WWT Welney reopens with swan spectacle
After high flood waters on the reserve WWT Welney opens its doors to find hundreds of swans on the newly created wetlands.
Whilst the Ouse washes play a vital role in storing high levels of flood water, hundreds of swans have begun to use the recently created wetland site by the WWT Welney visitor centre. The gathering of whooper and Bewick’s swans is providing one of the best winter wildlife spectacles in the UK.
Whooper swan numbers have been steadily increasing at WWT Welney as they migrate down from Iceland. However, Bewick’s swans have only just started to build in number as mild conditions on the continent have meant that there is good feeding in Holland and further afield in Estonia and Latvia, delaying their arrival to the UK. This morning’s count showed that there are now 3120 whooper swans and 407 Bewick’s swans using the Ouse washes at Welney; 2300 of which were out on the wetlands next to the visitor centre.
WWT Welney will be opening from 7am on Saturday 8 and Monday 10 December to let visitors experience the amazing sight from the centre. With good weather conditions predicted for the weekend the swans could have a Fenland sunrise as the perfect backdrop and visitors will be able to witness all of this from the comfort and high vantage point of the cafe in the visitor centre. Refreshments will be available throughout the morning and the main observatory will also be opened early. Evening floodlit swan feeds will also be restarting from Saturday 8 December as water levels continue to return to normal. Visitors can also enjoy sightings of a regular barn owl, short-eared owl and goldeneye at the moment.
This winter has seen exceptionally high water levels on the Ouse washes with a peak depth of 3.85m on Saturday 1 December, resulting in the visitor centre having to close for the first time due to high water in its six and a half year existence. The Ouse washes did get to a depth of 4.28m in 1997, the only other time the main observatory has had to close, but this was not during the winter so staff at the time did not have to worry about how to feed the swans in deep waters!
Reserve Manager, Leigh Marshall says “Dawn at Welney is the best time to see the spectacle of the wild migratory swans leaving their roost. Now that there are hundreds of swans using the land next to the visitor centre, in addition to those already roosting in front of the main hide, visitors can enjoy swan filled skies with a brew in hand. If the conditions remain good until Christmas we will put on more of these mornings, so watch this space”.
