Bird flu update – another Buzzard

Following last week’s update on bird flu cases in ‘wild’ birds, there has been another case, in another Buzzard in Suffolk. So it looks as though the bird flu virus has been isolated from five dead Buzzards in the same location in Suffolk which might be the same location that a Goshawk tested positive too….

Bird flu – update with some interesting developments

I’m grateful to Miles King’s Twitter feed (@MilesKing10) for pointing me in this direction – although it was on (although  quite a long way down) my to-do list anyway. I’ve updated you on the cases reported by Defra of bird flu in ‘wild’ birds over the last few years, and several times this winter  (most…

Bird flu – more cases

Yesterday Defra updated the information on cases of avian flu in ‘wild’ birds in the UK.  Bird flu has now been detected in a range of species in a range of counties as follows: I have some doubts about the value of the Defra and EU testing of ‘wild’ birds – see here and here….

Bird flu – which birds (2)?

This blog follows on from an earlier post today. I’m interested, mainly because I am interested in birds, but also because I am interested in ecology, and also because I have reason to be interested in the impacts of avian flu on poultry keepers, in how commercial poultry flocks get avian influenza and the role…

Bird flu – which birds?

It looked as though we might get through this winter without avian flu arriving on our shores but no such luck. After the first case was detected at the swannery at Abbotsbury there is now another case involving 13 wild birds in Warwickshire. Let’s hope that there are no more cases affecting poultry and poultry…

Bird flu update

In the last four weeks there has only been one identified case of bird flu in wild birds in the UK and that was a Mute Swan in Somerset towards the beginning of that 4-week period.  DEFRA state that earlier in the year there were as many as 55 dead birds per week being submitted…

Bird flu update

It seems as though (touch wood!) the H5N8 bird flu outbreak across Europe is coming towards an end – at least that’s what is being said in France, arguably the country worst hit this winter. In England, Defra has a map of higher-risk and lower-risk areas which looks like it could win a prize for…

Bird flu update

New, reported, positive cases of H5N8 identified in wild birds have settled down to just one each week – last week’s was another Whooper Swan in Norfolk. There seems to be a shift in positive cases in wild birds in Europe to represent more Mute Swans and Whooper Swans  – although since testing of living…

Bird flu update

Farming Today has carried out what they call an investigation into backyard flocks of poultry that have not been housed despite this being the law. Their investigation appeared to consist of taking a phone call from a listener and then going and talking to someone.  I can’t say I’ve carried out an investigation but I…