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The magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust | 209 July/September 2019 | £4.25 | wwt.org.uk
RETURN OF THE NATIVE WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR BRITAIN’S CRANES?
PLUS
JOIN THE WETLAND EXPLORERS PAGE 38
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PHOTO CONTEST OPENS
YOUR CHANCE TO SHARE YOUR BEST WETLAND PHOTOS
DRAGONS AND DAMSELS SIX OF SUMMER’S MOST DAZZLING INSECTS
DISCOVER WETLANDS
EXPLORE SOME OF THE WORLD’S RICHEST HABITATS
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CONTENTS
STARS OF SUMMER
Many WWT visitors follow the trials and triumphs of our breeding cranes with great excitement
In summer, one of the UK’s coolest birds, the
common crane, is the star of the show at WWT Slimbridge. Our popular pairs captivate both the WWT team and visitors as we watch them try to raise a family. Every chick is precious. They’re part of one of the UK’s most exciting species reintroduction projects. But it’s not all plain sailing for our wild cranes, and success is by no means guaranteed. Find out more about the challenges they face – and how we’re helping – on page 24. More stars of sunny days at any WWT centre are the dragonflies and damselflies that zip over the water. These acrobatic insects may be nature’s beauties, but they behave in quite beastly ways. Find out more about the species to see on page 22. The world’s wetlands are the lifeblood of the planet. They’re not all as famous as the Florida Everglades or Brazil’s Pantanal, but they’re far more diverse than you might think. From giant deltas to mudflats and mighty estuaries to Arctic tundra, they come in many different forms and sizes. But they all share one thing in common – they support a unique array of amazing wildlife. Join us on a tour around the globe as we discover the wonder of some of the world’s greatest wetlands and the little-known gems where we’re doing some of our most important work (page 30). This summer, young adventurers are invited to follow in the footsteps of brave pioneers, like our founder Sir Peter Scott, and discover what it takes to survive in the wild. From bug hunting to making dens and wild discoveries, the adventure never stops. So bring your young fun-seekers and share with them the magic of our wetlands (page 38).
In this issue...
5 Front lines Martin Spray on converting couch potatoes into conservationists 7 Waterways The latest WWT conservation news from around the world 19 Photo competition Snap it, enter it and win a pair of Swarovski binoculars 21 Wigeon post Your latest letters and the pick of your photos 22 Spotter’s guide Look for drama in the air – it’s dragons and damsels time! 24 Return of the native What does the future hold for Britain’s cranes? 30 World wetlands Explore some of the richest habitats around the globe 38 Wetland explorers We’ve a summer full of fun for young adventurers 40 Photo masterclass: plant portraits Take your best shots with our course 42 Kids’ zone Steve Backshall goes crazy for cranes 45 Down your way There’s so much going on at a wetland centre near you! 66 Back chat Meet a member of WWT’s team and find out what they do
WWT is the leading global conservation organisation committed to the protection of wetlands and all that live in and around them. WWT is the only UK charity with a national network of specialist wetland centres that people can visit. It was founded in 1946 by the late Sir Peter Scott, the renowned naturalist and artist.
On the cover: Peter Cairns/naturepl.com
HEADQUARTERS Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT wwt.org.uk membership@wwt.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410 CENTRES For full contact details, please see page 45 WWT Arundel 01903 883355 WWT Caerlaverock 01387 770200 WWT Castle Espie 028 9187 4146 WWT Llanelli 01554 741087 WWT London 020 8409 4400 WWT Martin Mere 01704 895181 WWT Slimbridge 01453 891900 WWT Washington 0191 416 5454 WWT Welney 01353 860711
WATERLIFE The quarterly magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Managing editor: Sophie Gore Browne waterlife@wwt.org.uk Editorial board: Ray Clark, Andrew Foot, Geoff Hilton, Baz Hughes, Rob Shore, Mark Simpson Editor: Sophie Stafford sophie.stafford@thinkpublishing.co.uk Deputy chief sub-editor: Marion Thompson Designers: John Pender, Alistair McGown Contributors: Dominic Couzens, Derek Niemann, Mike Unwin (text) Sales executive: Natalia Georgiou natalia.georgiou@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 3771 7220 Account director: John Innes, Think, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH thinkpublishing.co.uk
Waterlife is published four times a year, and is printed by Wyndeham Southernprint, on UPM Ultra Silk 70gsm, an FSC paper accredited as coming from well-managed forest. Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of WWT. ISSN: 1752-7392 Average net circulation for the period Jan-Dec 2018: 92,098
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FRONT LINES
ACTION FROM ENTERTAINMENT Nature is a constant inspiration to many of us. But as our lifestyles become more
urban and more focused on being inside the home rather than outside, how do we make sure we don’t lose that inspiration? At WWT we encourage everyone to explore and enjoy the natural world around them. We create beautiful spaces for nature at our wetland centres, and in towns and cities around the world, to give people more opportunities to get close to wildlife. But it can be easier for people to access nature indirectly through their TV or mobile device than to go outdoors. Yet this shouldn’t mean they have to suffer from ‘nature deficit disorder’ – a phrase coined to describe the insularity and negative moods often associated with an urban lifestyle detached from nature. In fact WWT’s founder, Sir Peter Scott, described ‘adventure’ as being a state of mind. He found as much adventure at his painting easel in his study as on his world travels. And as technology progressed, he moved his message from canvas to radio and then TV, which helped him inspire even more people with stories and images of nature in their own homes. We continue that evolution today. In this issue of Waterlife, you’ll see beautiful pictures of wetlands around the world,
some of which were taken by our own state-of-the-art media production unit. Whether it’s underwater, aerial, close up or super-slow motion, we’re finding new ways to tell wetlands stories in film narratives too. The way we consume electronic media is changing, and conservation communication is changing with it. Over the years, many of us have loved BBC TV nature series narrated by WWT Vice-President Sir David Attenborough. These days, more of us are watching these documentaries on internet platforms and smart TVs. So it’s no surprise to hear Sir David narrating Our Planet, an original documentary series on Netflix, a global internet-based channel provider with a worldwide audience of almost 150 million. Our friends at WWF partnered the production. I’m pleased to see this groundbreaking conservation production focus on dynamic landscapes at the margins of land, water and air – the wetlands of the world where most life concentrates. And you can watch it whenever you want on your mobile device as easily as on your TV. We’re working to ensure our film about Sacha Dench’s 7,000km solo paramotor flight following Bewick’s swans from Russia to the UK is seen as widely as possible. In addition to pioneering footage, including
the first-ever aerial battle over nesting territory between male swans, the film has a strong conservation purpose. It has helped to inform science and resulted in new partnerships across Europe with people who can help reverse the decline of Bewick’s swans, including Russian hunters (see page 10). Since many people love film and creative media, our goal is to use these art forms to inspire them to love nature. That’s why, this summer, we’re partnering with BBC’s Springwatch programme to provide our first-ever ‘Springwatch presenter’ experience at London Wetland Centre. There are also photography and film workshops – and even art galleries – at many of our centres. And we hope that when you’ve read this issue of Waterlife indoors, you’ll be inspired to go outdoors to appreciate nature yourself. The challenge for us – and for you – is to ensure our enjoyment of natural history media is converted into action – a reason to go outside and enjoy the natural world all around us, rather than a reason to stay indoors and ignore it.
WWT is working to inspire all generations to not just enjoy nature on TV and digital platforms, but to get outdoors and experience it for themselves
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Martyn Poynor/WWT
Martin Spray CBE, WWT Chief Executive
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WWT NEWS
WATERWAYS NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WETLANDS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Britain holds a quarter of the world’s curlew population, so we have a responsibility to keep them safe
TACKLING THE UK’S CURLEW CRISIS The curlew holds a special place in many people’s hearts. Heard on windswept estuaries in winter, or meadows and moorlands in summer, its iconic call captures the essence of our wildest places and inspires musicians, poets and artists. But now curlews need our help. The UK population has declined by over 60% since the 1970s, and this is mirrored across Europe. If things go on as they are, Britain’s largest wading birds will increasingly become a distant memory rather than a daily source of inspiration. The curlew’s decline is the result of the loss and degradation of its habitat, predation of its eggs and chicks, and damaging agricultural activities during the breeding season. As a result, it is now the UK’s most urgent bird conservation priority. Thanks to your support we’re providing emergency help to curlews breeding in
lowland Britain – specifically in the Severn and Avon Vales – to ensure the survival of future generations and improve their fate. First, we will establish an ‘early-warning system’ to notify farmers and landowners when a curlew nest is found on their land, and offer them guidance on how to help chicks survive. We’ll also ‘headstart’ curlew chicks, removing the first clutch of eggs from wild nests and taking them in to hatch and rear in captivity. The technique has been used to successfully boost black-tailed godwit and common crane populations in the UK. When the chicks can fly, they will be released back into the wild – one release site will be Slimbridge – thus ensuring a new generation of British curlews each year. We’re also looking for innovative ways to protect wild curlew nests from predators and accidental damage. We know from other curlew projects that temporary
electric fencing around nests can help. Could tractors have infrared scanners to detect nests among crops? Llamas are sometimes used to protect livestock because they dislike foxes – could they help in curlew fields? ‘We want curlew populations to be stable without such drastic interventions, but for now we need to pull out all the stops,’ says WWT’s Head of Conservation Breeding, Nigel Jarrett. Long term, we’re working to restore wetland habitats and reduce the impact of predators to enable curlews to recover to sustainable levels in the UK. Thanks to your incredible response, our curlew fundraiser has been one of our most successful to date. But we still need your support if our ambitious plans are to become a reality. It’s not too late to donate via our appeal page at wwt.org.uk/curlew-appeal. JULY/SEPTEMBER 2019
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WWT NEWS Small actions matter – restoring this stream will help reduce flood risk in Slough
By Peter Morris, Head of PR & Communications
Thank you to everyone who joined us in London in June for the mass lobby. Dozens of conservation, community and religious groups converged on Westminster to highlight our concerns about the future of nature in the UK. Events like this can often feel like banging your head against a wall. But change needs momentum and your individual actions – whether it’s saving water at home or demonstrating in London – all add up. You may have noticed a recent increase in environmental awareness. It began with horror at the impact of plastics on oceans. Next was an Emissions Charge introduced in London, online outrage at nets that prevented birds from nesting in hedgerows, and waves of global campaigning to highlight climate change. WWT’s focus is on creating solutions. Thanks to the carbon they lock up, the wetlands we create are one of the most effective ways to reduce climate change. They also help to tackle its effects by buffering us against drought and flooding. The new focus on the environment is timely, because next year marks a key deadline. Nationally and globally, we’re 8
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about to miss targets for water quality, carbon emissions, peat extraction, waste management and air quality, to name but a few. Crucially, we’ll miss a global 2020 target to reduce biodiversity loss. Every species plays its part in the health of the planet. To survive, animals need plants to provide oxygen, and plants often need animals to reproduce. Ecology has been described as a big ‘Jenga tower’ – if you remove too many key species, the whole ecological system will collapse. But there is hope. We proved that it’s possible to save threatened species when we saved the world’s rarest bird from extinction in Madagascar. To achieve this goal, we had to adopt a holistic approach to creating a healthy wetland and ensure that all species, including humans, worked in harmony with the environment. But this was at a very local scale. For there to be hope at a global level, we need governments to facilitate change through
Campaigners unveil WWT’s ‘Green Bill’ banner in front of Parliament
strong laws. Here in the UK, it’s disappointing that all the debates around Brexit have omitted the environment. Much discussion has centred on control of trade and immigration. So you might be surprised to discover that, in order to convert EU law into UK law, the environment department Defra has had to process more than double the number of statutory instruments than any other part of government. That’s because, while we can argue about and control the movement of people or goods, we can’t prevent the movement of air, water and wildlife. We depend on biodiversity and our surroundings for our health and our wealth, so the environment is a huge area of international legislation. The question is: will the UK strengthen or weaken these laws as we take ownership of them? That’s why it was important to WWT – and to many of you – to be in London in June to ensure this issue was high on MPs’ agendas. It’s also why we need you to keep supporting our campaigns, making ethical consumer choices, signing petitions and helping our precious wetland nature. Each action you take may feel small and even futile in itself. But in reality you’re leading a behavioural revolution to save nature – including humankind. That’s something you can feel very proud of – and it makes us very proud and thankful that you’re a WWT member.
Harley Todd/WWT; Matthew Maran
SMALL IS POWERFUL
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WWT NEWS
As a WWT member, and part of this great conservation charity, this is your chance to hear about exciting activities from the past year, and put questions directly to the directors and volunteer board who lead the charity. The AGM is also an opportunity for new members and old friends to come together to see some of the developments taking shape at the centre for our 20th anniversary. You’ll also hear the latest news from the conservation projects that together we make possible. The day will start at 10.30am, followed by the presentation
WWT London Wetland Centre is a beautiful venue for our AGM – a day hearing about inspiring conservation
of the 2019 Marsh Awards for Wetland Conservation. Awarded in partnership with the Marsh Christian Trust, these awards celebrate amazing achievements by people supporting wetlands and their wildlife.
There’ll be lunch for those who book in advance (£15 suggested donation), offering the chance to spend time with other members, staff and senior volunteers. All those attending will then be able to enjoy an afternoon of activities and
The swan champions of the Russian Arctic
Every spring, millions of waterbirds from all corners of the globe arrive on wetlands in the Russian Arctic to breed, moult and feed. Two areas, the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Arkhangelsk Oblast, host the entire population of the endangered Northwest European Bewick’s swan, which migrates more than 4,000km to winter in the UK and Europe. Despite being legally protected in Russia and across its flyway, Bewick’s swans are illegally hunted. About one third of live birds caught and X-rayed in the UK were found to carry shotgun pellets, while unknown numbers are shot dead. More than a quarter of hunters surveyed in the Russian Arctic admitted to hunting Bewick’s swans,
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with 15% hunting them accidentally after mistaking them for mute and whooper swans, which have weaker legal protections in some areas. Furthermore, 18% of hunters believed it was legal to hunt Bewick’s swans, or were unsure. Local concern for the swans has prompted a grassroots initiative, called ‘Swan Champions’, that unites the public, indigenous groups, hunters, conservationists and members of the regional government. The Swan Champions aim to increase knowledge about swans, their wetland habitat and
exclusive updates on our local and international work. The business agenda, papers and the 2018/19 Review and Accounts can be reviewed from the end of August on our website at wwt.org.uk/ reports, or contact us to obtain a copy. If you would like to attend this year’s AGM, RSVP to Lucy French, WWT Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, email agm@wwt.org.uk or call us on 01453 891270. Please confirm if you would like lunch, along with any dietary or access requirements. If you wish to ask a question at the AGM, please submit it in advance with your RSVP or email it to agm@wwt.org.uk. We look forward to spending the day with you!
legal status, and help hunters recognise protected waterbirds. Recently they launched a ‘Memo for Hunters’ that includes a visual guide to waterbirds in the region, details of penalties for law violations, a map of no-hunting zones and instructions on how to report sightings of leg rings. In the future a travelling swan exhibition and film tour will visit remote communities. And an online programme will help teachers educate children about migratory waterbirds and the challenges they face. WWT will support the Swan Champions’ plan for community action over the next four years. The work could then be rolled out to other parts of the flyway where the swans are vulnerable.
James Lees/WWT
We’re thrilled to be hosting our AGM at WWT London Wetland Centre this year, on Thursday 10 October.
Sam Stafford/WWT
A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
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WWT NEWS
We’re so excited to receive reports that our black-tailed godwits have been sighted
WWT is now three years into securing the future of breeding black-tailed godwits in the UK. During the first two years of the project we released 49 birds on WWT Welney’s Lady Fen, an area of wet grassland we created next to the Ouse Washes. Lady Fen, and similar sites, offer a sanctuary for godwits, providing suitable breeding habitat and protection from predators and flooding – problems that are common on the Washes themselves. The releases are part of a headstarting initiative, which aims to populate these created sites with godwits, restoring the Ouse Washes population and bringing godwits home to the UK. Eggs for headstarting are sourced from the nearby Nene Washes, under licence from Natural England, and are collected early enough in the season for the parents to have a chance to relay and raise a second brood in the wild. Transported to WWT Welney and cared for by a team 12
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of expert aviculturists, we have been able to fledge about 10 times the number of birds that would have been expected to survive in the wild. And, as well as releasing at Welney, we have also returned a proportion of the birds to the Nene Washes, and hope to do the same each year until 2021. WELCOME RETURN
As Waterlife went to print, birds released in 2017 and 2018 are returning home to breed. Eighteen have been spotted so far in the Fens. With 12 pairs of godwits already nesting, the Ouse Washes breeding population is now at its highest for 20 years. Because the released birds are marked with colour rings, each new sighting is adding to a life story, and revealing new details about migratory routes and timings. Headstarted birds have been spotted migrating through sites in the UK, including WWT Steart Marshes in 2017, and further afield in Portugal,
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France, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. Each bird has been named, and some are well known to us. Earith, a female released in 2017, returned to breed in 2018 and has been spotted back at the Ouse Washes with her offspring. Lady and Nelson, who paired up on Lady Fen last year, have also arrived back and are nesting together. To follow the stories of these birds and others, visit project godwit.org.uk, where you can also find details on how to report a sighting of a colourringed godwit. Project Godwit is a partnership between WWT and the RSPB with major funding from the EU LIFE Nature Programme, the HSBC 150th Anniversary Fund, Natural England, the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Back from the Brink programme, and Leica UK.
We’re launching an exciting project to improve the habitat available to migratory fish across the Severn Vale. The Severn is one of the most important rivers in Britain for critically endangered species such as the European eel. Historically, the Severn Vale waterscape provided a large area of high-quality and well-connected habitat. But industrialisation and land reclamation have resulted in habitat loss and degradation, which make it hard for migratory fish to reach this unique area. Now, with funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development via the Water Environment Grant, we’re working with Severn Rivers Trust, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West, and Stroud Valleys Project to change that. Our project will install four new fish passes on the River Frome, opening up 10km of waterways to migratory fish. It will restore the species-rich grassland habitat at Walmore Common SSSI, which has degraded over time. And it will create a new wetland treatment system at WWT Slimbridge, to improve water quality for fish. Together, we can restore this important waterscape. Eels need connected waterways
Neil Aldridge/WWT
GODWITS ARE COMING HOME
Jonathan Taylor/RSPB
Space for migration
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WWT NEWS
CHANGING LIVES
Russ Myners
BETTER FOR BIRDS Visitors to WWT Llanelli may have noticed that we’ve relandscaped the Dafen Scrapes area. By creating new islands, scrapes and pools, we’ve improved the habitat to better suit the needs of breeding waterbirds. We hope the new landscape will attract species that don’t currently breed here, such as oystercatchers and avocets, while the creation of shallow islands are perfect breeding habitat for lapwing. We have already seen a huge increase in the number of birds using the area this spring, including rarities like little ringed plover and garganey, and our new nesting boxes have already been occupied by shelduck. The habitat will also benefit rare wildlife, such as water voles. And the internationally important numbers of migratory waterbirds
that overwinter here will now be able to enjoy enhanced feeding and roosting areas. Located just behind the British Steel Hide, the improved Dafen Scrapes will help bring wildlife closer to our visitors. This project was supported by Biffa Award, a multimillion-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to community and environmental projects across the UK, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund. Biffa Award’s Gillian French said: ‘It’s fantastic to be able to support projects that help wildlife make a comeback. Llanelli’s new scrapes and pools will provide vital habitat for vulnerable species. We can’t wait to see the reserve now the work is finished.’
Do you know a young person who can trace their passion for nature back to a school trip to a wetland centre? Whether they went on to work in conservation or have simply developed a love of nature that has stayed with them, we’d love to hear their story. Thousands of school pupils visit WWT’s centres each year. Our research indicates that, for some, this can spark a deep and long-lasting interest in nature. We want to understand what inspired those individuals the most, so we can help other young people in the same way. WWT’s Mark Stead says: ‘We’re looking for someone whose story could help us shape and improve our school visits.’ Anyone whose child is interested in speaking to Mark and sharing their experience should email learning@wwt.org.uk.
our new website has something for everyone Have you visited our website lately? If so, you might have noticed our new look. We’ve been busy transforming our online presence to provide you with more help and advice, more insights into our conservation programmes, and more features about wetlands and the amazing wildlife that relies on them. By publishing more great stories online, we’re connecting even more people with these incredible and important habitats. And we’ve restructured the website so it’s easier for you to find what you’re looking for quickly. As summer is here, we’ve devoted a whole new section of the website to gardening and
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helping you recreate a wetland on your own patch (see wwt.org.uk/discoverwetlands). Making a mini-wetland in your garden, on your allotment or in
the grounds of your school, workplace or community park is easy and inexpensive, and a vital habitat for wildlife. Whether you need advice on building a wildlife pond or help choosing the best native bee-friendly flowers for your garden, our website will enable everyone to create a haven for wildlife, whatever your level of gardening ability. We want to make it easy for everyone to discover the wonder of wetlands. If you’ve got feedback on how we’re doing so far, or suggestions about what you’d like to see on our website, email waterlife@wwt. org.uk.
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WWT NEWS
CNBC/Senkethya
MANAGING WATER FOR LIFE Cambodian life is inextricably linked with water. Around 90% of Cambodia’s poor live in rural areas, where they rely entirely on healthy, functioning wetlands for their livelihoods and drinking water. But, as the population expands beyond 16 million, Cambodia’s wetlands are under threat. Expanding irrigation projects to facilitate rice-growing, the development of hydroelectric dams on the Mekong River, unsustainable agricultural techniques and climate change are altering the region’s hydrology and depriving wetlands of water. Boeung Prek Lapouv is one of the largest remaining remnants of seasonally inundated wet grassland in the Lower
Mekong. As such, it’s vital for birds, plants and other wildlife. Another area, Anlung Pring, was established in 2011 to protect important feeding areas for critically endangered sarus cranes. Together, these protected landscapes provide vital services for over 10,000 people. But they’re at risk of drying out. Since 2010, we’ve been working to protect these sites. We’re running a water management trial in this 16-hectare plot in Boeung Prek Lapouv to identify the best methods to keep it wetter for longer. Greater periods of inundation will help to keep native habitats such as Eleocharis grassland healthy, support sarus cranes,
your wild PHOTOS The winner of this issue’s reader photo contest is Mike Challenger for this incredible capture of courting great crested grebes at WWT Slimbridge. The couple’s synchronised ‘weed’ or ‘penguin dance’ is the climax of their performance. Mike says: ‘Having often seen grebes on South Lake at Slimbridge from a distance, I was delighted to find them close to the Discovery Hide. To then have them perform their courtship display in front of us was a thrill for everyone.’ WIN A COPY OF COLOURED KEY TO THE WILDFOWL OF THE WORLD Mike wins a copy of Peter Scott’s Coloured Key to the Wildfowl of the World (revised edition), worth £9.99 and published by WWT.
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Holding more water on the reserve will benefit a wide range of wetland species, including sarus cranes, who will be able to feed at the site for longer
which eat the Eleocharis grass tubers, prevent fish pools and nurseries from drying up, and provide resources to local people. Together, we’re working to ensure that these wetlands, and the communities that rely on them, are resilient into the future. Our Cambodia programme is supported by the Darwin Initiative, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong, Woodspring Trust, European Outdoor Conservation Association and other generous supporters.
We’re always looking for your best photos taken at a WWT centre. Simply send them in to waterlife@wwt. org.uk, along with a brief story, including where they were taken and what you saw, and you could be in with a chance of being published in this spot and winning a fabulous prize. Don’t miss out!
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PHOTO COMPETITION With their bright plumage, WWT Washington’s Chilean flamingos are a photographer’s dream. Frank Dunlop put his new camera through its paces to capture their rich colours – and the judges’ attention
WIN!
EYE-OPENER This summer, we invite you to share your most memorable moments at a WWT wetland centre and help us celebrate the amazing wildlife they support. Our annual photo competition is officially open! Ahh, summer! The sun on your face, the breeze in your hair, a camera in your hand and exciting wildlife all around. Now is a great time to visit your local WWT centre and capture Britain’s wetland wildlife at its best. Year after year, we’ve been blown away by the images you’ve entered in our annual photo competition, from rare species to common beauties and unusual behaviour to stunning portraits. So this summer, we can’t wait to see the wildlife highlights of your year. Our photography contest invites photographers around the UK to share their images of wildlife, landscapes and people interacting with nature taken at one of our
centres. Your incredible photos can help us to showcase the rich diversity of wildlife supported by our wetlands and inspire action to protect it. The winning images will be chosen by professional photography judge and Waterlife editor Sophie Stafford and a jury of WWT professionals. A shortlist of winning and commended shots will feature in the January/ March 2020 issue of Waterlife, and the overall winner will receive a pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars worth £910. You have until 10 October 2019 to enter. For full details and the rules, please visit wwt.org.uk/waterlifephoto.
five top tips for summer photography Shoot during the ‘golden hours’ after sunrise and before sunset, when the light is warm and soft. Get to know your subject’s behaviour, as this will help you get the best shots.
Appreciate overcast days – their diffused light can be better for photography than bright sunshine. Try different angles – get low to the ground or up high for interesting viewpoints.
When framing your shot, look for uncluttered, natural backgrounds, without man-made objects such as fence posts, as these distract from your subject.
SWAROVSKI CL 8X30 BINOCULARS WORTH £910! To enter, visit wwt.org .uk/ waterlifephoto
Make the most of every wildlife sighting with the Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars. These elegant binoculars are perfect for seasoned birders and novice nature lovers. They offer lightweight, rugged durability and amazing performance, and fit perfectly in your hand. Enjoy unique wildlife experiences wherever you go. swarovskioptik.com
John Preston snapped this four-spotted chaser at WWT Washington
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WIGEON POST We’d love to hear your thoughts about wetlands, WWT and Waterlife and share your photos, so please write to us at Wigeon Post, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, or email waterlife@wwt.org.uk
Taking flight I photographed lots of birds from various hides around Slimbridge, including this great tit, which flew into the pool by Peter Scott’s house to sit with the teal feeding there. John Gawthrope, via email
Beautiful vision I visit WWT Welney every year to see the thousands of swans that fly over from Iceland and Siberia. I was just about to enter the large hide near the feeding area when I spotted this pair of whoopers in flight. I never cease to be amazed at the elegance and grace of swans in flight. Philip Pound
Surprise, surprise! On a sunny February morning, I managed to take this photo from the reedbed walk at WWT Martin Mere. The hare headed straight towards me! You never know what you might see. Mike Williams, via email Just enjoying the birds The Hawthorn Wood feeding station at WWT Washington is one of my favourite places to visit. We usually sit here for about 45 minutes, while I take as many photos as I can. We used to be members when our children were small. Now we try to visit every week. The staff are so helpful if you want to know anything about any of the birds and wildlife. Gloria Capeling, via email
Spoonbill supper I took this photo at the Michael Powell Hide at WWT Llanelli in late March. These two spoonbills were in a flock of six feeding within 15 metres of the hide. Mark Johnson (volunteer), via email
send us your best photos!
Sun worshipping We visited London Wetland Centre on a lovely, sunny February afternoon. Our day was made perfect when we saw this young common lizard sunbathing on the outer wall of the Dulverton Hide. Dave and Carole Kreeger, London A ringing success My copy of Waterlife arrived today. What a brilliant article about your bird-ringing study! It really captured the feel of the activity and highlighted the value of ringing and long-term monitoring. It was great to see an article focusing on the science and the demographic information, rather than just on movement and migration. Keep up the good work; it’s a great magazine! Gordon Kirk, BTO regional representative, Gloucestershire, via email JULY/SEPTEMBER 2019
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SPOTTER’S GUIDE TO...
DRAGONS &DAMSELS T
ake a wetland, heat with the summer sun, stir with the lightest of breezes and then wait. An explosion is inevitable. It’s an explosion of turbocharged insects – the dragonflies and damselflies.
evaporation from the turgid depths to the airy skies. On a hot day from June to August they can be everywhere, perching on lily pads and waterside vegetation, patrolling along ditches and shores, and even hawking high into the sky.
Here be dragons!
All of our centres are hotspots for dragonflies and damselflies and home to many different species. Visit our Down Your Way section (from page 45) to join one of our special summer spotting events, or go online to download a spotter sheet: wwt.org.uk/dragonfliesand-damselflies.
Steve Nicholls/WWT
From May to August, metallic-blue male banded demoiselles perform fluttering display flights to win over females, showing off the distinctive dark band across their wings
Only in high summer is it warm enough to rouse them from their water-living larval selves to fastflying, glittering, multicoloured, highly strung projectiles, buzzing back and forth over the broiling ponds, lakes and ditches, a metamorphosis of
Warm, sunny summer days are the best time to admire the UK’s dragonflies and damselflies, says Dominic Couzens. Come and marvel at their grace, beauty and mastery of the air
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Six dragonflies and damselflies to spot EMPEROR DRAGONFLY As its name suggests, this is the largest, most majestic British dragonfly. Aggressive, territorial and often curious of humans, it patrols at low level, up and down watersides.
COMMON BLUE DAMSELFLY At the edge of a lake there can be thousands of these powder-blue damsels, each perched on a piece of grass like a small, tubular bloom.
Christopher Algar/WWT; Debbie Picknell/WWT; Richard Bullock/WWT; James Lees/WWT; Nick Cottrell/WWT
MIGRANT HAWKER DRAGONFLY This is one of the commonest late-summer and autumn dragonflies. It is much smaller than an emperor (above), but still robust. Its body is intricately patterned.
BLUE-TAILED DAMSELFLY A small, dark damselfly easily identified by the blue ‘LED’ at the end of its ‘tail’. Confined to wetlands, it’s often abundant in rank vegetation, but can be difficult to spot. Adults fly from April to September throughout the UK. COMMON DARTER DRAGONFLY If you see a red dragonfly, it is likely to be this ubiquitous late-summer species. It is small for a dragonfly, and often occurs well away from wetlands, including in gardens.
BANDED DEMOISELLE Often the easiest of all the species to spot, owing to its spectacular banded wings, bejewelled body and slow, dancing flight. Commonest on slowflowing streams and rivers in the south.
Dragonflies are highly predatory, and, in a reversal of the usual happy-ever-after tales, dragons frequently eat damsels These insects are very much two of a kind. Dragonflies hold their wings flat at rest, at right angles to the body. They are quite robust and fly rapidly, often in a straight line. Damselflies are small and weak flying, and when they are at rest, the wings are held shut over the back or, in a few cases, held partly open, but never at right angles. Dragonflies are highly predatory, and, in a reversal of the usual happy-ever-after tales, dragons frequently eat damsels. SHORT BUT ACTIVE
The life of an adult is short (often just a fortnight) and action-packed. The larger dragonflies are fiercely territorial, occupying a length of waterside and chasing off any trespassers, physically if need be. The urge to mate is ever-present too. Take any notice and you will soon spot pairs in their odd copulatory embrace – the ‘wheel’ that is unique to this group of insects. The male grabs the female’s neck with appendages at the end of his ‘tail’, and the female places the end of her ‘tail’ under his abdomen. So that both insects can complete a full life cycle, we have created special pond areas at some of our centres. ‘Some are tucked away in hidden places, others are in sun-trapped sheltered places adjacent to the main paths from where visitors can watch them up-close,’ says Martin McGill, Senior Reserve Warden at Slimbridge. And canny management benefits them directly. ‘When we remove silt from our ditches to maintain their drainage function,’ says Martin, ‘we do it in rotation, just 100 metres at a time each year. So, along 500 metres of ditch, there can be five different habitats, each with different vegetation growth.’ Each glittering insect is a small award for sympathetic management. JULY/SEPTEMBER 2019
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TOP SPECIES TO SEE
RETURN
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NATIVE Record numbers of common cranes were recorded in the UK last year, thanks to a successful breeding project and the highest number of chicks ever raised in the wild. Derek Niemann finds out if the future looks rosy for Britain’s tallest bird
Once plentiful and widespread in the UK, cranes were wiped out by hunting and drainage of their wetland homes. Supported by WWT, the Great Crane Project reared nearly 100 young cranes over five years and released them in Somerset. Today, we’re still working to secure the future of Britain’s tallest and most elegant bird
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Loic Poidevin/NPL
OF THE
TOP SPECIES TO SEE
T
he dancing days are over, their song is all but sung. Many of the performers retire into the long grass to moult and there they will stay for the next four weeks. As another breeding season draws to a close, almost a decade since the Great Crane Project (a partnership between WWT, RSPB, Pensthorpe Conservation Trust and Viridor Credits Environmental Company) began, it is time to take stock. What conclusions can we draw? Britain’s tallest birds are unquestionably charisma on stilts. Convivial flock-makers, their haunting, far-carrying calls raised the composer Sibelius from his deathbed, their flamboyant courtship dancing makes flamenco look sedate. They’re the slenderest of slender, poised beyond graceful. Yet they are also acutely sensitive to disturbance at the nest, and once they moult their flight feathers in little more than a day, they can vanish from sight for the best part of a month. Public and private, sociable and shy, cranes are oddly enigmatic. Just how well do we really know them, since they are forever confounding expectations? Geoff Hilton, WWT’s Head of Conservation Science, recalls the nervous preparations that went into their
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reintroduction in south-west England. The project team had imported genetic diversity, with eggs coming from different wild pairs in the birds’ German heartland over five years. The real worries were about what would happen to the birds when they were released. ‘In reintroduction projects, it’s quite common for the first generation to struggle,’ explains Geoff. ‘They’re not adapted to the wild, or the management of the habitat isn’t quite right. You anticipate that the project will have a rocky start.’ GOING SOLO
‘These were naive birds with no parents, no existing flock to follow,’ he continues. ‘We bought tracking devices for them, on the assumption that if there were going to be problems, they would probably happen soon after release. We needed to know what was going wrong so we could try to fix it.’
The first generation of young cranes cast out into the wild had high survival rates, much better than expected
Nothing did go wrong. The first generation cast out into the wild had incredibly high survival rates, better even than rates among healthy and increasing populations elsewhere in Europe. The birds behaved like wild cranes right from lift-off, and our research over the past eight years tells us that the British countryside is not all that hazardous to them. Even more startling is the fact that adult birds do not seem to need high-quality wetland habitat just to tick over. Unlike bitterns, whose requirements were learned through years of scientific research, adult cranes are not deeply specialised. As Geoff puts it: ‘They could more or less survive on a school playing field by digging up worms.’ Experience has taught us that once the young birds are fledged, they tend to do well in the wild. The stage that cranes seem to find more difficult is getting the eggs to hatch and the chicks to successfully fledge. Since cranes at the nest have proved sensitive to human disturbance, it has proved difficult to study them during the breeding season. ‘There are more scientific opinions than evidence,’ Geoff remarks wryly. But there is a simple biological fact – a population can only increase if the birds rear enough chicks. Last year, 54 pairs bred
Mike Langman/WWT; Brin Edwards/WWT; ARCO/NPL; Jose B Ruiz/NPL; Juan Manuel Borrero/NPL
You may hear Somerset’s cranes before you see them. Their deep sonorous call can be heard up to six kilometres away
Each pair of cranes usually raises just one chick each year, although they may not rear any young in a poor season, while when conditions are really good, they may be fortunate enough to fledge two. A parent keeps the chick warm and dry under their wings. Young birds do not always make the best parents – the first few months are critical for chick survival
Cranes are likely to be seen in a group, heads down, picking over arable stubble or in pasture
Herons tend to be seen standing still and hunched beside pools or ditches hunting for fish
in the UK – a record number – but in the Great Crane Project area, 22 territorial pairs fledged just seven young between them. The logistics of raising a crane are daunting – a chick hatching from its egg is the size of a tennis ball. In just 10 weeks it needs to be 120cm tall – a staggering growth rate for any wild creature, and one that relies on a constant high-protein diet of invertebrates. The chick is an inefficient forager, a clumsy, roly-poly bundle lacking the mobility and know-how of its parents. Its stubby bill is a poor substitute for the fine, long, digger beak of an adult that is used to probe so deftly under vegetation for food. And then there is the question about whether the chick even makes it out of the egg or lives to grow above grass height. The places that are safe for feeding adults might not be secure for their young. Groundnesting cranes are vulnerable to predators, and evidence suggests foxes are the numberone threat. In an ideal crane world, every bird would have a moat-surrounded nest in cover – a refuge that is both concealed and has an impregnable barrier of water between their young and any predator. Chick survival may depend on adult birds finding a place as close to those conditions as they can. That’s where age and experience could be vital.
CRANE, HERON OR STORK? How do you tell these big, grey, long-necked, long-legged birds apart? Partly, it’s to do with their sociability (or not) and the way they hold their bodies. Colour differences are marked, but not always clear, especially if you are looking up into a bright sky l Think of herons as grumpy loners. They’ll stand perfectly still, often on their own, and usually with their head tucked into their shoulders. l Storks and herons have huge dagger-like bills, while the crane’s is much thinner. l Herons and storks have neatly folded wings over tails; however, the crane looks as if it forgot to finish tidying itself, with a loose mass of feathers protruding from its rear.
l An unpatterned head and shoulders belongs to a stork. Cranes have a white band running from behind their eyes on a black face, and a small red crown. In contrast, herons have a black band at the back of their eyes on a white
White stork
face. You may also see a plume of backwardfacing black feathers. l If a group is feeding together with all their heads down, this is almost certainly a flock of cranes. l In flight, all three birds trail their legs behind them. Herons fly solo with their necks bent, heads tucked in. Cranes and storks fly with their necks extended. Storks are silent in flight, while cranes are likely to be vocal, strung out in long lines or V formations. Storks show a sharp contrast in colour when seen from below, while cranes present shades of grey.
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TOP SPECIES TO SEE The common crane is a sociable bird outside of the breeding season. Thanks to conservation efforts, you may see flocks of 10-15 birds at WWT Slimbridge
DID YOU KNOW?
ar absence, After a 40 0-ye tural return a na cranes made the late 1970s. in K U e th to fledged in The first chick oads Br lk fo the Nor in 19 82
Look up in Somerset, Gloucestershire and Norfolk and you might see a group of cranes flying in formation, similar to a flock of geese. Their necks are outstretched and their long legs trail behind
Some cranes try to breed at two years of age and, like many comparable bird species, those attempts invariably end in failure, often because the inexperienced male and female are not coordinated. As the cranes get older, breeding success increases, since the birds have learnt how to select better nest sites and how to defend their young, as well as gained better coordination with partners. There is one great imponderable that time will resolve. Our oldest birds reached their ninth birthdays this summer. We have low average breeding success at the moment, but we would expect that from a population whose average age is five to six years old. We don’t know if the eight-year-olds have 28
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what’s in a name? More than 300 places throughout Britain are named after cranes – a strong indication of the bird’s former ubiquity. They range from Cranshaws (Berwickshire) and Carnforth (Lancashire) to Cranborne (Dorset) and Cranfield (Bedfordshire). Even the Norse word for ‘crane’ – ‘trana’ – is preserved in places that were once under Viking occupation, such as Tranmere on the Wirral, meaning ‘the sandbank with cranes’.
Nick Upton/NPL; Loic Poidevin/2020VISION/NPL; Sacha Dench/WWT
Attempts to breed at two years old invariably end in failure. But as cranes get older, breeding success increases
Slimbridge of the East? The world’s tallest flying bird, the beautiful sarus crane, spends the winter in the Mekong Delta where it lives surrounded by farming and fishing communities whose houses are built on stilts. But half of its wetland habitat in Cambodia has disappeared over the past 15 years. And the flooded fields where the cranes still feed and roost in winter are under intense pressure from encroaching rice farming, fishing and invasive species. All is by no means lost. WWT is working in Cambodia to protect two wintering populations of around 200 birds. We’re helping local farmers to grow crops using less water and no pesticides. A new Ecotourism Centre at Anlung Pring Protected Landscape is attracting tourists and generating funds to support local people and wetland conservation (see page 15).
attained peak productivity or if they will be even better at 12 years old. Maturity might bring about enough offspring to cause a population surge. CRYSTAL BALL GAZING
If that happens, then where do the cranes go next? Will they fan out widely across the UK? The longer-established residents in East Anglia give no clear pointers. The descendants of continental migrants that established a breeding toehold in the Norfolk Broads in 1979 started to expand west into the fens just a few years ago, breeding at Welney for the first time last year. These birds only recently stopped returning to the Broads every winter. Was the instinct that impelled them to flock together ‘back home’ based on a need to share information about feeding and safe roosts or finding a future partner? And why, in an area that has more and betterquality wetlands than at any time in the
Healthier wetlands
will help sarus cranes bogs in forest clearings. past 100 years, has survive in Cambodia There’s no shortage of breeding success what appears to be perfectly been lower than in many good habitat throughout the European populations? It’s even UK. With or without human help, we possible that the numbers have been might yet see cranes nesting further afield. inflated, not by successful breeding, If you get the chance, go crane-spotting but by yet more immigrant arrivals. later this summer or autumn, at Slimbridge, In the reintroduced population out west, Welney or the Nene Washes. Or maybe Slimbridge has a year-round resident flock, even on your local school playing field! n while the RSPB West Sedgemoor Reserve remains a hub with a growing population across the Levels and Moors largely monitored by local volunteers. In spring, small numbers disperse to breed throughout South Wales, Oxfordshire and WWT Slimbridge is probably the Wiltshire, but they resolutely return to the easiest place in the UK to see Levels come winter. Will these cranes wild cranes, as birds are present become more mobile and productive, year-round, and up to six pairs eventually meeting up with the eastern stay to breed. WWT Welney is also population? Might they head north? regularly visited by cranes from We tend to think of cranes as birds of the east England population. lowland meadows, but their Scandinavian wwt.org.uk/cranes counterparts nest perfectly well on upland
Crane watch
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The Pantanal in South America is the world’s largest tropical freshwater wetland, covering nearly 195,000 sq km. It provides fresh water, food and other services for eight million or so people in the region
world wetlands Wetlands are not just beautiful, they are vital for keeping our planet healthy – but, worryingly, many are disappearing fast. Join us on a whistle-stop tour around the globe, exploring celebrated wetlands and less well-known gems where we’re working to make a difference WORDS: MIKE UNWIN
BRAZIL, BOLIVIA AND PARAGUAY
Early morning beside a marshy backwater in the Pantanal. A whiskered muzzle peeks up through the mat of water hyacinth. It’s a capybara, the world’s largest rodent. Half submerged in the shallows, this giant, semiaquatic herbivore nibbles at the lush salad of aquatic greenery, passing unconcerned around a caiman basking on the bank. Wattled jacanas pick quietly over the floating vegetation. It’s a scene of perfect natural tranquillity. And yet danger lurks just one pounce away. A jaguar crouches at the treeline, its sleek patterning concealed by dappled shadow and foliage as it waits for its prey to approach closer. South America’s most powerful predator thrives in these wetlands, often hunting in broad daylight. Both capybara and caiman are on the menu. The Pantanal lies at the very heart of South America. Centred on Brazil, but also extending into Bolivia and
Paraguay, this is the world’s largest freshwater wetland. During peak flood, it swells like a giant sponge with rains from the hinterland, the waters spilling out over nearly 195,000 sq km of floodplain, turning the forest and savannah into a flooded confusion of lake, swamp and island. As the waters recede, waterbirds flock in countless thousands to feed on fish trapped in shrinking pools. Biodiversity here is prolific. As well as being a jaguar haven and – with over 10 million caimans – home to the world’s largest concentration of crocodilians, notable inhabitants also include the Brazilian tapir, giant anteater and endangered giant river otter. Green anacondas slither through roadside ditches, jabiru storks build their huge stick nests in isolated trees and dazzling hyacinth macaws commute between stands of acuri palms. No less important is the wealth of
invertebrates: the apple snail, for example, plays a critical role in the health of the waterways, by processing decomposing plant matter. But although it has its protected areas, the Pantanal is not a nature reserve. As well as wildlife, it also sustains the pantaneiros – traditional cattle ranchers who, for generations, have grazed their humpbacked livestock across its lush savannahs. For rancher and wildlife alike, the floods enrich and cleanse the landscape, their waters bringing life to the heart of a continent.
Michel Roggo/NPL; Nick Garbutt/NPL
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The Pantanal supports a rich variety of wildlife – from giant otters to caiman crocodiles and jaguars
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On the tundra in Russia, we tag Bewick’s and whooper swans to track their long migrations
What is a wetland? Ben Sadd/WWT; Ben Cherry/WWT
l Wetlands are the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems, supporting more than 40% of its species, despite covering less than 6% of its surface. They come in many shapes and sizes, from deltas to ditches. Technically speaking, a wetland is an ecosystem inundated by water, either permanently or seasonally, with soil that can support a community of aquatic plants. This distinguishes it from dry land and large open waterbodies, such as oceans. l The four key types of wetland are swamp, marsh, bog or fen; subtypes include mangroves, floodplains and peatland. Wetlands can be tropical, temperate or Arctic, and either tidal or non-tidal. The world’s largest include the Amazon Basin, the Pantanal and the Sundarbans. Such huge areas comprise multiple smaller wetland habitats, each with distinct fauna and flora. l More than a third of the world’s wetlands have been lost since 1970. The Ramsar Convention – named after the town in Iran where it was signed in 1971 – safeguards the world’s most important wetlands. Over 2,340 Ramsar sites are currently listed worldwide.
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Treeless tundra landscapes are home to hardy flora and fauna, and are among the Earth’s coldest, harshest wildernesses
SIBERIAN TUNDRA
RUSSIA
At first glance, the Siberian tundra may not seem the most promising habitat. Comprising endless miles of flat, featureless bog, without a tree in sight, it’s not your average idea of a wildlife paradise. Indeed, during the dark, frozen winter, there seems little more prospect of life here than on the moon. When the snow melts and the brief Arctic summer arrives, however, this remote landscape becomes one of the world’s most important wetlands. Its hummocky terrain is carpeted with multicoloured mosses, berries and lichens – the hardy Arctic flora thriving on roundthe-clock sunlight – and its innumerable lakes and pools host one of the largest gatherings of breeding wildfowl on the planet. Among the many species that breed here is the Bewick’s swan. Each spring, family parties fly some 3,500km from their UK and Western European wintering
grounds to nest here, using raised hummocks beside boggy pools. Today, fewer than 21,000 Bewick’s swans remain. The species has been closely monitored by WWT scientists for more than 50 years, a project that has developed from Sir Peter Scott’s earliest sketches at Slimbridge to today’s GPS tracking technology. In a bid to halt the species’ decline, we’re working at Nenets Nature Reserve, a key breeding site in the west Siberian tundra. Here, we ring non-breeding adults during their late-summer moult in order to track their routes across Europe. The data reveals more about the threats they face and helps inform conservation efforts (see page 10). Other important wildfowl on the reserve are greater white-fronted geese and long-tailed ducks. By the end of each breeding season, the Siberian tundra is thought to hold a staggering 80-90 million individual wildfowl. Add to this a wealth of other breeding Arctic birds, from grey plovers to snowy owls, and this remote wilderness becomes a very promising place indeed.
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THE EVERGLADES USA
The pool teems with waterbirds. From the wooden boardwalk, you watch them wading, flapping and probing in a feathered feeding frenzy. Each has its own tools and techniques: roseate spoonbills sweep the shallows from side to side with spatulate bills; wood storks step more slowly, bills submerged, ready to snap up anything disturbed by their toes; a tricoloured heron stands stock-still, its neck a coiled spring, ready to launch a dagger strike at any passing fish. The rich nutrients of the Everglades – Florida’s tropical wetland paradise – create a veritable haven for birdlife. Every year, the floodwaters seep slowly south from the shallow expanse of Lake
Okeechobee over a gently sloping limestone shelf and finally empty into Florida Bay. Along the way, they feed sawgrass marshes and dense, root-tangled cypress swamps, all home to a rich biodiversity. Birds are not the only beneficiaries. The waterways are also home to American alligators, whose diggings help keep the ponds open, while after dark amphibians such as the southern leopard frog add their voices to the pulsing insect soundtrack. Smaller fare, from mosquito fish to the Everglades crayfish, fuel the aquatic food web, while racoons, black bears West Indian manatees and even a quietly graze few rare on seagrasses and other pumas – the aquatic latter an plants in the indigenous shallow waters
The Everglades wetland ecosystem spans two million acres across central and south Florida. It's unique among the world's large wetlands because it derives its water from rainfall
local race, known as the Florida panther – forage on higher ground. At Florida Bay, where the fresh water meets the sea, the brackish conditions support the largest mangroves in the western hemisphere. A nursery ground for sharks, rays and other marine fish, this habitat is also home to the West Indian manatee, which grazes the seagrass alongside green and loggerhead turtles. Today the Everglades are under constant pressure, with Florida’s human population greedy for land and resources. But ambitious management plans aim to restore lost habitats and shore up a sustainable future for North America’s richest wetland. Waterlife
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Ingo Arndt/NPL
Jack Dykinga/NPL
WO R L D W E T L A N D S
How wetlands help us Wetlands are not only important for biodiversity, they also provide us with essential functions and services. Here are just five of them:
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FLOOD DEFENCE Wetlands store excess rainfall on land and provide coastal buffers against storms and rising seas.
CLEAN, FRESH WATER Wetlands help clean our drinking water by filtering out metals, nitrogen and sediments from run-off.
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING Wetland plants are used extensively in medicine around the world. Studies have also shown that spending time around nature reduces stress and helps ill people to recuperate.
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FOOD More than half the world’s population relies on wetlandgrown produce, such as rice and fish, for their staple diet. Wetlands can produce far more food when managed in a sustainable, natural way.
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COMBAT CARBON EMISSIONS Wetlands process carbon and other nutrients. Peat wetlands store 33% of the world’s carbon despite only taking up 3% of the world’s surface.
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On the lower Mekong floodplain the vast, seasonally flooded grasslands are at risk from agricultural intensification
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MEKONG DELTA
VIETNAM AND CAMBODIA
Palm-thatched Khmer houses raised on stilts; fishermen casting nets for trey riel (Siamese mud carp) from a wooden dugout; women sifting rice through hand-woven paniers. Traditional life in Cambodia’s Mekong Delta feels timeless – a lost world, preserved in a watery wilderness against a backdrop of tropical greens. But the delta is changing fast. With pressure from Cambodia’s growing population and, upstream, over 70 million people in six countries dependent upon the Mekong Basin, around half of this great wetland’s natural habitats have been lost to agriculture and development in the past 15 years (see page 16).
The Mekong Delta is formed where the Mekong River flows towards the South China Sea, spreading out into a vast labyrinth of waterways and islands in southern Cambodia and Vietnam. Each year’s floods deposit nutrient-rich alluvial soils downstream, fuelling a biodiversity that is second only to that of the Amazon Basin. Here you can find everything from the short-clawed otter to the Mekong giant catfish (a three-metre giant that can weigh 300kg), plus more than 1,000 species of bird. We’re working with communities to reduce pressure on the sarus cranes’ habitat
kajornyot wildlife photography/Shutterstock.com
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Among the latter stands the 1.8mtall sarus crane, the world’s tallest flying bird. Today, fewer than 1,000 remain in Cambodia. At Anlung Pring Reserve, we’re working to protect this species on its wintering floodplains (see page 29). To help preserve its foraging habitat, local communities are learning to manage natural resources in a more sustainable way – for example, by planting climatefriendly crops that use less water. Meanwhile, a new visitor centre and homestay scheme is generating tourist revenue from the cranes, and conservation is taking pride of place on a new school curriculum. With the sarus crane as its flagship, we plan to work with our regional partners to protect more pristine remnants of this precious wetland – creating new homes for cranes, and promoting a sustainable natural environment for people and wildlife alike.
The spoon-billed sandpiper – or ‘spoonie’, as it is popularly known – is one of the world’s rarest birds. A tiny wader, with a unique spatulate bill, only some 250 pairs are thought to remain on its breeding grounds in Chukotka, north-east Russia. The birds’ key threats are not on its breeding grounds, however, but on the wetlands it uses during its non-breeding migration around South-east Asia, where relentless coastal development has degraded vital refuelling stopovers. The Yellow Sea coastline of China and the Korean Peninsula is one such location. This flat industrial landscape – its shimmering horizon lined with wind turbines – may not look appealing, but its vast intertidal mudflats offer food-packed staging posts to waders in their countless thousands,
Every year, critically endangered spoon-billed sandpipers make a crucial three-month stopover on China's mudflats
including some 40% of migrating spoonies. We’re monitoring spoonies at key staging sites in Jiangsu, just north of Shanghai, fitting birds with tiny GPS transmitters to track their journeys. Data from this work has already revealed previously unknown moult quarters on the Korean Peninsula. In 2018, the Chinese government called a halt to all reclamation work on the mudflats. Things might just be looking up for spoonies.
SIPA Asia/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
With China to the west and North and South Korea to the east, the Yellow Sea is unusual in that it has land on three sides and is extremely shallow. Wetlands vein the coast along China's Jiangsu Province
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Hanne & Jens Eriksen/NPL
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BOTSWANA
Red lechwe antelope bound across the flooded grassland, seeking refuge in the shallows from a pack of African wild dogs hot on their heels. Hippos snort and jostle in a lily-fringed lagoon, their territorial grunts carrying from island to island through the palm groves and feverberry thickets. Painted reed frogs join a chiming chorus after dark as a Pel’s fishing owl scrutinises the moonlit water for a telltale ripple of barbel. These are just some of the sights and sounds of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. This ever-changing tapestry of waterways and islands – which extends over more than 15,000 sq km during peak flood – was formed some 50,000 years ago when an earthquake diverted the southward course of the Okavango River from the
Large herds of buffalo numbering in the thousands move between the delta’s waterways
Wim van den Heever/NPL
Lions in the Okavango have learned to swim in pursuit of their prey
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Angola highlands. Its progress thwarted by the sands of the Kalahari, the river spilled out across the flat terrain to form an oasis in an otherwise arid land. Today, the Okavango comprises a range of habitats – from mopane woodland to papyrus swamps – that are packed with wildlife, both resident and transient. During the dry season, permanent water harbours hippos, crocodiles, fish eagles and other aquatic species, while predators such as lions and leopards hold territories on the larger islands. When the floods peak in June and July, the great migratory herds arrive en masse from the parched
Exploring the wonder of wetlands across the world doesn’t have to stop here. Why not get to know the spectacular range and diversity of these precious habitats, from the humble bog or pond
savannahs beyond – elephant herds ambling down to slake their thirst, zebra and buffalo cropping the lush sward in their thousands. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Okavango once made up the hunting grounds of traditional communities, who still ply its waterways in dug-out mokoros. Today, its wild expanse is protected in community-run reserves and private concessions, forming one of Africa’s top ecotourism attractions. Conservationists continue to fight hydro-engineering projects upstream to ensure that this watery wonderland retains its pristine natural riches for generations to come.
at the end of your garden to the mighty floodplains and peatlands that have supported our survival for hundreds of years, on our website today? wwt.org.uk/whywetlands
Wim van den Heever/NPL
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OKAVANGO DELTA
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F A M I LY F U N D AY S O U T
JOIN THE WETLAND EXPLORERS
Walk on the wild side
Feeling adventurous? Then journey beyond the usual paths and into the wildest parts of our reserves on our winding, wetland ‘wild walks’. Meander through different wetland habitats, ramble along reed beds, and hop across stepping stones and wobbly webbed bridges – great fun for big kids too!
Our wonderful wetlands are bursting with exciting wildlife, thrilling adventures and fascinating Don’t miss your chance to discoveries to be made. So explore the wetland this summer, come and try beyond the paths on our wild walks our wetland challenges and and safaris let the fun begin. We’ve picked some wet and wild experiences to start you off!
Go pond dipping
Enjoy wild outdoor play
Exciting underwater discoveries to be made!
Have a wild water adventure
To experience our wetlands from a whole new angle, grab a paddle, take to the water and glide around on a canoe safari or boat trip. There’s so much to discover from water level. Listen for the ‘plop’ of a water vole diving into the water at your approach, look for the azure flash of a kingfisher and watch dazzling dragonflies. Grab a net to discover the unseen world of wonder beneath the surface of a pond. You’ll be surprised what mind-boggling bugs you’ll find swimming, floating and wriggling in there. Get up-close with creatures from water beetles to dragonfly nymphs. We’ve even got magnificent microscopes at some centres, so you can study the amazing adaptations that allow these miniature marvels to live underwater. 38
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Chris Pippard/WWT; Ben Langdon/WWT; Sam Stafford/WWT
From zip wires to scramble nets, and tree houses to waterzone wonders, our adventure playgrounds are great fun for young adventurers. Play in the giant water vole tunnels and get soaking wet in the water games – go wild!
Build your own den Discover wetland wildlife
Discover how to survive in the wild by making your own hideout using natural materials. A den is also a perfect place from which to watch wetland wildlife. It’s a must for every budding explorer! Pick up your FREE log book to discover more of our wetlands than ever before
Pick up a trail map and set off into the wild to see how many cool creatures and hidden animal tracks you can spot on our minibeast explorations, scavenger hunts and wildlife walks. Then learn all about our resident flamboyant flamingos and cheeky otters from our friendly experts at a wetland wildlife talk.
Experience a feeding frenzy
Sam Stafford/WWT; Richard Williams/WWT; Simon Murrell/WWT
Did you know that birds gobble up their food in very different ways? Some nibble, some peck and others dabble. Watch our ducks, geese and woodland birds closely to discover their dining habits, and then get up-close to hand-feed the rarest and friendliest geese in the world – the nenes. They were saved from extinction by WWT founder Sir Peter Scott.
SHOP
Visit the Exploration Station in our shops to buy your explorer backpack and expedition kit!
Plan your summer adventure online
Go online to find out more about the wetland challenges at your local wetland centre and get ready for your summer of adventure. You can view explorer maps, download spotter sheets and find out fascinating facts. Learn how to pond-dip and what birds eat in the wild, and discover all the life that teems above and below the surface of the water – from dragonflies to amphibians.
wwt.org.uk/wetland-explorers JULY/SEPTEMBER 2019
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Oxeye daisies
PHOTO MASTERCLASS
PLANT PORTRAITS In our new course for nature photography enthusiasts, wildlife photographer David Tipling offers his helpful tips to improve your wetland wildlife photos at our centres
Images by David Tipling
U
nlike birds and mammals, plants don’t move away when you get close. So, with time and a bit of effort, you can even use the camera on your mobile phone to take great pictures. Many WWT centres have areas that are planted with flowers to attract butterflies. These are great spots to get creative and take interesting pictures of flowering plants. Or visit our pools, dykes and marshy margins for some fascinating aquatic species that offer many exciting photographic opportunities. When you look at a group of plants, your eye might focus on an individual bloom, but your camera will record the entire scene, so the trick is to give what could be a chaotic scene 40
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a form of order. Explore every angle, crouch or lie down for a more intimate view, and experiment with the direction of light. Look for colour or shape in your composition. If you have a camera that allows you to use different focal lengths, or a macro setting, then capture a range of images. Often, the more you take, the better chance you have of one really standing out when you review them back at home. There are some handy props that can help elevate your plant photography. A small mirror or reflector, or simply some silver foil stuck to a bit of cardboard, will reflect light. Use it to illuminate dark shadows or create artistic backlight. Just have fun with it!
r EXPLORE ANGLES Tall plants such as these oxeye daisies allow you to explore different angles, such as getting down low to shoot from the ground up. This might require kneeling or lying down, so take care not to damage surrounding vegetation. When looking up, extra lighting might be needed to illuminate the undersides of flowers. Use a reflector or built-in flash in your camera to help.
WWT PHOTOGRAPHY
Your wild photos
Dandelion
r USE THE LIGHT Plants with flowers that have a distinctive shape work well as silhouettes. Explore different ways to make the most of their shape, and create a photograph that stands out from a shot lit conventionally with the sun behind you. Dandelions, snowdrops, ragged robin and foxgloves are well suited to this approach.
STRIKE A POSE I took this photo of a drake teal on the sheltered lagoon at London Wetland Centre in March. I particularly liked its pose, flapping its wings. Andy Merritt
I’M LOVING IT!
Marsh samphire
r SHOOT FROM ABOVE
I’ve recently signed up as a WWT member and I am enjoying Waterlife magazine as much as this cormorant is enjoying basking in the sun – and that’s a lot! Charlotte Weddell
It is often wise to include a focal point within your picture, however sometimes a cluster of plants or flowers can be photographed in the same plane of focus, creating a colourful carpet of colour and texture. Try shooting from directly above, but make sure you avoid casting a shadow over your subject.
DOUBLE VISION WWT London is an amazing oasis. On one of my regular visits, I spotted this interloper in the bat house, posing, albeit very briefly, with a very fetching shadow. Dr Bill Tamkin Red campion
r ISOLATE YOUR SUBJECT For a really strong portrait of an individual plant, you need to think about the background and the foreground. Often, using a longer lens and a shallow depth of field will help isolate your subject by throwing the background out of focus. Getting down low can help give a more intimate feel to your picture.
We love to see what you’ve photographed at our centres. Please send your best shots to Waterlife and they could be published in a future issue. Just email your high-res images and a short story about what you photographed to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. We can’t wait to see what you can do!
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with
When it comes to record-breaking birds, I don’t think anything can match the crane family. They’re the tallest, the oldest and the LOUDEST birds in the UK. Check out my top 10 funky facts about cranes, then visit the website to have a go at making a paper origami crane yourself!
2. Serious statistics
Many hundreds of years ago, cranes lived in wet places all over the UK. They were so common that when the Archbishop of York held a great feast in 1465, a staggering 204 cranes were served up on platters to eat. But the crane was already heading towards extinction. Two hundred years later, so many cranes had been killed and so many wetlands had been drained, that there were none left breeding in Britain.
1. Great survivors At WWT Martin Mere and WWT Slimbridge, we look after grey crowned cranes from Africa. They belong to a group of cranes that are among the world’s oldest bird species – crowned crane fossils have been found that might be up to 50 million years old. Around 11,000 years ago, people carved crane shapes on a cave wall in Turkey, the oldest known pictures of birds in the world. And finally, cranes in captivity can live into their 80s, possibly longer living than any other bird. Grey crowned crane
4. Comeback cranes The common crane is a huge bird with long legs, a long neck and extravagant tail feathers
Yep, cranes are definitely GIANTS. Britain’s tallest birds stand about 1.2 metres high (is that taller than you?). And, at around 2.3 metres from tip to tip, their wingspan is Britain’s biggest – broader even than that of a golden eagle.
Get in touch
Email your wetland stories and photos to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. Or write to Dusty at Waterlife, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT
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3. Off the menu
Cranes are back… and, we hope, to stay. After an absence of several hundred years, a small number of cranes passing over from continental Europe stayed to breed in Norfolk in the late 1970s. Then, in 2010, we helped set up the Great Crane Project. Cranes were reared in south-west England and released into the wild. Now they’re popular residents at Slimbridge and are starting to spread. Fingers crossed for them in the future.
Vince Ellis/WWT; Trevor Roxby/WWT; James Lees/WWT
Hello again
Steve a l l B ac k s h
The cranes at Slimbridge really belt it out!
7. Facing down foxy
5. Shout it out
When a crane has babies to protect from a predator, it’s totally full-on committed. It hisses, kicks out, stabs with its sharp beak (ouch!) and whacks the hunter with its wings, then chases it away. Watch the final video in this series at wwt.org.uk/ crane-videos to see how a local pair got the better of a fox that thought it was getting an easy meal.
The ancient Greeks thought the calls of common cranes were like the bugles, horns and trumpets of armies going into battle. And what a noise they make – their cries can be heard up to six kilometres away. That big sound is possible thanks to the bird’s extra-long, coiled windpipe, which acts as an amplifier. Loud is handy for cranes trying to keep in touch with each other at night or in fog. Can you hear me, Mum? You betcha!
James Lees/WWT; Derek Cropton/WWT; Mark Hughes/WWT; Nick Upton/WWT; Graham Hann/WWT
6. Bug bonanza Cranes are birds of boggy ground – they feed and breed in flooded fields, reedbeds and other squelchy places. Both adults and chicks take advantage of the summer bug feast, gobbling up a variety of creepycrawlies like caterpillars and beetles. In the autumn, they eat grass, seeds, shoots, berries – and even worms!
9. Born to dance
8. High-flyers Common cranes living in the UK are here all year – they don’t migrate. But many of those in continental Europe and Asia set off on huge and dangerous migrations every year. Common cranes breeding in Siberia will be flying to India at the end of this summer before the cold weather comes. They will fly up to 10,000 metres to get over the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. No wonder people in Asia once believed that cranes carried the souls of the dead to heaven.
We sometimes say a great performer was ‘born to dance’. In the case of cranes, it’s true. Chicks have been seen practising dance moves only two days after hatching from their eggs. Humans all over the world, from the Chinese to the Native Americans, have imitated crane dancing. Watch one of our pairs at Slimbridge courting each other with great leaps, swoops and body swerves here: wwt.org.uk/ cranes.
10. Make a crane for peace A young crane tucks into a juicy beetle
A 12-year-old Japanese girl dying of radiation sickness after the nuclear bomb at Hiroshima set herself the target of making 1,000 cranes out of folded paper before she died. Ever since
then, thousands of Japanese children have made paper cranes as symbols of world peace. You can follow their example at wwt.org.uk/ foldedcrane.
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The summer holidays are here, so make memories with your little adventurers by joining our Wetland Explorers and other fun outdoor activities
CAERLAVEROCK
SELECTED CENTRES
WETLAND SAFARI WEEKEND
WETLAND EXPLORERS
Map illustration by Fred Van Deelen
10-11 August Join our experts to discover the special plants and animals – from skylarks to swallows and badgers to bats – that call our wetlands home. With guided walks, wildlife workshops and family activities, it’s a chance to immerse yourself in nature!
MARTIN MERE
HAVE A BUGTASTIC DAY OUT 20 July to 1 September For a buzzing day out this summer, come and meet our GIANT bionic bugs, brought to life by state-of-the-art animatronics. Discover fun facts about real-life bugs, head to Bug HQ to pick up a free bug book, then set off into the wild on a big bug hunt or discover our new pond zone.
ARUNDEL SLIMBRIDGE
WE ARE GLOBAL ADVENTURERS
13 July to 1 September Calling all explorers and adventurers! Head to Base Camp to collect your Global Adventurer passport and head into the wild, leaping from land to land to find out what life is like for a real-life adventurer on the Arctic Russian Tundra at our NEW Arctic Adventure exhibit.
LEGO® BRICK FRIENDS 20 July to 1 September This summer, pick up your free Brick Book and get set for an action-packed day of exciting challenges as you find 14 giant LEGO brick wetland animals among their real-life cousins. Meet three new models, including Sam the short-eared owl, and pre-book onto a workshop to make your own mini LEGO brick owl to take home.
What wildlife did you see on your last visit to your local WWT centre? We love to hear about your best sightings and see your photos, so email them to waterlife@wwt.org.uk today!
Harley Todd/WWT
Sarah Freeman/WWT
All summer This summer, don’t miss your chance to become a Wetland Explorer! There are loads of exciting wetland challenges waiting for you at your local WWT centre, from pond dipping to an intrepid canoe safari. Simply pick up your FREE log book and let the adventures begin!
Sacha Dench/WWT
For the full list of centre events, information and news, find your local centre at wwt.org.uk/visit
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ARUNDEL WETLAND CENTRE DAILY ACTIVITIES
Wetland Discovery Boat Safari Journey with a guide through the reedbeds to look for water voles, kingfishers and wildfowl. First boat 11am; last boat 4.30pm. Suggested donation of £1. Pond Dipping Visit the Pond Explorer station on weekends and holidays to net minibeasts. Take a closer look at your catch on the viewing scope. 11am-1pm and 2-4pm. Diving Duck Feed See the sea ducks show off their fishing skills in Icelandic Lake pen. 2pm. Hand-feed Wildfowl Hand-feed the ducks and geese in our World Wetlands feeding bay. Until closing. Grain costs 20p per handful from the vending machine.
EVENTS
Sat 29 Jun Moth Morning Join Reserve Manager Paul to see what the moth traps
info.arundel@wwt.org.uk WWT Arundel
wwt.org.uk/arundel
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE Vibrant wetland wildflowers are stunning in summer, offering an ever-changing palette of colours. Visit the wetland secret plant house each Thursday in July and August for a spotlight session with our wetland herbalist to find out what’s in bloom. The black-headed gull colony breaks up in early July as the chicks gain their flight feathers attracted the night before. 10am. £12. BE Sat 29 to Sun 30 Jun Bug Month It’s the last weekend of Bug Month activities – go pond dipping and sweep netting, and try the Amazing Insects trail. Thurs 4, 11, 18 & 25 Jul & 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 Aug Wildflowers: Spotlight Session This summer join our wetland herbalist to discover what plants are flowering and their historic uses. 11-11.30am and 2.30-3pm.
FAMILY FUN This summer is your chance to become a Wetland Explorer and discover 14 giant LEGO® brick animals on the UK’s only wetland brick animal trail! Head to our exciting Wetland Brick HQ to have fun in our ‘brick pit’, then pick up your free Brick Book and get
key
BN18 9PB 01903 881530
the UK and at WWT Arundel! Along the paths and and make their maiden Sand in wet meadows, up to voyages. There are still martins nine species of butterfly lots of grey herons, little can be spotted in summer. So egrets and sandpipers on the why not join us to do the Big large lagoon between the Sand Butterfly Count in early August? Martin and Ramsar hides. From mid August until mid The reedbeds are filled with September, we bid farewell to flitting dragonflies – keep the sand martins as they stop your eyes out for the large, off to feed, before starting their green club-tailed dragonfly. long winter migration south. It only breeds in five rivers in
Sat 13 Jul Mindfulness in Nature Workshop This 1.5-hour workshop takes you through the basics of mindfulness and how to use the skills to gain an inner peace and tranquillity from nature. With psychotherapist Rebecca Groome. 9.30-11am. £15PP. BE Suns 14 Jul & 8 Sept Bentley Woodcarvers Display See beautiful hand-carved models of wildlife available for purchase, with 10% of profits donated to WWT. 10am-4.30pm.
set for some action-packed LEGO brick exploration with help from our team. There are loads of exciting challenges waiting for you as you discover LEGO brick wetland animals among their real-life cousins. They include an intrepid wetland boat safari,
Sat 20 Jul to Sun 1 Sept LEGO® Brick Animal Trail Be a Wetland Explorer and discover WWT’s amazing LEGO Brick Animal Trail, returning with three new models! Pick up a free Brick Book packed with activities. Sat 20 & Sun 21 Jul, then Sat 27 Jul to Sun 1 Sept LEGO Brick Workshops Supervised fun for children aged 4+. These one-hour sessions involve three exciting tasks, including making and taking home a model owl. 10.30am or 2.30pm. £10PC. Price does not include centre admission. BE Book online.
animal ID and pond dipping. It’s a really wild day out! Inspired by the LEGO brick trail? Take part in our fun and popular hour-long, interactive LEGO Brick Workshops – perfect for LEGO brick fans young (aged 4+) and old! Warm up your brick-building fingers by racing
Bruce the red-breasted goose
Suns 28 Jul & 18 Aug Autism-friendly LEGO Brick Workshops The workshops feature lots of building, including a model to make and take home. A relaxed atmosphere with reduced participant numbers ensure that it’s enjoyable for all. 10.30am. £10PC. BE To book, call 01903 881530. Sat 14 & Sun 15 & Sat 21 & Sun 22 Sept Batty About Bats Walk Join us for a family-friendly bat walk experience to look for bats on the reserve and watch them feeding over the lagoon. 6-8pm. £10PP. BE
against the clock to make as many LEGO brick ducklings as you can. Then make a mini wildlife ranger and vehicle for our car challenge; whizz it down the slope to see whose creation travels the furthest. You can even make your own LEGO brick owl to take home. Booking is essential – just visit wwt.org.uk/arundel.
BE Booking Essential RI Refreshments Included WP Weather Permitting PC/PP Per Child/Person Centre events are subject to change. Please phone for further information or visit the WWT website wwt.org.uk/visit/arundel /caerlaverock /castleespie /llanelli /london /martinmere /slimbridge /washington /welney. JULY/SEPTEMBER 2019
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Pat Warren/WWT
See below for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
Arundel
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CAERLAVEROCK WETLAND CENTRE DAILY ACTIVITIES
Sat 29 Jun to Tues 3 Sept Wetland Explorers There are loads of exciting wetland challenges waiting for you, including pond dipping, scavenger hunts, willow crafts and nest building. Head to our Wetland HQ where you can pick up a map and set off on our NEW Wild Child trail, wading through mud and splashing barefoot through water. Grab your free Wetland Explorer log book and start your expedition. It’s a wild day out for the family! 10am-5pm. Normal admission charges; members free. Guide in the Hide Chat to our knowledgeable volunteers about the wildlife on the reserve. 11am-3pm. Normal admission.
EVENTS Until Sat 27 Jul ‘Marsh Song’ by Anne Butler Exhibition of artwork by Anne Butler. Exploring the mystery and mood of the marsh, Anne will work to capture the wild open spaces on canvas. 10am-5pm. Free. Weds in Jul & Aug Pond Dipping Discover the exciting creatures living in our ponds.
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE Every year, house martins nest around the top of the Farmhouse Tower. They can be seen collecting mud from the edge of the Folly Pond before swooping up to build their nests. Get great views of these beautiful birds from the top of the tower, as the chicks hatch and numbers of these wonderful diving and darting birds increase. Take the chance to Walk on the Wildside, with its colourful wildflower
Sam Stafford/WWT
wwt.org.uk/caerlaverock
meadow. Look out for darting dragonflies, butterflies and busy bees among the flowers, and listen to the skylarks singing above. Out on the reserve, you may be lucky enough to see ospreys perched on the merse or flying overhead with a wriggling fish supper! Looking to buy a new pair of binoculars or a telescope? Talk to our In Focus experts to find out what optics suit you best. You can even try them out at the centre.
reserve. Suitable for children aged 4 and under. All children must be accompanied by an adult. 10-11am. Normal admission; members free. BE
Suns 7 Jul & 1 Sept In Focus Try before you buy the latest binoculars and telescopes. In Focus experts are on hand to give advice. The centre benefits from every sale. 10am-4pm. Free.
Tues 16 Jul Willow Crafts Use some of the willow grown on the reserve, to make items such as stars, fish and bird feeders! Family event. 11am-1pm. Normal admission; members free. BE
Fris 12 Jul, 9 Aug & 6 Sept Stories in the Yurt Sit in our cosy yurt and listen to a nature-related story told by one of our excellent storytellers. Then go on a short walk to explore the
Tues 23 Jul Mini Mammal Morning Find out what mammals we have caught overnight in our small-mammal traps and learn more about mammals such as voles and mice that live on our
Are you ready for a summer that’s full of fun? Then join our Wetland Explorers and take on a range of exciting wildlife challenges while exploring our wetlands. See how many pond creatures you can catch and identify, make a selection of items with willow, and use all
info.caerlaverock@wwt.org.uk WWT Caerlaverock
Look up for house martins
Use nets to catch the bugs, then check our identification guides to find out what they are. 11am-1pm. Normal admission; members free.
FAMILY FUN
DG1 4RS 01387 770200
reserve. 10-11am. Normal admission; members free. Sun 28 Jul to Sat 14 Sept ‘Modern Wilderness’ Exhibition by Catherine Coulson Artist Catherine Coulson takes inspiration from the ecology and biodiversity found in the nature reserves and wild habitats of Galloway. Her creative process involves fieldwork, research, poetry and photography, which inform her paintings. 10am-5pm. Free. Tues 30 Jul Wildlife Photography for Kids Bring cameras and mobile
with mice and voles, and your senses to discover our Wildlife Photography for Kids amazing wetland wildlife. to learning all about dazzling Tuesdays just got even dragonflies and damselflies, better! Each week, there’s a there’s so much to enjoy. new experience to try with Join us for our Wildlife Extra Come and Wetland Safari Tuesdays. From discover a Weekend, a Willow Crafts world of bugs wild weekend to Mini of wetland Mammal discovery. Mornings
Alex Hillier
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
Caerlaverock
phones and learn how to take great photographs of the landscapes, birds, insects and flowers on our reserve. Family event. 11am-1pm. Normal admission; members free. BE Tues 6 Aug Damsels and Dragons Take a wander into the wildflower meadow with our experts, to discover stunning dragonflies and damselflies and learn the differences between them. Family event. 11am-1pm. Normal admission; members free. BE Sat 10 to Sun 11 Aug Wetland Safari Weekend Discover Caerlaverock in summer and learn about the special plants and animals that call our wetlands home. This includes wildflowers, hares, frogs, bugs, butterflies, newts, fungi, badgers, bats, owls, ospreys and natterjack toads. Learn from natural history experts through guided walks, wildlife workshops and family activities. 10am-5pm. Normal admission; members free. Sun 15 Sept to Sat 26 Oct Exhibition by Dumfries Camera Club Dumfries Camera Club members will be exhibiting stunning photographs taken locally to showcase the coastline, mountains, forest landscapes and wildlife. 10am-5pm. Free.
There’s something for everyone, with nature discovery activities, such as moth trapping, bug hunting, nature walks, small-mammal trapping and pond dipping. Get creative outdoors with family crafts, wildlife art and exciting willow workshops. Learn all about wetland wildlife at Caerlaverock!
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CASTLE ESPIE WETLAND CENTRE ones. 10.30-11.30am. £5 (incl tea/coffee and a tray bake).
EVENTS
Sat 6 to Sun 7 Jul & Sat 3 to Sun 4 Aug Pond Dipping (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Enjoy a guided pond-dipping session and earn your ponddipping badge! 12 noon-4pm. With admission.
Until Sun 14 Jul An Exhibition by Deborah Campbell An art exhibition by Deborah Campbell. 10am-5pm. Free. Sat 29 Jun to Sun 1 Sept Wetland Explorers Have fun outdoors with the family and earn your stripes as a Wetland Explorer! All day. With admission. Tues 2, 16, 30 Jul & 13, 27 Aug & Thurs 4, 18 Jul & 1, 15, 29 Aug Fun Feed With the Warden (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Join our wardens to help them with the morning bird feed. 10-10.30am. With admission. Weds 3, 17, 31 Jul & 14, 21, 28 Aug Fire-lighting Workshops (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Learn how to survive in the wild (7+ only). 12 noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. With admission. Weds 3 Jul & 7 Aug Little Ducklings Day Fun for mums/dads and little
Sun 7 Jul Butterfly Exploring (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Join our team for a wild walk and learn about butterflies. 1-2.30pm. With admission. Fri 12 to Sun 14, Sat 20, Sun 21 Jul & Sat 10, Sun 11 Aug Aviculture Expert Sensory Day (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Find out all about our birds, ducks and their eggs in a sensory session with experts. 12 noon-3pm. With admission. Sat 13 & Sun 14 Jul, Sat 10 & Sun 11 Aug Den Building (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Learn to survive in the wild at a den-building session. 12 noon-4pm. With admission.
BT23 6EA 028 9187 4146 info.castleespie@wwt.org.uk WWT Castle Espie
wwt.org.uk/castleespie
Wildflower xxx x xxxx x xxx xxx xxx x x x xxxxx
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE July and August are the best time to see our beautiful wildflower meadow in bloom. Awash with red clovers, black knotweed and yellow rattle, it’s a magnet for butterflies, moths and bees. Learn more on our Wildflower Wander on 20 July. Throughout summer, our monthly Birdwatch Mornings are the perfect opportunity to spot seasonal visitors such as sedge warblers, chiffchaffs and reed buntings. You may even see the resident kingfisher! Otters are regular visitors to the shoreline of Strangford Lough and Sat 20 Jul to Sun 11 Aug An Exhibition by Aidan Sloan An exhibition by artist Aidan Sloan. 10am-5pm. Free. Sat 20 & Sun 21 Jul, Sat 17 & Sun 18 Aug Minibeast Hunting (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Join us for a minibeast hunt and learn fun facts about them. 12 noon-4pm. With admission.
Our wildflower meadows are a spectacular sight
our tidal lagoons. Look out for them from the Brent Discovery Hide while watching the estuary, where we hope to see oystercatchers and redshanks. Come and explore our nature reserve after dark at our Bat Night on 23 August.
WWT
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
Castle Espie
Sat 27 & Sun 28 Jul, Sat 24 & Sun 25 Aug Duck Detectives (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Complete our duck detective challenge with a guide. 12 noon-4pm. With admission.
Sun 18 Aug Moth Morning (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Join our experts for a walk and learn about the moths at our site. 10-11am. With admission.
Thurs 1 Aug & Sun 1 Sept Wild Tracking (Wetland Explorer Bonus) Learn how to track animals with our ranger. 12 noon4pm. With admission.
Fri 23 Aug Bat Night Join the experts for a night dedicated to bats, followed by a walk. 7.30pm. £12.50PP; £7.50PC (under 16). BE
Simon Murrell/WWT
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY
All Wetland Explorers need to learn how to build a den
Get outdoors and get exploring this summer with our NEW Wetland Explorer adventure guide! It’s packed full of amazing family and nature activities, and includes clever survival skills, such as how to build a den or light a fire. Check out the amazing butterflies and moths we have, explore the reserve looking for wildflowers, and go pond dipping or minibeast hunting. There’s so much fun to be had and, with each
activity, you’ll earn your stripes as a Wetland Explorer. It’s going to be an action-packed summer! Why not visit after dark on our Bat Night to learn all about these amazing nocturnal animals, before heading out onto the reserve to see what you can see and hear? Or learn more about the amazing wildlife of our wetlands on a Birdwatch Morning or by joining one of our junior guides in the hide? It’s so much fun.
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LLANELLI WETLAND CENTRE DAILY ACTIVITIES Monday Munchkins Every Monday (during term time) bring your toddlers and join us for activities tailored especially to them. Activities include pond dipping, minibeast hunting, arts and crafts, stories, games and feeding the birds. 11am-12 noon.
EVENTS Sat 6 to Sun 21 Jul July Weekend Fun Minibeast hunt and pond dipping – 11am-12 noon; flamingo talk – 1pm; pond dipping – 2.30pm: craft activities – 3.30pm. Sat 13 Jul Walk With a Warden Join us for a guided walk on our reserve to discover seasonal wildlife highlights. 11am-12.30pm. Tues 23 Jul to Mon 2 Sept Wetland Explorers Grab your log book from HQ and collect all of the stamps from these exciting activities! Den building – all day; Explore play – all day;
minibeast hunt – 10-10.30am; pond dipping – 11am12 noon; ranger training – 1-2pm; fantastic flamingos – 2.30-3.15pm; crafts – 3.30-4.30pm. Plus canoe safari and bike adventure – 12 noon-4pm (there is an additional charge for these and age restrictions – see our website for info). Sat 7 to Sun 29 Sept September Weekend Fun Brick animal trail – all day self-guided; minibeast hunt and pond dipping – 11am12 noon; guide in the hide (British Steel Hide) – 1pm; pond dipping – 3pm; craft activities – 3.30pm. Sat 7 Sept to Sun 3 Nov GIANT LEGO® Brick Animal Trail It’s back… and BIGGER than ever – the UK’s only wetland brick animal trail! This time there are 14 giant LEGO brick animals for you to discover. The sculptures include a breathtaking owl, king-sized kingfisher and adorable water vole and will form a fun outdoor trail to lead you among real-life wetland creatures, perfect for families and children to take part in. All day.
SA14 9SH 01554 741087 info.llanelli@wwt.org.uk
WWT Llanelli
wwt.org.uk/llanelli Fri 20 Sept Family Bat Walk You’ll use ultra-sensitive bat detectors to locate our very special and very tiny flying mammals as you’re guided through the reserve by our friendly experts. The evening will also include a fun session of batty crafts and a tasty hot chocolate and biscuits to boot! 6pm start. £6.50PP. Sat 28 Sept High Tide Watch and Buffet Discover amazing sights and sounds as the advancing tide pushes the birds closer to the hides. Huge numbers of birds are expected to gather in front of the British Steel Hide, and our expert guide will be on hand to help you identify them. After enjoying the spectacle, and learning a few new tricks and skills, your hard work will be rewarded with a delicious buffet served back at the centre. Meet at the information desk at 5.30pm. Families welcome and we definitely recommend that you bring your camera! Start 5.30pm. Adults £16.50; children £8. Advance booking and payment essential. BE
Tom Hines/WWT
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE Look out for over 20 different species of dragonfly and damselfly as they hunt on the reserve, ranging in size from the rare, small red-eyed damselfly to the huge emperor dragonfly. Coldblooded reptiles are
at their most active now, so look out for common lizards basking on rocks and grass snakes slipping silently through the reeds. Huge numbers of beautiful southern marsh orchids are in flower along Emperor
FAMILY FUN
Join us for a summer of adventure with exciting Wetland Explorer challenges throughout the holidays! Grab your log book from HQ and head into the wild for some unforgettable experiences. Build a den and let off steam in the Explore play area before joining an expert to delve into our ponds. Discover aquatic creatures with incredible stories in our pond-dipping sessions and rifle under rotten logs, leaves and soil to uncover a minibeast metropolis. Later, meet our flamingos and watch them care for their adorable chicks while learning about their cool adaptations at our daily talk. You can also join our wetland rangers on an expedition around the reserve to look for wildlife and see the natural world in a new light. Plus, NEW for 2019 – special bushcraft activities for older children every Wednesday. Please check our social media and website for the latest updates. Then, in September, it’s back and BIGGER than ever – the UK’s only wetland brick animal trail! This time we have 14 giant LEGO® brick animals, so make sure you discover them Hand-feed among their our birds real-life cousins!
the path verges until late July, and our waterside meadows are ablaze with fragrant water mint, purple loosestrife, yellow flag and great willowherb. The Millennium Wetlands is a stronghold for the UK’s fastest-declining mammal, the water vole. Numbers peak in late summer, with young voles feeding on the lush waterside vegetation of ditches and ponds. Listen out for munching sounds, or for a
characteristic ‘plop’ as they disappear into the water at the sound of your footsteps. As September approaches, wading birds are migrating south-west from their northerly breeding grounds, and many stop off to refuel in the internationally important Burry Inlet Estuary. We counted over 1,000 blacktailed godwits last autumn, along with impressive numbers of greenshanks, redshanks and curlews.
dragonfly laying eggs
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Sam Stafford/WWT
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
Llanelli
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LONDON
London
SW13 9WT 020 8409 4400 info.london@wwt.org.uk WWT London
WETLAND CENTRE
Spotlight Talks Join our daily Spotlight Talks to find out about the centre’s history and the animals that live here. For info, see the blackboard in the courtyard. Bird Feed with a Warden Join a warden as they feed the birds in World Wetlands. Weekends only. Otter Feed Meet the otters at feeding time, when our warden will tell you more about them. Duck Tales Feed our domestic ducks and learn more about them from one of our wardens. Springwatch Experience Become a wildlife researcher and presenter in our new Springwatch Experience. Explore the reserve looking for wildlife and then present your findings on our Springwatch set. The best presenters will win a prize!
Ben Cherry/WWT
DAILY ACTIVITIES
EVENTS
Sat 29 Jun Citizen Science Knowing what animals live in a particular pond can help biologists discover the quality of the water. Join our team on the reserve doing freshwater surveying – dipping for aquatic invertebrates, identifying them and assessing overall water quality with your survey results. Suitable for ages 12+. 11am12 noon. £2.50PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Mon 8 Jul Grazing Marsh Walk Come and see a part of the reserve not normally open to visitors. Our warden will guide you around the grazing marsh and will explain how we manage it for a variety of birds. You’ll get a rare chance to see what kind of wildlife lives in an urban marsh. 8.30am. £5.50PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Fri 12 Jul Summer Wildlife: Photography Course This practical course begins with an introduction inside
Join us after dark for a summer evening adventure looking for bats and toasting marshmallows
before heading out to the reserve. We hope to photograph butterflies, dragonflies and insects, birds, calling frogs and the stunning summer floral displays. 10am4pm. £60.50PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Sat 13 Jul Members’ Walk: Big Butterfly and Dragonfly Hunt Join our expert to look for butterflies and
dragonflies on the wing. You will be introduced to the main species found at the centre and some of the features that define them. 1pm and 2pm. £2.50PP. BE Sat 20 Jul to Sun 1 Sept Wetland Explorers Become a Wetland Explorer this summer. There are loads of exciting challenges, including pond dipping, wild play and swamp revival.
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE At this time of year, look out for some of our most popular summer migrants, the sand martins, which will be busy feeding their hungry fledglings in their nest bank. Common terns and gulls will also be busy raising chicks on the main lake rafts and islands. Plus, see if you can spot lapwing, little ringed plover or great crested grebe broods out on the reserve. By midsummer, wild orchids such as the
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impressive pyramidal and charismatic bee orchids will be in bloom, along with lots of other wildflowers. This is the perfect time to visit our sustainable gardens, including the butterfly garden by the entrance lakes, to admire their summer colours. Other treasures to discover in our flower-rich meadows include knapweeds, scabious, vetches and bedstraws. Summer sees some of our most colourful residents
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Magnificent emperor dragonfly
making an appearance – the dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies. See if you can spot Britain’s biggest dragonfly, the emperor, hunting over the water; look out for the elegant
Head to our Wetland Explorers HQ where you can pick up a map and set off into the wild to be a real-life Wetland Explorer and get wet and muddy at our wild play challenges. Grab your free Wetland Explorer guide book and start your expedition. It’s a wild day out for the family! Sat 10 Aug Members’ Walk: Gardening for Wildlife On this walk you’ll learn
banded demoiselle dancing near the shallows; and keep an eye out for butterflies such as common blue, meadow brown and gatekeeper. Many of London’s bats visit the centre. Summer evenings are a great opportunity to learn more about these fascinating mammals and watch them feeding over the water. The smallest species is the soprano pipistrelle. The Leisler’s bat and Nathusius’ pipistrelle are also often detected on our monitors.
Christopher Algar/WWT
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
wwt.org.uk/london
Sam Stafford/WWT
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY From 20 July to 1 September, we’re inviting all adventurous kids to become Wetland Explorers. All summer long, you can make paints and brushes from natural materials, use a net to discover the waterlife in our ponds, and hunt minibeasts in our meadows and log piles. You’ll also learn how to use ropes and branches to build a raft or make water from wetlands safe to drink using just a filter and heat from a fire. No matter what your interest in nature, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. When night falls and all the visitors have gone, the reserve becomes a truly magical place. Every Friday evening in August, you’re invited to experience the
about the importance of gardens to biodiversity, water conservation, planting choices and what maintenance a garden requires to help wildlife thrive. You’ll also get tips on what to include in your wildlife garden plans and the importance of various materials such as stone and woodchip. 1pm. £2.50PP. BE
Teri Pengilley/WWT
Fris 9, 16, 23 & 30 Aug Night Safaris Join us on a night adventure, building dens in our camp, exploring with all our senses, listening to wildlife, and looking for bats and other nocturnal animals. Then enjoy stories around a fire, toasting marshmallows. Suitable for children aged 7+. Approx 7-10pm. £25.50PC, includes admission to the centre after 6.30pm. BE
Join our Wetland Explorers and see what wildlife you can find on the reserve
wild and wonderful side of our centre as we take you on an evening adventure building dens, discovering nocturnal wildlife and toasting marshmallows around a campfire. If it’s a clear night, we’ll even show you how to recognise stars in the night sky. London Wetland Centre is one of the best places to watch bats in the capital, as we have
about seven species that hunt on-site. Our Bat Walks give you the chance to watch their astonishing aerial acrobatics, and learn more about these fascinating mammals with a talk by one of our bat experts before heading out on the reserve. Plus, you might be lucky enough to hear or see other nocturnal wildlife such as hedgehogs or tawny owls.
Knowing what animals live in a pond can help biologists assess the quality of the water. On 29 June, join our team carrying out a freshwater survey on the reserve – dipping for and identifying aquatic invertebrates, then using your survey results to assess the overall water quality. The session lasts about an hour and is suitable for ages 12-plus.
‘Whether you’re an avid birdwatcher or just enjoy nature, London Wetland Centre is a tranquil haven in the heart of London. It always provides an enjoyable outing at any time of the year.’ EOS-User
flying mammals and their aerial acrobatics, as well as learn more about them with a talk by one of our bat experts. We supply bat detectors to help you identify species and to listen to them ‘chattering’ as they hunt for food. Times vary with sunset. Adults and children over 8 years. £10.50PP, includes admission to the centre. BE Fri 30 Aug Evening Wildlife Photography This workshop gives keen photographers a rare
Thurs 22, 29 Aug & 19 Sept Bat Walks Our bat walks give you the chance to see these amazing Join one of our Bat Walks
opportunity to enjoy the centre in a relaxed, secluded atmosphere when most visitors have left. Experience the beautiful evening light from late afternoon until dusk, taking advantage of the changing conditions to capture images that aren’t possible during normal opening hours. 4-8.30pm. £45.50PP, includes admission to the centre after 3.30pm. BE Fris 6, 13 & 27 Sept Bats, Bugs and Beers Experience the centre after dark, listening to and looking for bats, and discover more about other night-time wildlife such as moths, hedgehogs and newts. The evening will finish with a cold beer around the
campfire. Times vary with sunset. Suitable for ages 18+. £25.50PP. BE Sun 8 Sept Intermediate Drawing Workshop This workshop, led by Judith Gordon, will begin with some sketching of wildlife at the centre. Working with coloured pencils, we will look at ducks in water, dragonflies on plants and herons fishing. 10am4pm. £40.50PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Sat 14 Sept Members’ Walk: Pond Dipping for Adults Why should kids have all the fun messing about in ponds? Grab a net and join our team to find out what lives in the
water here. From snails to newts and shrimps, you’ll be amazed just how much you’ll find. 1pm. £2.50PP. BE Fri 20 Sept Introduction to Wildlife Photography The day will begin with a session about understanding your camera and the basics of composition, followed by a practical session outside looking at the flora and fauna. This course is suitable for users of all types of camera and content will be tailored to the attendees. 10am-4pm. £60.50PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Sun 22 Sept Migration Walk With a Warden The walk will focus on birds on-site, their plumage, calls and behaviour. You’ll get tips on how to watch them, what to listen for and differences between species. 9.30-11am. £10.50PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE
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MARTIN MERE WETLAND CENTRE
DAILY ACTIVITIES
Otter Talk and Feed Come and meet our friendly otter sisters, Penny and Belle. 11.30am and 2.30pm. WP White Stork Spotlight Find out all about our newest species – four white storks. 2pm. WP Flamingo Spotlight Why are flamingos pink? Why do they stand on one leg? These questions and more will be answered in our daily greater flamingo talk that includes props such as skulls, feathers and eggs. 3pm. WP Species Spotlight Find out about the amazing species we have here at our daily species Spotlight Talk. Check the What’s On board to see what the day’s top species is. 11.30am. WP Guide in the Discovery Hide Meet a guide in our Discovery Hide every day. They will
tell you all about the wildfowl we have visiting Martin Mere at this time of year. 12 noon-3pm. WP Pond Dipping Grab a net and discover a whole world of underwater critters in our brand-new Pond Zone! Weekends and school holidays, 1.30-3pm. WP
L40 0TA 01704 895181 info.martinmere@wwt.org.uk WWT Martin Mere
wwt.org.uk/martinmere
Chris Short/WWT
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
Martin Mere
Find the answers to all your most perplexing questions at our Flamingo Spotlight session
Boat Tours For that extra-special activity during your visit, take part in a relaxing 30-minute boat tour around our wetlands. 11am-4pm. £3PP. WP Canoe Safari For budding adventurers, hire a canoe and explore our wetlands for yourself. Look out for wildlife including kingfishers and water voles. 11am-4pm. £8 per canoe. WP
EVENTS
Every Thurs Toddler Thursday Gosling Gang Come along with your toddlers to enjoy story time and craft activities every Thursday during term time at 10.30am and 1pm.
During summer, the mere becomes a hive of activity. Head to the Discovery Hide to see black-headed gull chicks take their first flights in front of the viewing window. Along our nature trail between the hides, lots of dragonflies will be on the wing hunting up and down. Look out for them perched on vegetation and handrails along the footpath, taking a break from their busy days!
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Lapwings have adorable chicks over the summer
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If you’re looking for a unique experience, join us for a bat and barn owl evening. Explore Martin Mere at dusk and see the bats come out to feed. September is a great time to look out for rare birds visiting the site. The water levels in front of the Ron Barker Hide and on the mere will be lowered, and the exposed mud attracts lots of birds to feed here.
Chris Short/WWT
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY You’ve never seen a butterfly as big as our GIANT Bionic Butterfly before
part in the Big Bug Hunt. Bugs are great at hiding so you’ll need to check leaves, flowers and bark to find them. If you’re looking for a watery adventure, head over
to our canoe safari bug trail. Paddle your way around our kilometre-long trail in a Canadian canoe. Don’t forget to pay a visit to our creative craft room.
Here you can let your imagination run wild and get crafty by making your very own bugs, designing a bug badge and much more.
Sarah Freeman/WWT
Have a bug-tastic day out in our extraordinary wetlands as we celebrate a summer of GIANT Bionic Bugs. We’ve got loads of bug-themed activities that the whole family will enjoy. Pick up a bug book when you arrive and complete the activities to get a Giant Bionic Bugs Adventurer sticker. Explore the grounds to meet a six-foot-long dragonfly, a four-foot buzzing bee, and a six-foot-long grasshopper and their huge friends, all brought to life with state-of-the-art animatronics and sound effects. See what bugs you can spot in our World Recordbreaking Bug Hotel, then grab a net to explore a world of underwater critters in our new Pond Zone! Little detectives are invited to visit Plum Wood to take
‘I’m a member and come here at least once every season. It’s a wonderful place and you don’t need to be especially interested in birds or a committed birder to enjoy it. There’s loads for adventurous kids to do, including fabulous climbing frames, plenty of quiet walks, interesting and beautiful birds, a nice café and small shop, and some good exhibitions.’ Tracy B
Sats 29 Jun, 20 Jul & 7 Sept Wildlife Photography Workshop A fascinating workshop with Andy Bunting from In Focus introducing you to the finer points of wildlife photography, going beyond automatic settings to create truly spectacular images. 10am-4pm. £65PP. BE
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Meet red-eyed tree frogs and other amazing creatures at Animal Magic
Sats 22 Jun & 6 Jul & Fris 19 Jul & 16 Aug Bat and Barn Owl Nights Join us for a unique chance to visit our reserve with a
warden at dusk. Learn about moths and owls and use bat detectors as you explore. Times vary, see website for details. £16.50PP.
Suns 30 Jun, 21 Jul & 8 Sept Drawing and Painting Birds Join award-winning artist and illustrator Tony Disley
to explore the process from drawing through to a finished painting of a bird subject. 10am-4pm. £50PP. BE Sat 20 Jul to Sun 1 Sept GIANT Bionic Bugs Have a bug-tastic summer adventure – meet our six animatronic bugs and get involved with loads of bug-themed activities. All day. WP Tues 10 Sept to Mon 28 Oct Exhibition: My World of Waterbirds
With more than 30 years’ experience as a wildlife cameraman working for the BBC, Michael Potts is now a wildlife photographer. Come and see his work in our Exhibition Hall – all work is available to purchase. All day. Sat 21 to Sun 22 Sept Animal Magic Funky frogs, amazing amphibians, marvellous meerkats and much more for one weekend only – it’s an event not to be missed. All day. WP
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SLIMBRIDGE
Slimbridge
GL2 7BT 01453 891900 Pre-book events online at wwt.org.uk/slimbridge events.slimbridge@wwt.org.uk WWT Slimbridge
WETLAND CENTRE
DAILY ACTIVITIES
Otters Watch Flo, Minnie and Ha Ha enjoying a tasty fish supper. 11.30am and 3pm. Lasts about 20 minutes. Meet at the Otter Pool in the Back from the Brink area. Free. Amphibians Come and hear our expert give an insight into amphibians and their habitats. If you’re brave enough, you will have the opportunity to hold frogs, toads and newts. 2.15pm daily, and 12.30pm on weekends and school holidays. Lasts about 20 minutes. Meet in Toad Hall. Free.
Cranes Witness one of our great conservation successes as we talk you through the journey from extinction in the UK through to successful breeding and reintroduction into the wild. You might even get a glimpse of our resident cranes. 2.30pm. Lasts about 15 minutes. Meet at the Mesolithic Hut at the Back from the Brink area. Free.
See our water-loving wildlife from a new perspective on a Canoe Safari
Guided Walks Take a guided walk with our expert volunteers and discover the history, birds and wildlife at Slimbridge. Starts 10.30am. Lasts about an hour. Meet on the boardwalk just outside the Toad Hall exit of the visitor centre. Free.
WWT
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
wwt.org.uk/slimbridge
EVENTS
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE
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signs of otters, expect Ducks begin to to see great crested arrive in August, starting and little grebe and with large numbers of common tern, maybe teal. With the migration with young. It’s also season under way, the best time to see you might see ospreys dragonflies and birds and marsh harriers of prey such as hobby migrating down and marsh harrier. the river. July welcomes the September is a first waders returning magic month for rare from the Arctic. Ruffs in birds. Almost anything breeding plumage are is possible, such as often seen, as well as sightings of aquatic little stints, green warbler, red-necked sandpipers, common phalarope, and sandpipers, ringed perhaps an American plovers, turnstones wader such as and greenshanks. pectoral or buffOccasional late breasted sandpiper. summer storms may bring windblown seabirds such as Chiffchaffs will be busy manx, gannet raising their or shearwater. families
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Ray Cottrell/WWT
Summer is a time for new life, including lots of young birds, such as cygnets, goslings and ducklings, and black-headed gulls and hopefully cranes. Look out for reed and sedge warblers and reed buntings busily raising their young. You can also see blackcaps, lesser whitethroats, chiffchaffs and whitethroats. Cetti’s warblers also breed around the reserve, but you’ll need to look hard to spot these secretive birds. This is a great time of year to take a Wild Safari and explore our reserve. Search for
Sats & Suns & School Holidays, May to Sept Wild Safari Book your place on our unique Wild Safaris, heading onto the wilder side of our reserve. 11.30am and 2pm, lasts 90 minutes. £5PP, £3.50PC. WP
roosts in the south-west with up to 20,000 birds and seven species of gull. Fri 6.45pm, Sat 7pm and Sun 7.30pm. Meet in the car park. £16. BE
Until Oct Canoe Safari Grab a paddle and cruise down our kilometre-long trail in a canoe, which can take up to three people. Sit back and relax as you look out for water voles, dragonflies, warblers and ducks. 11am-4pm. £7 per canoe. WP
Sat 20 Jul, Tues 20 Aug & Sat 28 Sept Birdwatch Morning Join a warden on a visit to the hides to see what birds are around and get help identifying species. Look for the arrival of our first autumn migrants, including green sandpiper and black-tailed godwit. Followed by breakfast in the Kingfisher Kitchen. 8-10.30am. £16.50. BE RI
Fri 5 to Sun 7 Jul Evening on the Estuary Witness the beauty of the reserve after hours. Watch the birds come into roost and the sun set over the Severn Estuary. Look for one of the biggest gull
Fri 26 Jul Summer Wildlife Photography Summer is a great time to capture close-ups of small things such as butterflies, flowers and dragonflies, as well as birds and landscapes,
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We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our first new Slimbridge 2020 experiences this summer. From 13 July through to 1 September, you can become a Global Adventurer and discover wetlands around the world. Start at Base Camp to pick up your passport and attend the new Greater Flamingo talk and take part in your first challenge. For each world zone you visit, there’s a different Adventurer activity or challenge to complete and a new stamp to collect in your passport. Read a story in a tipi in the ‘North America’ area. Then head to the ‘Arctic Adventure’ area to discover what life was like for explorers such as WWT founder Sir Peter Scott. Meet a real-life researcher and experience life in a cold and during the golden hour. Enjoy out-of-hours access to our wetlands, with tuition from a wildlife photographer. Learn about camera settings, composition and how to capture seasonal specialities. Beginner and intermediate photographers welcome. Tuition will be tailored to individuals. 10am-4pm. £63. BE RI Fri 2 to Sun 4 Aug Severn Bore Safari Join a warden in our 4x4 trailer to witness the changing tide as the Severn bore (tidal wave) washes over the estuary and pushes the birds off the mudflats to roost. Followed by a full English breakfast in the Kingfisher Kitchen. Fri 7.30am, Sat 8am and Sun 9am. Meet in the car park. £21. BE RI
Collect your Global Adventurer passport at Base Camp then complete a different challenge in each world zone, including our new Arctic Adventure
The Arctic Adventure Hut awaits
basic research hut on the Russian Tundra. It even smells of boiled cabbage and potatoes – a researcher’s favourite lunch! Learn more about life in extreme
Tues 6 Aug Advanced Birder Get help identifying and ageing a variety of species, and learn how to use weather conditions and habitat to get more from your birding. Look for arriving waders such as green sandpipers and black-tailed godwits. Includes breakfast in the Kingfisher Kitchen. 8am-12 noon. Meet in the car park. £28.50. BE RI From Sept Scott House Museum Scott House Museum will open from September for daily guided tours around the home of WWT’s founder, Sir Peter Scott. Overlooking the Rushy Lake, the Scotts’ home has changed little since it was built in the 1950s. Join a tour to explore the history of WWT and discover many
conditions, how to make a meal out of food rations and dress up as a researcher. Then help search for clues to explain the decline of our beloved Bewick’s swans, which travel over 3,500km from their breeding grounds
treasures, including the original logos for WWT and WWF, both drawn by Sir Peter, as well many famous signatures in the visitor book. Bookings open 1 September. BE Sat 7 Sept Wildlife Photography for Beginners If you want to learn how to get the perfect wildlife picture and begin to understand some of the basics of photography, this is the course for you! The day will begin with a session inside, before heading out onto the reserve to put your skills into practice. Suitable for beginners, and tuition will be tailored to individual needs. Small course numbers means there will be time for 1-2-1 tuition. 10am-4pm. Meet in the Toad Hall cinema. £63.
in the Arctic Tundra to visit Slimbridge every winter. Test your skills by studying the birds’ leg identification rings and take part in science fieldwork activities, including bird poo analysis – don’t worry, this bit isn’t stinky!
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY On 20 August, young photographers and their parents will enjoy a practical day of Family Photography, learning how to get great shots of wildlife. Suitable for all levels and camera types, the day will begin with an introduction exploring technique, composition, fieldcraft and equipment. You will then head out to practise your skills. It costs £32 per adult and child, with an additional cost of £10 per person for extra children and parents
Get your child into photography with our fun day out
in a family group (space allowing). Our Slimbridge Cygnets Toddler Group meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. Sessions are fun and interactive with a focus on nature and outdoor learning.
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Ben Cherry/WWT
WWT
NEW REALLY WILD ADVENTURES
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WASHINGTON WETLAND CENTRE Otter Feeds Learn more about our beautiful Asian short-clawed otters – Musa, Mimi and their youngest son, Buster – at daily commentated feeds. Meet at their enclosure to see them devouring tasty treats while an expert warden tells you interesting facts. 11.30am and 2.30pm. Flamingo Talks Discover more about our fabulous flock of Chilean flamingos and hear all about their new solarpowered house and what we hope it will achieve for them this year. 11.45am and 2.45pm.
EVENTS
Sats 6 & 20 Jul, 3 & 17 Aug, 7 & 21 Sept Guide in a Hide Discover more about our diverse wild bird species with the help of our volunteer hide guide. 10am-12 noon and 2-4pm (please check on arrival for details of which hide).
info.washington@wwt.org.uk WWT Washington
wwt.org.uk/washington
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY Your family is in for a summer of outdoor adventure! Take on a host of exciting Wetland Explorer challenges throughout the holidays, including hands-on activities designed to teach valuable skills while having fun. There’s little that’s more exhilarating than being surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of nature. So why not try your hand at our exciting Sats 20 Jul, 17 Aug, 21 Sept & Suns 28 Jul, 25 Aug, 22 Sept Walk With a Warden Join one of the wildlife reserve team as they lead a guided tour around our site, taking in the sights, sounds and seasonal wildlife across a variety of wetland habitats. Meet in the picture window at admissions. 11am. Sat 20 Jul to Tues 3 Sept Wetland Explorers Here’s your chance to explore our wetlands with
weekly events in the great outdoors? Sessions include den building, using branches and other materials to create a super-sturdy shelter, pond dipping, which involves sweeping a net back and forth to see what underwater life you can find in our pond zone, and minibeast hunting, where you’ll become a nature detective, hunting under logs, digging in soil and burrowing under
‘Surprisingly good place. Very friendly and helpful staff. Good variety of habitats from saltmarsh to rivers and trees, and a wide variety of birdlife. Best bird feeder hide I’d seen anywhere in the UK, with 15 species observed in just 20 minutes. Would certainly recommend a visit.’ shark939
lots of exciting outdoor challenges waiting for you this summer. Grab your log book and start your expedition on a wild day out for the whole family. Throughout the day with some timed elements. See
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE The warmer temperatures and gentle breezes of early summer bring an array of wildlife highlights. Vibrant damselflies and butterflies fill the air around waterbodies, gardens and meadows. Black-tailed skimmers, a type of dragonfly that’s known to be extending its range further north, have been spotted around the reserve the past couple of years – a new species for the site.
woodchip to find the insects that lurk beneath. With hints Take on our Wetland and tips Explorer challenges from our and see how much expert fun you can have! team, you’ll discover wetlands and events as part of woodlands from a totally our wider seasonal new perspective. programme, giving WWT Plus, keep an eye on members even more our website and social reasons to keep coming media for one-off special back all summer long.
John Preston/WWT
DAILY ACTIVITIES
NE38 8LE 0191 416 5454
Our wildflower meadows are at their peak in July and August, with highlights including yellow rattle and northern marsh orchid on Top Meadow. On Wader Lake, spot a whole host of fledglings in both water and sky. This year saw the earliest-ever return of avocet, some five days before the previous record. Their chicks are already learning to forage alongside young
website and social media closer to the time for details. Suns 28 Jul, 25 Aug & 22 Sept In Focus Check out the latest in optical equipment and
chat to the friendly In Focus experts. Test, select and buy state-of-the-art binoculars and telescopes. A percentage of every sale is donated to WWT. Throughout the day in the picture window.
Avocet parents teach their young how to find food
common tern, while their parents perform aerobatics, swooping and diving to protect them from predators.
As the breeding season ends and autumn creeps in with its changing leaves and mellow colours, many birds begin their winter journeys home. The departure of some sees the return of early winter visitors, including black-tailed godwit, greenshank, common snipe and ruff. And knot, dunlin and turnstone have also been known to make an appearance at this time of year… so it’s time for eyes to the skies!
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Sam Stafford/WWT
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
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D O W N YO U R WAY
WELNEY WETLAND CENTRE
Welney
PE14 9TN 01353 860711 info.welney@wwt.org.uk
WWT Welney
wwt.org.uk/welney
damselflies almost skip through the air, over the water and grasses. In September, look out for willow emerald damselflies, as this relative newcomer to the UK continues to thrive on our wetlands.
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
EVENTS
Sat 6 Jul, Fri 2 & Sat 3 Aug & Sat 7 Sept Bats and Barn Owls Explore the reserve by night. Join our guide to watch barn owls coming out to hunt, use bat detectors to get insight into the lives of these incredible mammals, and see which moths and other insects visit the light
Listen out for the cuckoo’s magical call
stations. Times vary so check website. Adults £12; children £5. Book online. Thurs 25 Jul to Tues 3 Sept Wetland Explorers Here’s your chance to become an intrepid Wetland Explorer. There are loads of exciting challenges waiting for you this summer, including pond exploring, bug hunting and owl pellet dissection. Or why not try your hand at moth
Will you see a barn owl on our after-dark adventure?
identification? Grab your free log book and start your expedition. It’s a wild day out for the whole family! Included in admission. Sat 7 Sept Willow-weaving Workshop Join expert willow weaver Jane Frost for a day teaching you how to create garden structures and sculptures from natural materials. Places are limited, so contact Jane to book at jane@frostart.co.uk or on 01353 861944. 10am-4pm. £55PP. BE Tues 10 Sept Conservation Grazing Evening Talk Find out more from David Tough, Grazing Officer, hosted by the Friends of the Earth Welney Group. 7.30-9.30pm. £3PP (£2 Friends of Welney members).
‘Welney is a wonderful birdwatching centre. The hides are probably the best equipped I’ve encountered. Some even have complimentary binoculars. Large numbers of birds to see, the canteen is well stocked, the shop is way above the norm. The staff are so helpful, I had a great time here.’ Davethedrill
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Calling all Wetland Explorers! Get ready for some serious fun
FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY Throughout the summer holidays, you’re invited to take part in Wetland Explorers, explore the reserve and get a little closer to some of the awesome creatures that live at Welney. Dissect owl pellets, hunt for insects along the footpaths, discover an underwater world at the pond-dipping stations and meet incredible moths.
Bob Ellis/WWT; Jon Smith/WWT
July and August are the months when the widest range of dragonflies and damselflies are on the wing. Watch our ponds and ditches for larger dragonflies patrolling their territories. The more delicate
on the wires While water that run levels are at along the their lowest, mown path. the summer We look walk beckons. A rare forward to This section of willow emerald damselfly the autumn. the reserve is Hopefully, the flock where you can of cranes will return to the meander through the reserve some time from the wetlands, enjoying them middle of September. If the with all your senses. fens population has had a Look out for cuckoos in good breeding season, we early July, getting ready to could see spectacular flocks start their migrations south. of 40 to 50 individuals. They can often be seen sat
Kim Tarsey/WWT
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE
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STEART MARSHES
Steart Marshes
TA5 2PU 01278 651090 info.steart@wwt.org.uk
WWT Steart Marshes
See page 47 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info
Sam Stafford/WWT
wwt.org.uk/steart
A pair of longhorn cattle graze Steart’s working wetlands
SELF-LED DAILY ACTIVITIES Tues 2 to Sun 7 Jul, Thurs 1 to Mon 5 Aug, Thurs 29 Aug to Weds 4 Sept, Sat 14 to Mon 16 Sept & Fri 27 Sept to Thurs 3 Oct High Tide Spectacle Don’t miss your chance to view the spectacle of the high tide at Steart. These inundations happen approximately 120 times a year, flooding the intertidal areas on Otterhampton and Steart Marshes. Though winter sees the greatest numbers of birds, summer is still a lovely opportunity to see feeding birds pushed up close to the hides at high tide. Please see the tide tables on our website for the best times to visit (highest tides are highlighted in yellow). Wildlife Rubbings Trail Bring a pencil and paper and try our new Wildlife Rubbings Trail. Willow Sculpture Trail Discover the wildlife that visits the reserve, made in willow by local artists and hidden within the wetland walkway. Geocache Trail Get the app on your phone and follow the directions to find hidden treasures around the reserve.
EVENTS
Sun 14 Jul Butterfly and Dragonfly Walk Join a guided walk to spot butterflies and
GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE With July comes chicks and close-up views of young avocets, little ringed plovers and oystercatchers from the Quantock hides. It takes a keen eye to spot Mediterranean gulls among the black-headed gulls roosting on the main marsh. Hopefully the spoonbills and cattle egrets will return this summer. Before the hay is cut in July, the wildflower meadows are blanketed with blooms supporting a wealth of insect life. Last year’s hot season provided an opportunity for these wetland meadows to dragonflies, and learn about their habitats. 11am-1pm. Suggested donation £5PP. BE Sat 27 & Sun 28 Jul Moth Identification Workshop Get a close-up view of moths in our traps on Saturday night, and identify what was found in a workshop on Sunday
solution for the future, benefiting people and wildlife. Through August, whinchats, yellow wagtails and green sandpipers can be seen. September hints at the winter spectacles to come, as flocks of waders, such as golden plovers and dunlins, start to turn up. It’s a great time to spot greenshanks moving across the reserve on their way north. Hedgerows offer splashes of colour sporting rosehips, guelder rose and spindle berries. Last year, Steart Marshes was designated as a site of local importance for dragonflies, which can be spotted throughout the summer.
prove their worth to the local farmers helping to manage the reserve. During the dry spell, other farmers had to use up their winter supplies to sustain their livestock. But the way in which wetland habitats store water meant that the meadows continued to flourish despite the heat, feeding the livestock on the reserve without any need to provide additional food. They even produced a lot of hay, so the farmers had ample food for their animals over the winter. This really shows how working wetlands offer a sustainable
morning. 9-11pm Sat; 10am-12 noon Sun. Suggested donation £5PP for one session, £8PP for both. BE Sat 3 Aug Sunset and Wildlife Walk A guided walk as the sun goes down. Learn about the wildlife here and enjoy the sunset from key viewpoints.
7.30-9pm. Suggested donation £5PP. BE Fri 9 Aug Saltmarsh Walk A guided walk to see what is living and growing in this unique environment. Take this opportunity to get close to the saltmarsh in areas not usually open to the public. 10am-12 noon. Suggested donation £5PP. BE
Thurs 12 & Mon 23 Sept 4x4 Tours to the Breach Enjoy spectacular views on this drive along the Parrett banks to the breach. The tour includes a chance to walk onto the saltmarsh in an area not normally open to the public. 10am-12 noon and 1-3pm. Suggested donation £10PP. BE
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B AC K C H AT Hannah samples invertebrates from a farm pond
MY WILD LIFE I’ve worked on some truly inspiring wetland conservation
projects around the UK and the world. Since joining WWT in 2010, I’ve worked with amazing people in some remote and challenging places, including Scotland, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and Madagascar. I can’t live without microscopes.
I use them to look at all kinds of things, including invertebrates from pond surveys, ancient algae from lake sediments, and insect body parts excreted in bird poo.
My job is so varied, I don’t have an average day. That’s one of the things I love about it! I could be in the office, in the lab, out in the field or teaching at University College London. My greatest achievement so
far has been completing my PhD. I studied the remains of algae and insects contained in lake sediments in Scotland to build a picture of what the lake was like in the past. This helps us understand why and how the lake might have changed over time. I focused on lakes where common scoter breed, and the lake sediments helped me demonstrate that afforestation has had a negative effect on these lakes, which might explain the decline in breeding scoters.
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Hannah Robson Principal Research Officer, WWT Slimbridge
Catching common scoters on an Icelandic marsh in your pants is all in a day’s work. We were trying to catch a particularly tricky female who was nesting next to a lake. Whenever we got close, she flew onto the water. So we decided to stand in the lake in our pants holding up a net ready to catch her. I’m glad to say it worked, so it was worth it in the end! If I’m not at my desk, I’m in the lab at Slimbridge. We’re lucky to have our own in-house Wetland Science laboratory, so we can analyse water samples and process invertebrate, algae and sediment samples. I study poo to understand what birds eat. It can be difficult to see
what a species is feeding on, especially if they dive for food like the diving ducks or feed in long vegetation like cranes. Crane poo is particularly fascinating, because the birds seem to eat almost anything – vegetation, earthworms, other insects and even small mammals – you never know what you’ll find!
I would love more people to see
the amazing world below the surface of wetlands. Here, life may be tiny – microscopic even – but it’s beautiful and just as important as the birds and animals living above the surface.
WWT Principal Research Officer Hannah Robson chats to Waterlife about the joy of bird poo, lake sediments and solving mysteries Birds are great, but my real passion
is for the small, obscure and (ideally) vaguely disgusting! I started out at WWT looking at thousands of freshwater invertebrate specimens as part of our common scoter work in Scotland. I moved on to fragments of invertebrates in bird poo as part of our crane and Madagascar pochard projects. Today my work largely involves algae, insect and plant remains archived in lake sediments.
I loved seeing the eels we caught
as part of WWT’s monitoring efforts last year (Waterlife, January/March 2019). They are amazing creatures, with an incredible life history and an enormous journey to undertake once they leave Slimbridge.
I am at my happiest when my feet are wet (literally)! I am a fan of wet
and boggy places, the further north the better, especially in summer, when the midnight sun is spectacular.
My ambition is to use cutting-edge
science to underpin and support all of our on-the-ground wetland conservation work. Using lake sediments to inform conservation is a quite new and underused tool. So we’re exploring how it can fill gaps in our knowledge and help us to create, restore and reconnect wetlands.
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