Welney news
A tale of triumph! Hand-reared godwits survive odds to fly the nest.
21 black-tailed godwits were released in the Cambridgeshire Fens after being hand-reared by conservationists at WWT Welney. Many of the birds released today were not expected to hatch due to the terrible condition of the eggs as a result of the late spr
20 June 2018
Rare eggs hatch after spring flooding rescue
A total of 15 godwit eggs rescued from muddy farmland in East Anglia have hatched successfully so far. Conservationists, trying to protect the rare black-tailed godwit, teamed up with local farmers to save the eggs, which were found in poor condition due
25 May 2018
Rescue effort saves rare eggs after spring flooding
Unseasonal April downpours have forced tens of thousands of birds to nest away from the safety of the wetlands after their habitat in the Fens, East Anglia became submerged. Conservationists, trying to protect the rare black-tailed godwit, discovered clu
10 May 2018
Crane chick growing up
The pair of cranes which bred at WWT Welney are providing great opportunities to watch them. The single chick is growing and will soon be taller than much of the vegetation around it. We have only seen one chick, so it could be that the second egg did
4 May 2018
Project Godwit guided tours coming soon
Due to a challenging spring this year there has been a delay in the headstarting process. We hope to be able to release details of this year's Project Godwit guided tours in the coming weeks, at which point we will be accepting bookings for the dates list
2 May 2018
First hand-reared godwit returns to UK
A black-tailed godwit has returned to The Fens in East Anglia where it was hand-reared after migrating as far as Portugal for the winter. The bird is one of 26 black-tailed godwits raised at WWT Welney and released into the wild last summer. The wader, a
24 April 2018
Cause for celebration over crane chicks
Crane and chick by Roger Rawson The common crane Grus grus has successfully bred for the first time at WWT Welney Wetland Centre. The birds arrived on 21st March and to the delight of visitors, staff and volunteers th
20 April 2018
Local road closure due to resurfacing works
There are resurfacing works taking place in Welney village this week, Mon 22 – Fri 26 January. A road diversion will be in place from A1101 taking the A1122 and A10 route via Downham Market. If you are travelling from March or Chatteris it appears y
21 January 2018
Artist Ben Green features in the gallery this January & February
Whooper swan evening by Ben Green Ben Green is a local artist who has spent many hours looking out across the Washes at the magnificent spectacle of wildfowl and waders, sketching them and painting them in watercolour
8 January 2018
Welney Sightings
Whooper swan Mute swan Bewick's swan Black-tailed godwit Mallard Wigeon Tree sparrow Reed bunting Pintail Pochard Lapwing Little egret Teal Shoveler Tufted duck Moorhen Coot Pied wagtail Greylag Canada goose Golden plover Cormorant Stirling Rook Magpie Ma
21 December 2017
Bewick’s swans slow to arrive this winter
Bewick's swans by Julia Eyles Swan counts have revealed that numbers of Bewick’s swans are very low for this point in the season at WWT Welney Wetland Centre. The most recent count carried out in December has show
19 December 2017
Swan arrivals
Whooper swan family Jane Rowe Whooper swans have been arriving in good numbers over recent weeks, and a dawn count this week has revealed that we now have 2,400 at WWT Welney. We also have 24 Bewick's swans so far,
14 November 2017
A dance of cranes
Crane flock by Tony Orwell This week we have been treated to a group of around 30 cranes using the reserve and surrounding farmland. This post-breeding flock of birds includes four families alongside adult birds.
26 September 2017
Westerly wind bring seabirds inland
Manx shearwater rescue This morning a local resident brought a grounded Manx shearwater into the centre. With the high winds we've seen across the UK this week, several hundred shearwaters have been blown off course
14 September 2017
Goat moth caterpillars
Goat moth caterpillar This month there have been lots of reports of goat moth caterpillar sightings around the reserve. Goat moths are a scarce species in the UK and have been in decline since at least the 1960's. H
24 August 2017