Autumnal highlights from across our reserves
We all have our favourite season, but few can argue that there are more dramatic sights than the countryside turning bronze.
For our wetlands, it is a spectacular time of year. The first of our migratory birds arrive, having flown vast distances in search of food and warmth and our reserves are an impressive mosaic of rich textures and dazzling colour displays.
Here we pick out some of our autumn highlights across the country.
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Autumn isn't just easy on the eye, it also marks the beginning of an influx of some incredible wetland bird species. Whooper swans arrive from Iceland, brent geese travel over from Canada, barnacle geese arrive from arctic Svalbard, Greenland white-fronted geese make their way from the arctic circle and the iconic Bewick's swan arrives from the Russian tundra.
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There are also many events held across the reserves to celebrate this time of year. At WWT Arundel, there are spooktacular half term activities throughout half term between October 21 and October 29 as well as Wetland Witch's potion class on October 28. At WWT Caerlaverock, the Back Again exhibition by Keith Brown celebrates the return of the geese to the Solway for winter which runs until October 28. There are also daily wild whooper swan feeds and on October 22, guests have a chance to catch the impressive sight of the barnacle geese flying out to the Solway mudlfats for their evening roost.
At WWT Castle Espie, there is a bird watch morning with a particular focus on their special winter guests - the brent geese. There is also the Spellbound Festival which is three days of monstrous fun that includes Halloween crafts and horror trails between October 29 and October 31. Over in Wales, WWT Llanelli is holding Halloween themed craft workshops every weekend up until November 5. There are lots of activities planned for the half term between October 21 and October 29 at WWT London, such as mini-beast hotels and Wild Play: Nature Creatures, where kids can learn about animals from folklore and mythology and are invited to use clay to make their very own creatures with super powers.
Between October 21 and October 31, Pumpkin Fest runs at WWT Martin Mere which involves, amongst other activities, a pumpkin hunt and broomstick training. Guests are also invited to watch the geese arrive at dusk every Wednesday and Saturday up until October 28. At WWT Slimbridge, Spooktaculer runs from October 21 to October 29 which includes pumpkin carving and lantern decorating. At WWT Steart, visitors have the chance to visit the Breach by 4 x 4 which isn't normally open to the public. At WWT Welney, there are daily swan feeds up until March 11 and there's the chance to see the swans take morning flight at sunrise on October 25 and October 28. At WWT Washington, guests can learn some gruesome details about the weird and wonderful nature trails during the daily Nauseating Nature Trail throughout October. It's all happening!
Last but not least, we can't have an autumn post, without mentioning the wonderful Autumnwatch which returns to our screens on BBC Two at 8pm on October 23. Nothing says autumn like one of our favourite nature programmes of the year!
