Wigeon – 2953
Mallard – 887
Teal – 561
Pochard – 174
Pintail – 107
Shoveler – 50
Gadwall – 22
Great crested grebe – 9
Black-tailed godwit – 245
Lapwing – 32
Golden plover – 22
Curlew – 12
Snipe – 12
Redshank – 2
Marsh harrier – 2
Buzzard – 2
Fieldfare – 350
Hares boxing by Simon Stirrup
Whilst the UK’s sporting elite prepare for the Olympics; nature’s athletes compete for much higher stakes.
The reserve at WWT Welney is now brimming with courtship displays and competitions for territories, so everything is at stake! From boxing hares to tumbling lapwing, every effort is put into catching the eye of the ladies and successfully raising young. Visitors can witness these spectacles and many more as the season progresses.
Lapwing displaying by Chris Knights
Spring is one of the most dramatic seasons of the year at WWT Welney with everyone looking their best and in prime condition to display their unique talents. Lapwings are the wetland counterparts of the likes of Olympic hopeful, Beth Tweddle, displaying great skill with their aerial acrobatics. Whilst on the ground female hares box with the overeager males to let them know they need to wait a little longer.
These first signs of spring will shortly be followed by birds of endurance such as the Arctic terns and black-tailed godwits passing through or the common terns and swallows that stay for the summer. These are the marathon runners of the bird world, some using wetlands in the UK as re-fuelling stations whilst for others WWT Welney is the finish line as they stay for the summer.
Then there are the synchronized swimmers such as the great crested newt whose elaborated courtship dance is solely done beneath the surface of the water. Visitors can explore underwater habitats from Easter onwards at the pond-dipping stations.
Emma Brand, Events & Marketing Officer for WWT Welney comments “Spring is a fascinating and exciting time to visit wetland reserves and to learn more about the vital role habitats like these play in our lives as well as those of the birds and animals living there”.
“There is always something to see at this time of year as thousands of birds like black-tailed godwits pass through on migration, whilst breeding animals such as hares, lapwing, water voles and avocets take centre stage as the courtship rituals begin”.
WWT Welney is one of the best places to get close to the drama and excitement of wetland wildlife with panoramic views across the Fens from the visitor centre’s cafe. Whilst over on the reserve six purpose built hides allow views over the Ouse washes wetlands and the recently created dragonfly ponds give visitors the chance to immerse themselves in the sounds of the washes at ground level.
For up-to-date information about the spring spectacular follow WWT Welney on:
Twitter – @WWTWelney
Facebook – WWT Welney
Farming and wildlife likely to come into conflict as limited water directed to domestic supply
Nature experts warn that this summer could be the worst for wildlife in over 30 years if the current period of low rainfall continues.
Rainfall has been so low that in many areas the level of moisture in the soil is currently worse than in 1976, when the UK suffered one of the most severe droughts on record[i].
Flock of grazing wigeon by James Lees
All creatures need water to survive and reports from around the UK indicate wildlife is already being affected. As WWT’s Welney Wetland Centre in Norfolk is located in one of the worst affected areas by the drought, there has not been enough rainfall to flood the grassland habitats, which has meant less food for grazing ducks such as wigeon.
But even through these worrying times, there have been both positive and negative effects on wildlife. Usually one of the biggest problems to the Ouse Washes is too much water (at the wrong times) leading to the inundation of breeding wader habitat and the loss of chicks. Last year this didn’t happen and we had fairly good breeding success this summer. The winter levels on the washes are also not too bad because they are being maintained by tidal influence. However, the areas of wet grassland further away from the river channels are very dry and we simply do not have enough water to keep them wet, this is affecting the numbers of wintering wildfowl such as wigeon.
Although water supply to most homes may not be affected as water companies have measures in place to collect and store enough water for domestic supply, this comes at the expense of the countryside. Farming is already under pressure to produce crops with an uncertain water supply. If supplies dwindle as predicted this summer, the conflict is likely to be pitched as farming vs. wildlife when really both are victims of the way water is used
and managed.
WWT’s Head of Wetland Conservation, Rob Shore, has been hearing reports from WWT’s wetland reserves around the country. He said:
“We haven’t yet had the dreaded hosepipe ban warnings but wildlife is the proverbial canary in the cage. We want government to tackle this problem before it gets out of hand – not just relieving the problem this year but by putting plans in place to prevent this happening again.”
“We have the technical solutions and have identified regulation, from farming subsidies to water company regulation, which could be tweaked to keep more water on the land to help wildlife and farmers. Ultimately it will benefit all of us as consumers.”
One solution being proposed is to create lots of small wetland areas to capture rainwater when it does fall. By slowing the flow of water off the land these allow more water to percolate into soils and aquifers. The added benefit is that they prevent soil, nutrients and other pollutants from being washed into our rivers, which in turn reduces the costs of water treatment.
Rob Shore continued: “We’re struggling to keep our wetlands wet in winter which is virtually unheard of. The knock on effect will be on the birds breeding in spring, so it is easy to see how quickly this can escalate. What we are proposing are small but sensible changes, which bring very tangible benefits for all of us.”
Despite some recent rain, the majority of river systems in England or Wales are currently flowing at below average levels and many are critically low[ii]. The situation is even worse for our groundwater supplies, which have not been replenished over the autumn and winter.
Rain has generally fallen in short, heavy bursts and run straight off the dry, compacted land and very quickly ended up in the sea. This is already raising the threat of flooding at the same time as drought. Climate change is predicted to bring heavier and less frequent rain making this a more common occurrence.
[i]
Environment Agency weekly water situation report Wednesday 18 – Tuesday 24
January 2012 http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/WE_240112.pdf
[ii]
Environment Agency weekly water situation report Wednesday 18 – Tuesday 24
January 2012 http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/WE_240112.pdf
© Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust 2013
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