News
Iceland calls to Welney whooper swans
Whooper swans hatched from injured, resident birds on our wetlands have been recorded migrating north towards Iceland for the first time.
16 July 2019
The chips are down! Miracle birds hatched from ‘muddy potato’ eggs return thousands of miles to rearing site
Rare black-tailed godwits head-reared at WWT Welney after their eggs were freed from muddy farmland have flown thousands of miles home for summer.
23 May 2019
Photographer David Phillips features in the gallery this May & June
Throughout May and June the gallery is alive with colourful photographs taken by David Phillips.
17 May 2019
Artist Gill McCoy features in the gallery this March & April
Throughout July and August the gallery is alive with colourful, creative artwork by Gill McCoy.
1 March 2019
Festival of Swans
The Festival of Swans weekend was a fantastic success with hundreds of people enjoying our wetland reserve and the special activities we had available. Special guest, Mike Dilger, joined a panel of speakers talking about Bewick's swans.
28 January 2019
Today's Sightings
Bewick’s swan Mute swan Whooper swan Canada goose Greylag goose White-fronted goose Gadwall Goldeneye Mallard Pintail Pochard Teal Tufted duck Shelduck Shoveler Wigeon Cattle egret Crane Great egret Little egret Cormorant Coot Moorhen Black-tailed godwi
16 January 2019
Wildlife sightings 16/01/19
a.m. mid/high tide Wader Lake Grey heron 3 Shoveler 4 male, 1 female Mute swan 2 Shelduck 9 Tufted duck Water rail (heard at Prince's Trust hide) Teal 15 Saline lagoon Teal 3 Hawthorn Wood Lesser redpoll 4 Mealy redpoll Brambling 10 Nuthatch Treecreeper G
16 January 2019
Chiffchaff overwintering in Wildside
1 Bittern - main lake 4 Pintail - main lake, reservoir lagoon 1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh 1 Shelduck - main lake 4 Snipe - wader scrape 1 Chiffchaff - Wildside January bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bittern, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit,
16 January 2019
Great Whites
Martin Smith Hide Chiffchaff calling from the nearby trees, two birds have been seen here lately and are probably roosting in the ivy. The Jack Snipe made another appearance along with 5 Common Snipe, if you don't see it first time it's well worth return
15 January 2019
Today's Sightings
Bewick’s swan Whooper swan Mute swan Greylag Canada goose Tundra bean goose (x3) Shelduck Shoveler Mallard Pintail Gadwall Wigeon Teal Ringed teal (escapee) Pochard Tufted duck Moorhen Crane x 4 (Friends hide) Great egret Cattle egret (following sheep o
15 January 2019
Wader Lake essential works - Jan 2019
WWT Washington's reserve team will be carrying out some essential maintenance on Wader Lake this week (Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 January 2019). The dedicated team of staff and volunteers at WWT Washington will be renewing and enhancing the existing
15 January 2019
Wildlife sightings - 15/01/19
a.m. Tide Level: High Wader Lake Lapwing 36 Curlew 19 Canada goose 10 Shelduck 21 Shoveller 4 Black-headed gull 5 Grey heron 6 Redshank 1 Teal 15 Saline Lagoon Curlew 19 Carrier crow 1 Hawthorn Wood Bullfinch 18 Blue tit 8 Goldfinch 9 Redpoll 6 Dunnock 1
15 January 2019
Siskin along the South route
2 Bittern - main lake (North shore & close to Headley hide) 6 Pintail - main lake 1 Water Pipit - grazing marsh 3 Siskin - South route 1 Peregrine - hunting over the main lake 1 Kestrel - South route January bird highlights: Shelduck, Goldeneye, Bitt
15 January 2019
White-fronts in the Four Score again
Rushy Hide Good roost of Bewick's Swans with 110 birds on site. One of the satellite transmitter birds (Catalana) visited Gwent (Llandegfedd/Usk) over the weekend. Martin Smith Hide No reports of the Jack Snipe today but Common Snipe, Chiffchaff and Cetti
14 January 2019
Wigeon grazing thanks to summer sheep
Male wigeon On Sunday afternoon I counted 11 wigeon across from the Ramsar hide. Four were up on the cut, grazing on the fresh grass. Droppings from the Jacob’s sheep we had grazing this wet meadow last summer have added nutrients to the soil bringing
14 January 2019