News
Summer migrants and other recent sightings
This week on the reserve, we have seen an influx of summer migrants that have made journeys from across the globe, with the majority returning from Africa. Hirundines (a family of passerine songbirds), such as swallows and sand martins, have been spotte
16 April 2023
Spring sightings
Spring has definitely arrived in full force as we head into April. There has continued to be lots of chiffchaff seen (and heard!) around the reserve as well as our first confirmed sightings of sand martins and swallows from the Peter Scott Observatory. Mo
9 April 2023
Species spotlight - Tree sparrow
The tree sparrow (Passer montanus) is in the family of old world sparrows. This passerine is easily identifiable due to the brown chestnut cap on the top of the head. Between the sexes there is no difference which is quite unique in birds as the majority
3 April 2023
Flourishing Floodplains project celebrates project successes
The Severn and Avon Vales were once a large, connected mosaic of floodplain meadows, marshes and small wetlands teeming with life. Sadly, over 88% of this habitat has been lost or has reduced biodiversity. But, as floodplains across the Severn and Avon Vale reawaken this spring, a ground-breaking landscape-scale project to promote their ecological health is concluding.
31 March 2023
Spring's awakening
Although we are saying fond farewells for now to our whooper swans that have started their migrations back to Iceland, we are welcoming signs that spring is underway. We've been enjoying quite a mix of all four seasons recently, but there are definitely m
20 March 2023
Until next time, Caerlaverock
I have spent the last four months working at WWT Caerlaverock and my main takeaway: it’s a little bit magic. For a lot of people, winter is a dark, sad time where all you want to do is wrap up and stay inside to hibernate. And for a long time, I was muc
12 March 2023
Wild Isles – UK Wildlife gets the Sir David Attenborough treatment!
A new Sir David Attenborough wildlife series hits our small screens in ultra-high definition this Sunday evening (BBC One at 7pm). Some of the UK’s most iconic wetland wildlife will feature including the high speed life of the Kingfisher in episode 1.
10 March 2023
Biodiversity Net Gain: As new rules for developers that could help wetlands are introduced, Sarah Fowler addresses key conference
2nd March saw WWT Chief Executive Sarah Fowler speak alongside a panel of experts on new rules requiring developers to leave biodiversity in a better state than they found it that could help boost wetland nature.
3 March 2023
Large Flocks of Knots from the Saltcot
We’ve had another busy fortnight at WWT Caerlaverock Wetlands Centre. You can feel spring in the air and there are snowdrops popping up all over the place. However, our wintering ducks, waders and geese are still around in flocks and will be for some we
15 February 2023
Protecting the world’s wetlands – milestone lead shot ban comes into force
Following years of campaigning by WWT, Birdlife and other international partners, it is now illegal to use lead gunshot in and around wetlands in all 27 EU countries as well as Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein.
15 February 2023
Local youth groups inspire Gloucester city shoppers with flourishing floodplain art installation
A local conservation project, Flourishing Floodplains, has introduced young people in Gloucester to the wonder of their local wetlands and brought them together with a local artist to co-create a vibrant art installation celebrating floodplain meadows.
9 February 2023
Big Bird Challenge Final Update
And the results are in!The end of January saw our reserve staff’s Big Bird Challenge wrap up, where our placement students were put against the wardens in a competition to see which team could spot the most birds in the first month of 2023. The teams dr
4 February 2023
WWT unveils blue recovery vision with World Wetlands Day mural
A spectacular 3D mural showcasing the vital importance of wetlands has been unveiled in Bristol today to celebrate World Wetlands Day, held on 2 February every year.
2 February 2023
Why is that bird paler than it should be?
Birds are not always exactly the same colour and pattern as they appear in bird guides. Often this is only a slight difference in an individual’s appearance to the typical example of that species. However, an individual’s appearance can be drastically
26 January 2023
Marsh Harrier and Otters
In the last fortnight, we've continued to have a significant number of raptors around: people have been reporting hen harrier, peregrine falcon and kestrel, as well as a marsh harrier! These are a much less common occurrence here than other birds of prey.
22 January 2023