Conservation
Survey reveals record number of UK's tallest bird
2018 has been the most successful year for Britain’s tallest bird – the Eurasian crane – since the 17th Century, according to figures released today. A record 54 pairs produced 25 chicks, bringing the national total population up to around 180 bi
14 December 2018
Welsh and English protection for declining geese
WWT welcomes decisions this week by the UK and Welsh governments to end the hunting of Greenland white-fronted geese. Annual counts show the population of Greenland white-fronted geese wintering in Britain and Ireland dropped by a third in the last dec
3 December 2018
A win for barnacle geese
Yesterday WWT called out a proposal being made to the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention to downgrade protection for barnacle geese in the UK and Europe, which would make it widely legal to kill them. We featured this photograph of a suitabl
27 November 2018
It could become legal to kill wild barnacle geese in the UK in the future
It could become legal to kill wild barnacle geese in the UK in the future, if a proposal by Norway to the EU is adopted. The reason is that the species has increased through conservation efforts to stop it sliding towards extinction. UK numbers of Sval
26 November 2018
The Global Wetland Outlook: Wetlands disappearing three times faster than forests
Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than natural forests, warns the Ramsar Convention's report ahead of a global meeting on protecting the world’s wetlands in 2018. Wetlands are as essential for our water as forests are for our air.
27 September 2018
Exotic spider discovered during WWT species survey as part of Salt Hill Playday
A wasp spider – a species relatively new to the UK – was uncovered during a survey to discover local animals and plants as part of the Salt Hill event. The striking arachnid with yellow and black stripes was first recorded on the island in the 1920
7 August 2018
Rare plant with roots in south returns to Arundel after century's absence
A total of 400 triangular club-rushes have been planted over an area of 20 square metres which will be managed by WWT at Arundel Wetland Centre to reverse the hands of time and encourage the shrub to seed.
2 August 2018
Changes to UK farming unlikely to have affected Bewick's swans
Changes to UK farming practices probably didn’t cause a crash in the number of Bewick’s swans, according to new research from WWT. The Bewick’s swan population fell by nearly 40 per cent between 1995 and 2010. The swans feed largely in farmers’
31 July 2018
Chris Packham's Caerlaverock visit unearths unusual discovery
A rare bug - never recorded in Scotland before – was discovered during Chris Packham’s Caerlaverock visit. Two rare saucer bugs, Ilyocoris cimicoides, were spotted by eagle-eyed local expert naturalist, Bob Merritt in a pond on the reserve. Up unti
24 July 2018
Cranes here to stay, new model predicts
The UK’s tallest bird – the common crane – is here to stay and we could have as many as 275 breeding pairs within 50 years, according to the latest population model from scientists at the University of Exeter, WWT and RSPB published in Animal Conser
17 July 2018
Baby Baer's! First sighting of duck family confirms rare bird is breeding
A female Baer’s pochard and her young have been spotted at Hengshui Hu National Nature Reserve in China. It’s the only confirmed report from anywhere in the world this year of successful breeding by this Critically Endangered duck. Conservationists h
7 June 2018
A lead-free win-win
The challenge for UK shooters everywhere is whether they will continue to needlessly poison wildlife because of the myth that the evidence of their impact is in some strange way an “attack” on themselves, or switch to non-poisonous ammunition because the
29 May 2018
Rare eggs hatch after spring flooding rescue
A total of 15 godwit eggs rescued from muddy farmland in East Anglia have hatched successfully so far. Conservationists, trying to protect the rare black-tailed godwit, teamed up with local farmers to save the eggs, which were found in poor condition due
25 May 2018
Rescue effort saves rare eggs after spring flooding
Unseasonal April downpours have forced tens of thousands of birds to nest away from the safety of the wetlands after their habitat in the Fens, East Anglia became submerged. Conservationists, trying to protect the rare black-tailed godwit, discovered c
10 May 2018
First hand-reared godwit returns to UK
A black-tailed godwit has returned to The Fens in East Anglia where it was hand-reared after migrating as far as Portugal for the winter. The bird is one of 26 black-tailed godwits raised at WWT Welney and released into the wild last summer. The wader, a
24 April 2018