News

WWT Washington earns 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

WWT Washington earns 2013 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Image by Alan Hewitt WWT Washington Wetland Centre has been honoured as a top performing visitor attraction by users of the world’s largest and best-known travel site. Our 103-acre nature reserve and wetland centre

17 June 2013

Wood sandpiper at Wader Lake

Wood sandpiper at Wader Lake

This fantastic wood sandpiper was snapped at Wader Lake yesterday (12 June). It's not a site first but we typically only see one a year. Thanks to Ian Hamilton for the pic :-)

13 June 2013

New £120K habitat-creation project unveiled

New £120K habitat-creation project unveiled

Saline lagoon view An example of one of the UK’s rarest habitats is being unveiled to the public at WWT Washington Wetland Centre this weekend. A £120K saline lagoon, funded by SITA Trust and the Estate of the late

24 May 2013

WWT Washington named one of England's best small visitor attractions

WWT Washington named one of England's best small visitor attractions

Lady Cobham, Chair of VisitEngland, presents the award WWT Washington Wetland Centre is thrilled to announce it has won the ‘highly commended’ award in the Small Visitor Attraction of the Year category at the pres

22 May 2013

Saline lagoon opening

Saline lagoon opening

Our saline lagoon is opening to the public on Saturday 25 May. Take a first-look around this fantastic new £120k development, funded by SITA Trust and the Estate of the late Mrs M A Sheard, which has already been visited by roe deer, wild otter and a w

9 May 2013

Five go off on an adventure (video)!

Five go off on an adventure (video)!

The chicks get used to their new surroundings Frankie, Nico, Fran, Phil and Flo – WWT Washington Wetland Centre’s very own famous five flamingo chicks – have embarked on their biggest adventure yet; moving in w

5 May 2013

Beautiful bluebells and wonderful wildlife ponds

Beautiful bluebells and wonderful wildlife ponds

At this time of year, things are changing daily on the reserve. On 3 May, the first bluebells started to flower in the dappled shade of Spring Gill Wood.  At the moment, the gill is definitely the place to be if you enjoy flowering flora, as wood sorrel

5 May 2013

Happy news from the heronry

Happy news from the heronry

Grey heron chicks on a nest (N.B. a little older than our current ones!) "Despite the weather-related setback to the grey heron colony earlier this year, it is great to see that the second nesting attempts have been a

1 May 2013

Spring migrant update

Spring migrant update

What a difference a week makes. After a recent break of six days away, it was great to get back out on the reserve and check the progress of our spring arrivals - and I was not disappointed! Chiffchaff by Ray Cottrell

21 April 2013

New life is starting to stir amongst our wonderful wetlands

New life is starting to stir amongst our wonderful wetlands

Don’t miss what’s starting to lay, nest and hatch at our award-winning nature reserve this spring! Nene and gosling by Kathleen Misajon Nothing gets you closer to the magic of spring than witnessing the emergence

11 April 2013

Can you tell what it is yet!?..

Can you tell what it is yet!?..

With essential tree felling work still going on around site (partly cutting down dangerous trees, partly pollarding/coppicing to encourage spectacularly colourful regrowth and entice more wildlife), we've been asked what we're doing with the left over log

7 April 2013

Read the latest goings on from our wildlife reserve

Read the latest goings on from our wildlife reserve

Reserve manager John Gowland said: "The theme of this report has very much been guided by the easterly winds, which have been bringing cold weather to our shores. Avocet by Alan Hewitt Last year’s March reserve repo

4 April 2013

Lunch with the birds - interview with our reserve manager John Gowland

Lunch with the birds - interview with our reserve manager John Gowland

            Our reserve manager John Gowland met up with the Sunderland Echo's Alison Goulding on her lunch break, as part of Bird Watching magazine's Birding Lunch campaign (1-5 April 2013

27 March 2013

'Nenenene' heralds new life despite wintry weather

'Nenenene' heralds new life despite wintry weather

Two Hawaiian goose goslings have defied the winter weather and hatched at our duckery, where they can now be seen by the public. Also know as 'nenes' (pronounced 'naynays') because of their soft grumbling call, these gentle geese - classified as vulnera

25 March 2013

National tourism award finals beckon for WWT Washington

National tourism award finals beckon for WWT Washington

WWT Washington Wetland Centre is thrilled to announce that it is a finalist in the Small Visitor Attraction category of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2013. Eurasian crane by Kaleel Zibe Excited st

21 March 2013