Bird sanctuary hit by flu fears

By Martin Hamer
BBC News, North West

Takings are down in the shop at the Three Owls Bird Sanctuary

A bird sanctuary in Greater Manchester is reporting a big fall in visitor numbers due to fears over avian flu.

The Three Owls is open 24 hours a day tending to the thousands of injured birds brought to its doorstep every year mainly from the North West.

About 10,000 people annually visit the sanctuary in Norden, Rochdale, helping to provide much-needed income.

However, manager Nigel Fowler said that visitor numbers were dramatically down for this time of the year.

The H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus has killed more than 100 people worldwide.

Cases have been reported in France but not yet in the UK, though that has not stopped the threat of the virus alone from affecting the Three Owls sanctuary.

"Visitor numbers have dropped off because people don't want to come where birds are associated," said 36-year-old Mr Fowler.

"At this time of the year, we should be getting probably 60 to 70 people round every Sunday, which is the main visiting day, and we are currently down to perhaps a dozen people.

Manager Nigel Fowler gave up his full-time job as an aircraft engineer

"We have had some groups who have previously booked and said they are not coming now because of what's happening.

"But we have got a school booking soon of about 30 school pupils, so it doesn't put them all off.

"We usually take about 10,000 visitors a year round, but I expect with bird flu rumoured to be around, it will be a lot less this year.

"It's a big blow because it makes up a pretty big chunk of our income and we rely on that income. Obviously, takings are down in the shop because people aren't coming into the visitors' centre to have a look round.

"It means doing extra fund raising away from the sanctuary to try to bring the money in other ways just to keep things ticking over until hopefully this blows over."

The sanctuary has been asked by the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) to produce a record of all the birds at the sanctuary.

Birds can be brought in at any time of the day or night

"We have submitted a list of all the birds that we have got, where they are living in the sanctuary, what is indoor and outdoor, so we are waiting for them to say what the next move is," said Norden-born Mr Fowler.

"As far as I know no vaccinations have been given out, but they are making a list of everyone who has a collection of birds."

The sanctuary, which got its name from the Oldham coat of arms, was founded in 1962 by Eileen Watkinson MBE who died in 1995 after a long illness.

It moved to from Oldham to Norden in 1969, with Mr Fowler helping out there from the age of eight and then giving up his full-time job as an aircraft engineer 11 years ago.

Mr Fowler, who has been manager since 1978, offers a 24-hour service as birds can be brought in at any time of the day or night.

In addition to its aviaries, the sanctuary - a registered charity and charitable trust - also has a four-and-a-half acre (nearly two hectare) nature reserve.

The sanctuary houses about 2,500 birds in June and July

"It costs us £2,000 just to keep going no matter what time of year," he said.

He said each bird costs about £48 to treat and rehabilitate at the centre which employs four full-time staff and three volunteers.

"The most birds we have is probably about two-and-half thousand in June and July, a lot of which will go back to the wild.

"The vast majority of birds come from Lancashire, Merseyside, Cheshire, Yorkshire and, obviously, Greater Manchester, but people do come with them from all over the UK, because we can cater here for any wild bird at all.

His is philosophical about the continuing threat of avian flu.

"We've got a job to do looking after the birds both in our care and those due to come in. They need us and the public tell us that they need us, so we will be here," he said.