News
Easter eggs to boost crane numbers in England
A clutch of very special Easter eggs arrived at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire this morning – 14 common crane eggs from Germany. Some are hatching now and the rest are expected to hatch over the Easter weekend, making them some of the most signific
21 April 2011
Early birds catch the dawn chorus
International Dawn Chorus Day, on 1 May, is the worldwide celebration of nature's daily miracle. Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust centres across the country are offering a unique opportunity to enjoy their wonderful wildlife reserves before daybreak as we cele
21 April 2011
No sign of egg number two yet
It looks hot on the osprey nest today as the birds bask in the spring sunshine. AW has flown in to take his turn on the nest 3 times today, once with a fish for his mate. We have also seen a mating attempt on the nest this morning, a precarious operation
21 April 2011
Kate Mitchell
Nature in graphic detail A stunning photographic exhibition will open at the Graffan Gallery, at Castle Espie Wetland Centre, outside Comber in County Down, on Saturday 14 May and run until Monday 31 May 2011. Featured artist, Kate Mitchell will bring an
21 April 2011
First egg laid this morning
As the CCTV system came on at the centre this morning the female was sitting tight on the nest. Was she on the first egg? Emma watched patiently and at 10.20am she saw the female stand up and sure enough there was the first egg of the season in the cup of
19 April 2011
There is no such thing as an ugly duckling!
There is no such thing as an ugly duckling at WWT Castle Espie Come for an eggstra special day out and support conservation WWT Castle Espie is inviting parents in Northern Ireland to treat their families to a day out with a difference this Easter. Spring
19 April 2011
Yet more sticks and more mating
Over the weekend we have seen both ospreys bringing in more sticks to the nest. AW as ever is a bit optimistic in thinking he can find the final resting place for his sticks on the nest. His mate rearranges his endeavours as sooon as he leaves. There have
18 April 2011
Expecting eggs
We are all eagerly expecting eggs to be laid by our osprey pair in the next few days. There has certainly been plenty of matings and lots of nest additions and 'cup scraping' which are all good signs of the birds being well bonded to the nest site and bei
16 April 2011
Two's company, three's a crowd, four's a colony!
A bird which made local wildlife history when it hatched chicks on Wearside for the very first time looks set to break another record at WWT Washington Wetland Centre. The avocets as a trio, before the fourth arrived. Image courtesy of Ray Wilby. Four avo
16 April 2011
There is no such thing as an ugly duckling at WWT Arundel
Come for an eggstra special day out and support conservation WWT Arundel is inviting parents to treat their families to a day out with a difference this Easter. By visiting WWT Arundel this Easter you are directly supporting WWT’s conservation breeding
15 April 2011
The nene season comes to a speedy end
Wow. Arriving back from Madagascar I was amazed to see so many Nene nests, with eggs totalling around 80 and some exciting new pairs to discover. I couldn't possibly have known however that not only would these pairs all lay early, but almost on the
15 April 2011
More DIY and mating on the nest
As we return to chilly wet wether it is all go at the nest with more sticks arriving and the bit of black plastic has moved to the edge of the nest and is flapping about in the wind. Hopefully it will blow away soon. AW has been busy bringing some good si
13 April 2011
Swift nest boxes
With spring definitely in the air, we've already seen most of our summer migrants return: sand martins, common terns, little ringed plovers and a variety of warblers. One bird that tends to arrive a little later in spring is the swift. In recent years swi
12 April 2011
Kate Humble birding book to benefit WWT – 25% discount for our supporters
A new book on birdwatching by Springwatch presenter Kate Humble and WWT Slimbridge warden Martin McGill will go on sale on Wednesday 27 April. All royalties from the book will go to WWT and a special introductory offer will give those purchasing the book
12 April 2011
Little crake causes big fuss...
A small bird has caused a big fuss as hundreds of keen birdwatchers swooped to WWT Arundel to catch a glimpse of the rare wader. The last recorded UK sighting of the little crake was in 2008 at Exminster marshes in Devon, the last recorded sighting of th
12 April 2011