Spring Collection News

Spring means new life on the wetlands. Staff have eagle eyes on the nest boxes in the exhibits of the ducks and geese we expect to nest this year. WWT Arundel Wetland Centre is home to a collection of non-native ducks and geese that tell the story of wetlands around the world.

Caring for these birds has our keepers busy year 'round but especially in springtime when nesting begins. The team excel at raising sea ducks, black-necked grebes and scaly-sided mergansers. Each day the Keepers feed, clean, and care for 30 types of ducks, geese, swans and waders.

Nene Goslings

We also have 3 new Nene goslings! These eggs were collected from their parents and hatched using our incubators in the our new Incubation & Rearing Room. You may have seen the trio in the Rearing tanks visible through the large Rearing Room window. The eldest is Junior, hatched on the 14th March. Next came Juno on the 20th March, followed by Jade on the 21st March (pictured above). The nene goslings are growing and now are spending sunny days in the grassed areas f the outdoor duckery.

Bird birds arrive

The big news this month has been the arrival of out two new Dalmatian Pelicans. Odin and Logan arrived March 20th and spent time in our new Pelican Barn getting use to the sounds and smells of the site. The boys were released on March 27 when they met Storm and Rogue on the water. The four are getting along well although Odin and Storm seem to squabble occasionally.

Warmer Weather, more eggs

The lovely weather has brought about an influx of eggs and crazy behaviour from our birds! Keep an eye on the incubator and rearing room over the coming weeks. There are new eggs in the incubator as we speak!

Behind the scenes works

WWT Grounds and Collection staff & volunteers have removed the old wader sand tray at Coastal Creek and old matting and stones to replace it with a lined and old sleeper edged, to make a 3 x 4 metre beach! This creates space for foraging and improved feet of our wader species.

Two mini wetland treatment systems have been created and planted around the incubator and rearing room. On at the back and one to the right-hand sided where the hand-wash station used to be.

Cobbling works were done along the edges in many of the exhibits. Nest boxes and nest sites were placed throughout the collection. Other exhibit revamps include new posts, weeding, painting, new feeding hatches. We have wood chipped of the meadow maze, play park and Water Side Walk with over two tons of wood chip going out!

The picnic area in the Woodland Loop has been revamped and reopened!

• Share this article