Close Encounters - Drawn to Water top tips

Close Encounters has a certain charm that draws you in. It's a tranquil space that is filled with life!

As one of the first exhibits you reach on the west of our collection, Close Encounters has it all - quirky and interesting water birds, scented flowering plants, flowing water and surrounding trees, bringing together a wildlife medley for all to enjoy.

Our Drawn to Water guide is a great way to highlight key areas of our collection and wild reserve that are often overlooked. With many spots to stop, look and listen; you'll discover there's so much more to most places than first meets the eye (and ear!). It's all about pausing and taking a while to enjoy the array of nature that envelops you from the start of each and every visit to Washington Wetland Centre.

Close Encounters highlights

The variety of water birds in Close Encounters is fantastic and they are charming as well as entertaining. Eider calling with their 'ooOOoo' sounds, goldeneye performing 'head bopping' displays and the noises of red shoveler and South Georgia pintail, dabbling on the surface of the water as they search for food, are just a few things to look and listen for. Our black swan family is thriving too. The three youngsters - which hatched in April - have learnt to forage and swim, carefully watched by their protective parents. Smew, puna teal, Chiloe wigeon and falcated ducks (pictured below) also reside in Close Encounters and make incredible photographic subjects. Their various calls are wonderful to listen out for!

Dozens of flowering plants surround the path edges of Close Encounters. Their large leaves, brightly coloured flowers and fragrant aromas are a draw for plenty of insect life. Bees, butterflies, soldier beetles, ladybirds and many more insects can be seen on and around the flowers as they look for food, collect nectar and spread pollen. We do love insects!

Wild birds also make their home in Close Encounters during summer. Tufted duck and shelduck have bred in here this year so far, with their young often seen by visitors. Mallard (pictured) and moorhen are regular visitors too as they rest in the shade and search for food.

3 ways to slow down your experience

1. Spend a mindful moment on the arched bridge in Close Encounters. This is a wonderful space to view all the wildlife, offering a sensory experience as you listen to the flowing waterfall, watch reflections dancing on the water and enjoy the surrounding nature, including calling chiffchaff and flitting wren.
2. Close Encounters is incredibly picturesque. Test your creativity by taking some close-up photos of flowers, insects or the birds which are often very nearby. It's a great space to sketch or start a nature journal too!
3. If you're visiting with children, a good way to slow them down is to spot insects. Pick up a bug spotters guide and search on the flowers and plants around the path edges for a whole world of mini wildlife!

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