News
There is no such thing as an ugly duckling!
There is no such thing as an ugly duckling at WWT Castle Espie Come for an eggstra special day out and support conservation WWT Castle Espie is inviting parents in Northern Ireland to treat their families to a day out with a difference this Easter. Spring
19 April 2011
Yet more sticks and more mating
Over the weekend we have seen both ospreys bringing in more sticks to the nest. AW as ever is a bit optimistic in thinking he can find the final resting place for his sticks on the nest. His mate rearranges his endeavours as sooon as he leaves. There have
18 April 2011
Expecting eggs
We are all eagerly expecting eggs to be laid by our osprey pair in the next few days. There has certainly been plenty of matings and lots of nest additions and 'cup scraping' which are all good signs of the birds being well bonded to the nest site and bei
16 April 2011
Two's company, three's a crowd, four's a colony!
A bird which made local wildlife history when it hatched chicks on Wearside for the very first time looks set to break another record at WWT Washington Wetland Centre. The avocets as a trio, before the fourth arrived. Image courtesy of Ray Wilby. Four avo
16 April 2011
There is no such thing as an ugly duckling at WWT Arundel
Come for an eggstra special day out and support conservation WWT Arundel is inviting parents to treat their families to a day out with a difference this Easter. By visiting WWT Arundel this Easter you are directly supporting WWT’s conservation breeding
15 April 2011
The nene season comes to a speedy end
Wow. Arriving back from Madagascar I was amazed to see so many Nene nests, with eggs totalling around 80 and some exciting new pairs to discover. I couldn't possibly have known however that not only would these pairs all lay early, but almost on the
15 April 2011
More DIY and mating on the nest
As we return to chilly wet wether it is all go at the nest with more sticks arriving and the bit of black plastic has moved to the edge of the nest and is flapping about in the wind. Hopefully it will blow away soon. AW has been busy bringing some good si
13 April 2011
Swift nest boxes
With spring definitely in the air, we've already seen most of our summer migrants return: sand martins, common terns, little ringed plovers and a variety of warblers. One bird that tends to arrive a little later in spring is the swift. In recent years swi
12 April 2011
Kate Humble birding book to benefit WWT – 25% discount for our supporters
A new book on birdwatching by Springwatch presenter Kate Humble and WWT Slimbridge warden Martin McGill will go on sale on Wednesday 27 April. All royalties from the book will go to WWT and a special introductory offer will give those purchasing the book
12 April 2011
Little crake causes big fuss...
A small bird has caused a big fuss as hundreds of keen birdwatchers swooped to WWT Arundel to catch a glimpse of the rare wader. The last recorded UK sighting of the little crake was in 2008 at Exminster marshes in Devon, the last recorded sighting of th
12 April 2011
Ducklings and lizards welcome spring arrival
This newly hatched mallard duckling took time out to smell the daisies at London Wetland Centre this week. Just in time for Easter the first broods of wild ducklings are hatching and spend most of their time darting around at top speed in search of food.
12 April 2011
Real-life Easter eggs and a whole lot more...
Treat your family to a wild day out at WWT Washington Wetland Centre this Easter. Spring is an eggs-tra special time of year at our award-winning conservation site; with real-life Easter eggs hatching, bluebells and primroses blooming, tadpoles wriggling
12 April 2011
All island first for wildlife art
Castle Espie’s Graffan Gallery, Ireland’s only environmental art space, is hosting an exhibition which will bring together the art world’s Irish wildlife painters. Running from Saturday 17 September to Sunday 2 October 2011, the exhibition will be a
12 April 2011
Royal Ulster Academy at the Graffan Gallery
As part of the Royal Ulster Academy’s (RUA) aim to engage with the broader public, a select number of Academy members will exhibit at the Graffan Gallery from the 22 April to the 8 May 2011. The exhibition focuses on two-dimensional works which incorpor
12 April 2011
Nest building and more black plastic
Both ospreys have been bringing in sticks to re profile the nest and as usual have brought in some blck plastic. As in previous years this discarded silage wrap gets woven into the nest and can flap about in the wind. We are always concerned that it may g
11 April 2011