01/02/2026
Further to our previous update last week we recieved the official confirmation from DEFRA that the first swan did indeed have Avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) and this was likely the cause of death, sadly we lost one more at the marina and two along the river who had both been exhibiting symptoms 💔 we are still seeing some with signs and they can still excrete but infection for another few months potentially so please exhibit extreme caution still while visiting 🙏🏻
AVIAN INFLUENZA winsford update,
This is a long post but extremely important so please read till the end!
Sadly after a few random suspected cases in the flock at winsford marina/bottom flash, we now are seeing an outbreak in the birds with multiple birds exhibiting symptoms,
Whilst so far they have only been exhibited mild symptoms, sadly on Saturday afternoon one of flock passed away her body was recovered, left and reported to DEFRA, they have since collected meaning we hopefully in the next 2 weeks will recover official confirmation of the virus.
Today sadly one of the swans has been reported to be spinning in the water, so with cases on the rise we’re posting for awareness and to provide advice for the public.
Firstly we want to stress the importance of avoiding the area over the next few weeks, this is not only to protect yourself, dogs & birds at home, but also to help minimise the spread between areas and the birds.
If you do still choose to visit please follow the advice below;
* Ideally do not feed the birds, If you choose to still feed please make sure to do so over the railings in the mooring area and not the boat launch.
* DO NOT touch any birds or approach any sick looking birds. Please contact us straight away regarding and sick or dead birds.
* Report any dead birds to DEFRA Aswell as contacting us.
* If you choose to walk or exercise your dog please do not let them approach any sick birds, and ensure to thoroughly wash their paws afterwards.
* Please wash your clothes or footwear after visiting the marina and sanitise your hands, advice on disinfectant below.
Advice differs from previous years outbreaks as we now know that Avian influenza can spread to dogs also, they are at risk if allowed to make contact with sick/dead birds aswell as if they lick potentially infected poo off their paws or ingest any poo from the ground. To us we don’t think it’s with the risk to your dog’s wellbeing!
If you choose to visit still and want advice regarding the best way to protect afterwards there are lots of DEFRA approved disinfectants to kill the virus (info can be found on gov.uk) we personally use these brands Safe4 & Virkon, both can be purchased online or via Amazon. You can also purchase a spray bottle and have this travelling with you to ensure you clean footwear before entering a vehicle or leaving the marina etc, however it’s important to note if spraying near the water you do not allow any to enter the water.
Finally we understand that it can be concerning that the birds could suffer from lack of visitors during this period but we stress that this is not the case, they will still have a group of people regularly visiting and caring for the flocks, they also rely heavily on natural foods to support their recovery during this period.
Thank you for reading we appreciate it! I’ll also add a couple of frequently asked questions & answers at the end of the post.
- Can humans get avian influenza?
A) yes they can but it is rare.
- Is there not a vaccine to give the birds?A) unfortunately not, the vaccine is only available to zoos currently and it would be impossible to vaccinate and track wild birds sadly.
- Can it be treated?
A) sadly no, if isolated they can be supported however it is currently illegal to have birds with the virus in captivity which is why they are left to be monitored, there are claims of a cure however as much as we’d loved there to be one this is simply not true and there is concern that the supplement somehow could actually be causing a higher death rate after seeing a scary correlation, they can survive and often do without it and their is no evidence that shows that it makes any difference, The only thing we can do is if a bird is at the stage where it’s dying they can be pts to end and further suffering.
(Post has been edited to change wording slightly regarding treatments, due to some individuals misconstrued perception of what we said; we technically mispoke ((oops 🫣)) as there is no evidence as of yet while data is being compiled by others however theres also other reasons we personally don’t recommend it or use it, however we fully understand and accept people may still want to and make no judgement on their use of it, most believe it works as a suppressant but again we’ve seen no evidence of this and know from experience that they can fight and survive without it.
Apologies but we’re exhausted mentally and physically we’ve been dealing with flu on the river since before Christmas now, but with the wider spread outbreak in the flock that has a lot closer contact with humans & dogs we wanted to ensure a post is put out for awareness.)
