New life is starting to stir amongst our wonderful wetlands

11 April 2013

Don’t miss what’s starting to lay, nest and hatch at our award-winning nature reserve this spring!

Nothing gets you closer to the magic of spring than witnessing the emergence of new life.

And at WWT Washington Wetland Centre, there are sure signs that it’s finally starting to stir amongst our wonderful wildlife and wetlands.

Cold weather may have hampered the early nesting attempts of our grey heron colony – which abandoned some first clutches – but these resilient waders are now nesting a second time, with around 21 pairs on eggs.

Eleven avocet are now resident on Wader Lake and, although they were late returning, have been spotted displaying, mating and scraping. In 2012, four pairs successfully nested and hatched chicks – a site record. Could five pairs emerge from this group and set a new one!?

Elsewhere on the reserve, common frogs - which had virtually gone back into hibernation - have laid frogspawn galore down at last year’s newly-created amphibian ponds; a great example of successful habitat creation and management in action. North Wood is also home to a nesting tawny owl, which has laid two eggs in a specially-created nest box.

And in our rare and endangered waterbird collection, five baby Hawaiian geese have now hatched, as well as two black swan cygnets. Plus, our six-month-old flamingo chicks are getting bigger and stronger by the day, in preparation for their introduction to the adult flock in the summer (to see them enjoying their first foray into the snow back in February, click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJCoO3gf8cA).

Upcoming events include guided walks with a warden, tours of our exotic collection birds, family craft weekends and our award-winning downy duckling days during May half-term; while Waterside Café is serving up tasty lunches and homemade treats, with live CCTV from Wader Lake and dramatic views of once-extinct Eurasian cranes that take you at the heart of nature.

For upcoming event details, click here http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit/washington/whats-on/

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