One of our spoon-billed sandpipers gives its first adult call, and some sadder news
Our flock of spoon-billed sandpipers are showing clear signs of maturing. All the birds have started to moult from juvenile into their first winter plumage, which is a polished silvery white like a suit of armour. During a recent evening feed all the birds were being particularly noisy, producing lots of sharp, high-pitched calls. The … Continue reading
New footage of the spoon-billed sandpipers
Enjoy this video of the birds enjoying a splash in the pool in their new room.
The sandpipers move to their new enclosure
Nicky writes: It has been a particularly exciting week at spoon-billed sandpiper HQ. After a couple of weeks’ preparation work, the 2nd wintering room was ready for the birds to move into. The heaters were cranked up to optimum temperature, the heat lamps hung, the pool filled with circulating, filtered water and the river sand … Continue reading
Spoon-billed sandpiper health screening
Nicky writes: I’ve just returned from handling all the sandpipers, something we do fortnightly to assess their physical condition and general well-being. The good news – we were happy with today’s health check. Nigel, Rebecca, Michelle – our resident vet – and I rounded up the birds using a soft sided corral and handled them … Continue reading
Spoon-billed Sandpipers Enjoying Their New Facility
By Nicky Hiscock, Conservation Breeding Assistant The sandpipers have been in their new home now for just over a month and they’re making good use of the surroundings we’ve carefully designed for them. The facility was built just in time for their arrival in 2011 and consists of two indoor enclosures where they can be … Continue reading
Slimbridge spoon-billed sandpiper event a success
Many thanks to everyone who made it to Slimbridge yesterday. It was fantastic to see so many people turn up in person on a cold winter day. Martin McGill, Roland Digby and Nige Jarrett spoke to a packed room about the ups and downs of the birds’ incredible journey. Look at the Flickr photo gallery. … Continue reading
Join Kate Humble for a very special event on 19 December
Please join us and our Vice-President Kate Humble for a very special event on Monday 19 December, which will include the first chance to glimpse the spoon-billed sandpipers in the UK. Kate will unveil a live CCTV link up with the specially-constructed Slimbridge aviary, which is now the focus of the spoon-billed sandpiper breeding programme. … Continue reading
The birds’ daily routine
Nicky Hiscock, WWT’s conservation breeding assistant has been caring for the spoon-billed sandpipers since they arrived in the UK. We’ve posted some more footage from the CCTV cameras that monitor the birds below and you can see Nicky going in with the birds. She’s described for us the daily routine in the quarantine station. You’ll … Continue reading
The spoon-billed sandpipers are halfway through quarantine
Nige reports: At this half-way stage of their quarantine period, we’re really pleased with how the birds are doing. They are feeding, drinking, bathing and loafing just as they should be. When the birds arrived they were understandably a little unsettled. In the first few days whenever one of us went in to change their … Continue reading
Please support our spoon-billed sandpiper appeal
Saving the Spoon-billed sandpiper 
See the spoon-billed sandpipers live via CCTV
Posted by sbsproject on January 26, 2012 · 2 Comments
By Nicky Hiscock, Conservation Breeding Assistant This is our 38th day of showing live footage of the spoon-billed sandpipers to the public via a CCTV link at the conservation breeding facility. Each day at 2.30pm, when the birds are fed, visitors to WWT Slimbridge can watch live video shown on large screen in a 90-seat … Continue reading →
Category aviculture, Birds, Conservation, Featured, Spoon-billed sandpiper · Tagged with aviculture, CCTV, cinema, commentated feed, conservation breeding, live footage, slimbridge, Spoon-billed sandpiper