Washington
Lying between the urban sprawls of Newcastle and Sunderland, WWT Washington Centre is unusual for revealing the range of wildlife that can thrive on the urban fringe in an area shared with industry.
Groves of ancient and plantation woodland give the centre a distinctive feel and are being managed to enhance their wildlife value. The oldest is Spring Gill Wood which is carpeted with bluebells and wood sorrel in Spring and is edged by a pretty stream.
There are two areas of reed bed on the site, the newest treating the water before it enters ponds on the site, the other lying next to the bank of the River Wear and providing a breeding and feeding haven for reed buntings (a national priority bird), reed warblers, sedge warblers and a variety of dragonflies, as well as other invertebrates and amphibians.
Regionally important breeding birds elsewhere on the reserve include shoveler, tufted duck, oystercatcher, lapwing, redshank, little ringed plover, common tern and, recently, avocet. A large and active heronry can be seen from the hides which overlook Wader Lake.
The hawthorn woodland on the slopes down to the river is managed for its high population of passerines – that is, the family sometimes called perching birds or song-birds - many of which are attracted to feeding stations in the woodlands.
Wader Lake is the largest water body on the reserve and is managed in association with the adjacent meadow for breeding lapwing and other waders.
The remaining meadows are primarily managed for their botanical interest, with yellow bartsia, bee orchids and a range of meadow flowers all thriving under the current management regime.
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