Two turtle doves? Almost... at WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre
Visitors to WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre have been treated to a very exciting, early Christmas gift this year with the arrival of a turtle dove, a bird that has only been seen at WWT Llanelli once in the last ten years and is rarely seen in Wales!
You’d be lucky to see a pair of this iconic Christmas bird that is now increasingly rare because of changing farming practices and hunting in the Mediterranean but on Saturday 24 September a single turtle dove created lots of interest as it was spotted in the visitor centre car park where it’s been residing ever since.
Often seen as a symbol of friendship and love, the visiting turtle dove at WWT Llanelli has been spotted hanging around with the resident collared doves to make quite an unusual pairing. Unlike the collared dove (that stay in the UK all year round), the turtle dove is unique in that they are the only long distance migratory dove species in Europe. With their numbers continuing to plummet, they are of great conservation concern in the UK, which makes its visit to the wetland centre in Llanelli even more thrilling!
Dr Brian Briggs, Senior Reserve Warden at WWT Llanelli said: “There’s always a real excitement when a rare bird is spotted at the wetlands but to see a turtle dove, a rarity in Wales is really special. We’ve had some fantastic sightings highlights over the last few weeks as we’ve welcomed an array of migrant visitors to our wetlands. We’ve seen centre-record numbers of wading birds like greenshanks and black-tailed godwits as well as huge numbers of knot, redshank and curlew. We’ve also been treated to sightings of less common birds like curlew sandpiper, wood sandpiper, goshank, whinchat and spoonbill, proving that Autumn is a great time to visit us”.
To find out more about the different species of birds that can be seen at WWT Llanelli the weekend “Guide in the Hide” sessions available between 1pm – 2pm at weekends throughout October are a great way to learn more from an expert guide, who can help you get a better look across the vast wetland landscape of the reserve.
Images courtesy of Richard Webb
