Reserve update - whilst we are closed let us bring the reserve to you
Whilst our Welney Wetland Centre is closed to the public, our much reduced team continue working behind the scenes. Caring for the wetland habitat and wildlife, bringing the reserve to you the only way we currently can on the website and social media.
Whilst our Welney Wetland Centre is closed to the public, our much reduced team continue working behind the scenes. Caring for the wetland habitat and wildlife, bringing the reserve to you the only way we currently can on the website and social media. Hopefully these weekly updates from the site will help you keep connected to our wildlife, the essential work that is carrying on and pull together links across our website and projects which you might find interesting.
Water levels are continuing to drop on the reserve, and the scene from most of the hides is now much drier since Easter weekend. One of the essential checks we have to do on the reserve is maintaining water levels, making sure that ditches remain full so there are lots of muddy edges and splashes or pools where there needs to be. Images of Reedbed hide pool below.
Some more spring/summer arrivals and highlights this week including more yellow wagtail, little-ringed plover, greenshank, bar-tailed godwit. Image below of little ringed plover between two shoveler.
The first herd of cattle have come on for summer, the number of cows will increase from this initial herd of 30 up to 600 head of cattle come mid-summer.
More of our Project Godwit headstarted birds are retuning, we now have 10 headstarted birds confirmed as back on site, godwits are also back on the Nene Washes and RSPB Ouse Washes too. Images below of Dill, a Project Godwit headstarted bird from 2018, who is back for his second summer.
Although activities are severely restricted this year due to the coronavirus situation over the past few weeks the team have had contact with the schools involved in being godwit guardians. Jess Owen was interviewed about the project and WWT Welney (by video call) by Allan Archer of talk:Wildlife (Video no.8 - https://www.talkwildlife.net/front-page/wildlife-videos/) and prior to the current restrictions this she created this five minute craft video to compliment and help promote the education resources - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY6_YbtwQ7Y.
