was old and our Keepers found the bridge difficult to manoeuvre around when they enter the water to work with the ducks in the exhibit so we are removing it.
This Reed Swamp exhibit area was be fenced while work was underway. The pathway, which also runs alongside the Lakes & Forest exhibit, was fully open.
The heavy works were completed in early April. The birds will be reintroduced when vegetation regrowth is advanced enough to support them. Wetland plants grow quickly and we have been using our pond water to spray the grass seed that's been trying to grow in the recent heatwave.
These marbled teal have a temporary home in the Lakes & Forests exhibit.
