Washington news
Otterly adorable update
The latest image of one of the quadruplets taken at 27 days old. We've been keeping a close eye on our otter cubs here at WWT Washington Wetland Centre since they were born at the beginning of the month, and we're ple
30 March 2016
It's quadruplets for popular otter pair
The excitement has quadrupled for the WWT Washington Wetland Centre family as four Asian short-clawed otter cubs arrived safe and sound! The new arrivals were born on 3 March to Mimi and Musa, the award-winning wetland centre’s popular otter pair. The
16 March 2016
Regionally rare wading bird returns
Regionally rare avocets have begun their annual return to a North East wetland reserve. WWT Washington Wetland Centre welcomed the first of its iconic wading birds of the season on 4 March – just 10 days later than the site’s previous record of 23 Feb
4 March 2016
Otterly exciting news
Remember when our Asian short-clawed otter Little Squeak was only this big and we were all excited about her safe arrival!? Well, we’re feeling (cautiously) excited again because this morning (Thursday 3 March) we entered the holt area at 8.30am and hea
3 March 2016
March art exhibition
Looking for a unique and original Mother’s Day gift for a mam who’s a bit arty? Our current exhibition by Alison Edwards features a number of beautiful watercolour, gouache and pencil pieces, plus some pastels and photographic prints, priced from £7
29 February 2016
Breeding bird update
Each year our reserve manager John produces a Breeding Bird Survey Summary, detailing the successes and stories of the key wild bird species that have bred here on site. The 2015 results are now in and highlights include seven nesting avocet pairs, in wha
24 February 2016
Will you make a champion splash!?
Grab your wellies, round up the kids and jump right into the North East Puddle Jumping Championships this February half-term – part of WWT’s Big Splash! No matter what the weather or your puddle-jumping abilities, we’re urging families to get outdo
27 January 2016
Close Encounters revamp underway
An exciting revamp of our Close Encounters exhibit is underway! Eider ducks Our duck hand-feeding area is now temporarily closed to visitors as it undergoes a long-awaited facelift. As well as draining and desilting t
11 January 2016
Boost for wild otters thanks to council funding
L-R: WWT Washington Wetland Centre Reserve Manager John Gowland with Sunderland City Council Leader Councillor Paul Watson and Project Manager for the New Wear Crossing for the council Kristian Haagensen. Numbers of w
7 December 2015
Work begins on Lagoon View Hide
Now here’s a word you don’t use every day: hexadecagon. The design for the Lagoon View Hide, which will be a hexadecagon shape with 16 sides It sounds a bit like an ungainly Transformer and would probably get you
17 November 2015
Witness nature's most incredible journeys
Curlew flock in flight Autumn is upon us in all its colourful glory and at WWT Washington Wetland Centre, the changing of the seasons brings spectacular new scenery and wildlife. Enjoy the unforgettable sights and sou
14 October 2015
Shingle island progress
Wader Lake's shingle island project is nearing completion The shingle island project at Wader Lake is nearing completion and our staff and volunteers have been hard at it today moving large stones into place around
24 September 2015
On the move
Our Chilean flamingo chick is really active at the moment and can easily be seen taking its first forays into the water and preening alongside the adults. It makes us rather nostalgic for the time we spent hand-rearing some of its flock buddies at this a
17 September 2015
Flamingos in the pink!
Chilean flamingo chick on nest *Toots a fanfare*...hello and welcome to WWT Washington's first Chilean flamingo chick of the season! It arrived on Saturday 5 September and is now quite visible on the nest, w
9 September 2015
Down at the duckery
Baer's pochard Our duckery is home to a number of young waterbird species at the moment, from little fluffballs in the indoor rearing units to larger ducklings growing up fast in the outdoor pens. So if you pay a vis
21 August 2015