Heat forces Lincolnshire bird of prey centre to cancel shows

A bird of prey centre has scrapped shows due to soaring temperatures.

Baytree Owl and Raptor Centre, near Spalding, is one of the longest-running owl and bird of prey centres in Lincolnshire, and is home to more than 60 creatures.

Centre manager Mark Birdsall described the arena as a “heat trap” and said the mercury topped 35C on Tuesday.

Flying displays, experience days and school visits will be rescheduled, he said.

The third heatwave of the year has started across parts of the UK, with parts of Lincolnshire expected to reach 31C on Thursday.

While this heatwave is not likely to be as extreme as the one in late-June where temperatures peaked at 37.7C, current forecasts suggest a temperature exceeding 30C in the UK could last for up to 10 consecutive days.

In June, the centre – a registered conversation charity – had to cancel all displays and close for multiple days as their flying arena reached almost 40C.

“It was just too hot for man or beast to be out in the paddock,” Birdsall said.

The heat has resulted in a 20% slump in visitor numbers, he said.

“This whole week really has been a bit of a write-off.”