Creatures are all a-flutter for Valentine’s Day
Visitors can watch swans mirroring, wigeon tail-wagging and hares boxing, as love is in the air at WWT Welney Wetland Centre.
As the days lengthen and we head towards spring the wetland creatures are busy finding a mate or renewing their affection for one another. As they try to impress the opposite sex, they put on remarkable displays using their colourful feathers and interesting moves.
Wetlands provide us with brilliant opportunities to watch some of the world’s most incredible wildlife, and at this time of year they are putting on a brilliant show. Birds like the whooper and Bewick’s swans mate for life, forming bonds that can last over 20 years. To rekindle their relationship they perform displays to one another involving neck and head bobbing which can result in the familiar ‘heart-shaped’ pose.
Emma Brand, WWT Welney Events & Marketing Officer said:
‘The run up to spring is always a brilliant time to see the courting behaviours of various creatures on the reserve. The male ducks in particular are looking very smart in their bright colours and are always trying to show these off to their best.
Pochard with their red heads and goldeneye with their bright yellow eye set off against black and white feathers, both like to flip their head onto their back to attract the attention of a passing female. Whilst wigeon prefer to tail-waggle and snap their bills to ward off rival males.
It isn’t just the men who are putting all the effort in, female moorhens hold territories on the reserve and will fiercely defend their patch if a rival oversteps her mark. Also, it is a myth that male hares box one another; boxing occurs between a female and a male that has clearly not won her affection.’
On warm, sunny days these behaviours seem to go into overdrive but the visitor centre and reserve provides a fantastic day out whatever the weather. A centrally-heated main hide allows for comfortable bird watching and the perfect setting to enjoy the commentated wild swan feeds. Indoor crafts and outdoor trails allow families to make the most of the changeable British weather.
Get closer to the wildlife with activities and events all the family can enjoy:
- Swans awake events (6-9am) Sat 14 & Wed 18 February, booking essential, £12 per person
- Half term Sat 14 – Sun 22 February, winter trails, indoor craft activities and owl pellet dissection
- 6.30pm swan feeds (Thurs-Sun each week) until Sat 28 February
- 12pm & 3.30pm swan feeds are daily until Sat 8 March
- Hare walks, 1-2pm on Mondays, Thursdays & Saturdays until Saturday 28 February
