First winter migrants begin arriving at WWT reserves
As September draws to an end, WWT wetland reserves have begun to see the very first winter migrants arriving from countries such as Iceland and Russia.
By mid-October we expect tens of thousands of Brent geese – most of the world’s population – to have gathered at WWT Castle Espie in Ireland, and an estimated 15,000 pink-footed geese to have arrived at WWT Martin Mere. That’s as well as the Bewick’s swans, which will be making their long journey from Arctic Russia to spend the winter at our sites in Slimbridge, Welney and Martin Mere.
WWT staff are keenly awaiting the mass arrivals. Below are the numbers of birds that have already arrived – we’ll keep you updated over the coming weeks. You can also check each centre’s wildlife sightings page, updated daily, to see which birds have been spotted on the reserves.
Caerlaverock
Barnacle geese - 3300
Castle Espie
Brent geese - 12,117
Martin Mere
Pink-footed geese – 10,000+
Slimbridge
Teal - 700
Tufted duck - 110
Welney
Whooper swans – 10+
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