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 have been fairly steady over the past week, although as we said in last week's post it is not a fine balancing act to make sure the right amount of water is staying or getting to the areas that need it most. The reserve team also have to take into account the weather conditions - is there more rain forecasted, can we take advantage of spring tides in the Hundred Foot River or will the effects of wind and sun dry the reserve. Image of the header drain north of Friends hide.
Cattle numbers haven’t changed since last week, but in anticipation of more herds joining us next week our grazing officer, David Tough has re-joined the team today.
More signs of summer over the last week (despite the rain we have just had) swifts, cuckoo, dragonfly, common sandpiper, wood sandpiper and arctic terns passing through. The changeable weather this week resulted in great sand martin activity over the pools in front of the hides on Tuesday and about 30 swifts flying high over the centre yesterday evening.
A new area of website is now live, bringing all of our wetland news from sites around the UK to you digitally. Check it out here - Bringing nature to you
We've given a bit of insight to some local papers about what it is like during lockdown on the reserve. With only a small team allowed onsite to carry out essential checks, we are greatly missing the company of the rest of the team of staff, our volunteers and the visitors that bring the site to life.
Article in Eastern Daily Press - Spring conservation work
Article in Fenland citizen - Spring conservation work
On the day that the WWT home learning hub launched we also gave a bit of an update on the reserve and this fantastic new resource to our local BBC radio stations.
Listen here for BBC Radio Norfolk - BBC Radio Norfolk interview at 2:21:46-2:27:19
Listen here for BBC Radio Cambridgeshire - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire interview at 3:25:07-3:29:20
Even though we cannot yet welcome visitors back on site we are looking after the grounds around the centre as part of our essential checks work. The grassy areas get a spruce up regularly, including before the heavy rain this week. The bird feeders had a thorough clean and the fixed interpretation panels outside the visitor centre had any remaining dirt cleaned off, after the showers.
Nicky Hiscock and Jess Owen have written a headstarting blog on the Poject Godwit website, read more here to get a sense of what the season feels like behind the scenes - Head-starting hands on conservation The onsite teams at WWT Welney, RSPB Ouse Washes and RSPB Nene Washes have been keeping an eye on godwit activity whilst carrying out essential checks. At Welney we have had 12 headstarted birds back so far, lots of wickering and displaying and pairs spread out from Lady Fen to Bank Farm extension. Hopefully if the weather settles and warms up again they will get on with the business of breeding, but we may yet see more birds arriving.
