Magpie geese goslings hatch at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre
Four Magpie geese gosling shave been hatched at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre as this warmer weather continues. This is only the second time in the last ten years that the centre has successfully bred Magpie geese.
Magpie geese are unmistakable birds with their black and white plumage and yellowish legs; although the goslings are orange and brown in colour. It is often unusual for birds less than six years of age to breed and the male and female goose at Martin Mere are only two and three years old ensuring that the male must come from a good breeding background and matured more quickly than usual.
Grounds Manager, Steve Nasir, said: “it is great that this young pair has successfully bred and we would expect them to stay together for many years to come, hopefully having goslings every year. All of our visitors love to see these cute goslings as they follow their parents around; it really is a great time to visit.”
The goslings can be seen in the Weird or Wonderful (WOW) area of the grounds and they are proving to be very popular with the thousands of visitors coming in over the summer holidays to do their nature explorer passports.
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.
