A very big thank you to Ann Aitken-Davies for leading a training session for volunteers today at Danson Park on the capture and rescue of waterbirds. Ann has been rescuing waterbirds since the 90s and is known in the wildlife community as the go-to lady for assessing and rescuing injured or unwell waterfowl.
In spite of some wet and windy weather, and the resident geese and swans doing a vanishing act as soon as we arrived - typical of animals to do the exact opposite of what we needed them to - it was still a very illuminating session, and hopefully a helpful introduction for volunteers on the nuances of waterbird rescue.
In addition to GWN volunteers, we also had attendees from Dartford Animal Rescue, and stories and tips from experienced rescuers such as Swan Sanctuary veteran Andy Miller, plus Julie Dawson, guardian of the birds at Priory House Gardens, and Ciara from Dartford Animal Rescue, whose team are forever rescuing birds with injuries related to fishing at Brooklands Lakes.
A huge thank you to Ann and helpers, and to everyone who attended. There will be opportunities for further training in future!