Avocet chick
An Avocet chick has hatched in the waterfowl collection at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre giving our visitors the opportunity to get up close to these birds.
The avocets can be found in the aviary in the weird and wonderful part of the grounds and this is the first time they have successfully hatched a chick since the exhibit was established in August 2013. Grounds Manager, Steve Nasir, said: “The adults are still sitting on another seven eggs so we are hopeful to get a few more chicks over the next couple of days which will be great for our visitors to Downy Duckling Week. The aviary allows everyone to get up close to a species they would rarely see without powerful binoculars and to see the chicks so close is fantastic for the centre and will hopefully encourage our visitors to go out to the hides and look for them on the reserve.”
Avocets are within the Weird and Wonderful exhibit because of their unusual curved bill that swings from side to side on the water when feeding.
WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre is open every day (except Christmas Day) from 9.30am to 6pm during summer 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.
