News
Stoat and Weasel - Spot the Difference
Stoats and weasels are easily mistaken for one another. Both small mammals are often moving very fast and don't tend to stay out in the open for long. But if you focus on the bottom end; if the tail has a black tip you are looking at a stoat! https://yout
10 August 2015
Kingfisher - Taking a Dive
A beautiful kingfisher sits patiently waiting to catch his next meal outside the main observatory at WWT Welney. Footage by Bob Ellis https://youtu.be/TvdvUs0LMBc
1 August 2015
Dragonflies - Ancient Flyers
Dragonflies were some of the first insects to evolve. They have honed their flying skills to become amazing aerial predators, and as a result have inspired engineers to replicate this adaptation in human technology! There are relatively few species to l
6 July 2015
Water Voles - How To Spot Them
Water voles are the fastest declining mammal in the UK, seeing a drop of 90% since the 1970’s! They are facing serious threats from habitat loss and predation by the American mink. East Anglia is still a national stronghold for this species and by impro
22 June 2015
Waders - Evolutionary Bills
Waders are beautiful birds, they come in all different shapes and sizes and due to their different bills, they can co-exist in wetland habitats without competing with each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcqBwm6-eJs
22 June 2015
Cattle - Meet the Grazing Team
Even in the present day, nothing manages a wetland habitat as well as a herd of cattle. Their duties include munching on the grasses, poaching the mud at the water’s edge, fertilizing the soil and attracting a range of insect life. By taking a minute
2 June 2015
Hare Showdown - Boxing Match
For knockout views of hares, the open landscape of the Fens is hard to beat. From racing across the flat land at up to 45kph to throwing punches at one another, these fast feisty mammals are really captivating. Our volunteer coordinator Tony can’t w
28 May 2015
Moths Vs Bats - A Wildlife Arms Race
Did you know that there are over 150,000 species of moth in the world? We took a look at some of the species we found on the reserve with our warden Louise. https://youtu.be/0jR5z-hJTG4
25 May 2015
Frogs - Mating
These pairs of frogs have congregated in the sunshine to mate and produce frogspawn. Keep an eye out across the Ouse Wetlands for frogspawn as they start to develop into tadpoles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXgYXmag1go Footage by Susie Haynes
21 April 2015
Water Vole - Taking a Swim
Water Voles have suffered dramatic decline in the last hundred years, partly due to the introduction of American Mink. However this little Water Vole is doing very well and can be seen swimming to collect food from the other side of the pond. https://www.
21 April 2015
Pied Wagtail - On the Dance Floor
The female Pied Wagtail waits patiently as the males shows off his fantastic dances moves and enticing display. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTJtYHF_oCo Footage by Guy Pilkington
15 April 2015
Bittern - Enjoying the Sunshine
This elusive bittern is making the most of the sunshine to do a spot of fishing. Footage by Adam Finch
10 April 2015
Hares - The Easter Bunny
The 'Easter Hare' is a traditional symbol of Easter and our hares have been very rowdy on the reserve this week! The females can be seen boxing with the males; telling the males that they're not quite ready and running away reaching a top speed of 47mph!
5 April 2015
Barn Owl - Deciding on Lunch
One of our favourite birds, the barn owl can fly almost silently enabling it to hear the slightest sounds made by its rodent prey. They have a heart shaped face which collects sound in the same way as a human ear! Footage by Adam Finch
4 April 2015
Avocets - Keeping Busy
Our Avocets have returned to spend the spring on the Ouse Washes, mating rituals have begun and this pair are keeping busy! Footage by Rob Wisdom
29 March 2015