News
Funding boost for meadow project
Our meadows support key UK BAP species such as the lapwing, which breed here each spring Plans to restore and improve key habitat within WWT Washington's nature reserve have been given a welcome funding boost. Our Ma
30 October 2014
Latest Sightings
Barnacle Geese: 5,000 around the reserve. Whooper Swans: 43 around the reserve. Whooper Pond Whooper Swan 43 Mute Swan 12 + 8 cygnets Mallard 166 Tufted Duck 42 Wigeon 73 Shoveler 16 Gadwall 1♂ Teal 35 Canada Geese 5 Folly Pond Mute Swan 2 Gr
30 October 2014
Todays sightings
Rough-legged buzzard Great white egret - 1 (Lady Fen) Plenty of whooper swans coming in for the feeds each day now. The reserve is looking great with just a splash of winter flooding on the washes at the back of the reserve, still plenty of ground above
30 October 2014
Wildlife sightings for 30th October 2014
1 Mediterranean Gull 1W - main lake. Flew towards the river with some of the Black-headed Gull flock 1 Dunlin - main lake (briefly attacked by Sparrowhawk) 1 Little Egret - flew S (1435hrs) 1 Water Pipit - marsh and main lake. flew several circuits around
30 October 2014
Red Kite
The Tack Piece RED KITE 1 hunting for long period Teal 150 Wigeon 60 The Holden Tower Peregrine 1 Buzzard 2 Marsh Harrier 1 Golden Plover 200 Lapwing 450 Barnacle Goose 200 The Zeiss Hide Spotted Redshank 2 Redshank 7 Black-tailed Godwit 37 Avocet 1 Pinta
30 October 2014
The wonders of Estonia!
This month I was fortunate enough to visit Estonia with the BBC Autumnwatch team to join swan conservationist Leho Luigujõe and film the first Bewick’s swans on migration! All photos on this page taken by Leho Luigujõe
29 October 2014
Whoopers
A frosty and misty start to the day followed by a very pleasant day with great viewing. An early morning count produced 500 Whooper Swan, a good count for the end of October. Quite a few reports coming in from Scotland of Whoopers moving in the past few d
29 October 2014
Today's sightings
Wader Lake (mid-tide, AM) Black-headed gull - 80 Teal - 35 Black-tailed godwit - 4 Snipe - 1 Hawthorn Wood feeding station Bullfinch - 6 Chaffinch - 8 Greenfinch - 2 Great tit - 6 Blue tit - 3 Coal tit - 2 Robin - 1 Dunnock - 1 Blackbird - 1 Plus A jay in
29 October 2014
Todays sightings
Great white egret - Lady fen Merlin
29 October 2014
Latest Sightings
Barnacle Geese: 11,500 around the reserve. Whooper Swans: 63 around the reserve. Whooper Pond Whooper Swan 63 Mute Swan 12 + 8 cygnets Mallard 100 Tufted Duck 49 Wigeon 37 Shoveler 15 Gadwall 3♂ Teal 3 Canada Geese 50 Greylag Geese 3 Black-ta
29 October 2014
Wildlife sightings for 29th October 2014
1 Buzzard - dropped into world wetlands a.m. then chased off by crows towards wildside. The centre of one wing was missing a lot of primary feathers. 1 Pintail - male, main lake 1 Pheasant - female, sat on Peacock canal bridge, then scurried off into the
29 October 2014
More Stints
The Holden Tower Little Stint 5 Dunlin 170 Golden Plover 180 Peregrine 1 The Rushy Ferruginous x Pochard 1 Pochard 30 The Zeiss Hide Spotted Redshank 3 Avocet 1 Redshank 26 Black-tailed Godwit 106 Lapwing 109 Ruff 3 Teal 500 Jack Snipe 3 and 25 Common Sni
29 October 2014
Beauty of the Brent to feature on BBC Autumnwatch
The beauty of Strangford Lough and the spectacle of the Brent Geese migration are to be featured in a special film to be broadcast on Friday 31st October at 8pm as part of this year’s BBC Autumnwatch. Cinematographer Sophie Darlington travelled to Nort
28 October 2014
Hen Harrier
A brief update. A ringtail Hen Harrier was seen mid morning on the reserve. It's worth noting that this bird was much paler than the recent possible Northern Harrier. Hopefully this bird will stick around with the other raptors present including 2+ Marsh
28 October 2014
Today's bird sightings
British Steel hide / estuary Great white egret, 5 spotted redshank, 29 greenshank, 661 black tailed godwit, 139 redshank, 324 curlew, 11 dunlin, 137 knot, 15 lapwing, 30 little egret, grey heron, 2 little grebe, 4 shoveler, 67 wigeon, 25 shelduck and 3 gr
28 October 2014