Blog
Wetlands throughout the seasons: summer sights
As the mercury rises and the long days draw out over our wetland landscapes, we know that summer is here. Spring bird migration is over but we’re now in the thick of new life emerging, with some real jewels to be seen. Even the smallest pond can be a
Build your own den
As the summer holidays draw nearer, it’s good to have a list of activities to entice your little ones away from their screens and into the fresh air. Children of all ages love creating spaces where they can escape and create imaginary worlds, away from
A spotlight on wetland wildlife - April 2021
April started with warm temperatures but northerly winds soon set in and brought cool air and very little rainfall. This resulted in our wetlands experiencing different weather to recent springs, with bird migration not quite as early as it would have bee
Spring and summer in wetlands: a guide for wellbeing
Our free guide explores some of the ways that nature can help keep us healthy. It’s full of ideas and activities intended to help you engage with nature following the five steps to wellbeing.
Migrations series – How do birds know where to go?
Migrating birds follow predictable routes. These routes are well known; we call the one that brings wintering birds to our shores the Northwest European flyway and the one that brings summering birds the East Atlantic flyway. You can’t see them, but they
Waterlife photo competition - 2020 results
Here are the results of our annual 2020 Waterlife photo competition, where you can see the full shortlist of the best of our entries. Every year we run our Waterlife photo competition for members and this year, despite the challenge of not being able t
Curlew sightings are a sign of hope for 2021
Glimpses of young curlew give encouraging signs for the 2021 breeding season, although it's still early days for the declining curlew.
Diary of a swan spotter
Volunteer swan spotter extraordinaire, Wim Tijsen, talks Bewick’s, climate change and why the calls of the swans’ post migration reunions are forever etched into his memory.
Five wetland plants with secret superpowers
Plants are the structural foundation of wetlands, supporting a range of life. They also have some amazing and unexpected qualities. Yet they are often under-appreciated.
A spotlight on wetland wildlife - March 2021
March has been a real month of change, sometimes cold but often with a real sense of spring in the air. We have said ‘bon voyage’ to the last of our winter visitors and a brief ‘hello’ to those species just passing through...
How to tell the difference between frog and toad spawn
Have you spotted any frogspawn yet? Whether it’s in a local pond or your own back garden it’s always an exciting moment. Along with daffodils and birdsong it’s one of the first signs that spring is here. We know it can be hard to tell exactly what is wha
10 Biodiversity success stories from WWT Reserves in 2020
2020 was a tough year, but the results are in and we’re delighted to report that we have some stories of conservation optimism to share with you. Head of Reserves Emma Hutchins takes stock and reflects on the highlights of 2020 at our ten WWT wetland sit
How the weather affects migratory birds
The weather can have a dramatic impact on migrating birds. From cloud structure to wind direction and strength, each can play a part in the success or failure of a bird’s migration.
A spotlight on wetland wildlife - February 2021
February has been a real mix of weather on our reserves, from a week of sub-zero temperatures to the recent warm air blowing up from the south. One week we were in the depths of winter, the next was looking very much like spring...
Spring: up close
Spring is well on its way, the first flowers are appearing, the trees are beginning to bustle with bird song and when the sun comes out there’s a definite warmth to it. Join us as we take a look at all we can expect from spring, perhaps the most exciting