News
A visit to WWT Washington
I went to visit our Centre in Washington yesterday. I have not been to Washington for a couple of years so it was great to have a look around the Centre and see the new developments - in particular the new wetland lagoon which is a fantastic new edition t
11 March 2011
Cupid's arrow strikes for lovelorn coscoroba swan
Love is in the air at WWT Washington Wetland Centre, after a Valentine’s Day date turned into the real thing for a lovelorn singleton swan. Mrs Coscoroba before finding her mateFollowing a whirlwind romance, the centre’s female coscoroba swan - or Mrs
11 March 2011
Top five tips for wildlife gardening
The primroses pushing their heads above ground are a sign that it’s time to start planning your gardening calendar for the year. As well as considering the plants and shrubs that need your attention before they blossom into life, spare a thought too for
11 March 2011
Late-comers drop in for last minute feed!
Only five birds remained at Slimbridge yesterday and so it was a lovely surprise to see 21 rooting around for grasses in the scrapes this morning! Four of these birds had briefly visited us earlier on in the winter and must have joined another flock els
10 March 2011
Top five tips for wildlife gardening
The primroses pushing their heads above ground are a sign that it’s time to start planning your gardening calendar for the year. As well as considering the plants and shrubs that need your attention before they blossom into life, spare a thought too for
9 March 2011
Britain’s Got Wetland Talent! Marsh award
The Marsh Award for Wetland Conservation 2011 - make your nomination As the nation’s hopefuls gear up to hit our screens in Britain’s Got Talent this spring, we're looking for the unsung heroes whose real talent, for creating or looking after wetlands
8 March 2011
Swans leave on a still night!
A calm, moonlit evening triggered 89 swans to start their spring migration from Slimbridge last night, leaving just 41 birds on the reserve today! After patiently waiting for conditions to improve, the birds seized their moment and embarked on their 2,50
8 March 2011
Festival of Gardening - my vegetable patch at home
March is WWT's official gardening month and we have started with displays in the concourse and this weekend we will be doing pond dipping and making mini-gardens as well as specialist tours. To add to this event, every Friday I will put on my diary what I
4 March 2011
Cold weather failed to stop rare geese laying on time
It was a long harsh winter but the world’s rarest species of goose has been busy laying eggs at Slimbridge Wetland Centre. Aviculturists at the Centre had feared the cold weather would delay the Hawaiian geese from laying eggs. But their fears turned ou
4 March 2011
Meetings with local businesses
I have had two fantastic meetings this morning and yesterday with Tesco and United Utilities. Myself and the Marketing Manager met with the community officer for Tesco Southport yesterday to talk about how we can work in partnership in the future - we had
3 March 2011
The wildlife pond
Guest blog by London Wetland Centre's gardening expert Alwyn Craven As a warden at the London Wetland Centre I spend every working day around arguably the best man made ponds and aquatic habitats in the capital. Therefore I am unashamedly biased as to th
2 March 2011
Artist of the month - Dave Fletcher
Dave Fletcher is an award-winning photographer based in the North East of England, with over 15 years’ experience behind the lens. Completely self-taught, his images have graced the pages of many photographic publications and have clinched prizes in man
2 March 2011
Swans stall their migration as cold snap hits!
After the mass exodus of Bewick's swans from UK wintering sites at the weekend, cold north-easterly winds and snow on the continent have stopped many in their tracks! Rather than flying straight on to Germany, large flocks have congregated at sites in Hol
1 March 2011
Saving the world’s rarest duck and other wetland wildlife tales
Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 March, 2011 In July 2009 an expedition to Madagascar confirmed that there were just 20 Madagascan pochards left in the wild and only six of those were female. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) teamed up with Durrell Wildlife Co
1 March 2011
Russian bound swans start leaving the UK
Over 100 swans made the most of the westerly winds to leave Slimbridge on spring migration over the weekend! The reserve count dropped from 247 birds on Friday to just 142 today, although some of the 'missing' birds may still be lurking in the area. In re
28 February 2011