Waterlife 220 November/February 2022

Guy Edwardes/naturepl.com

ONE TO SPOT...

Eider

Your local WWT centre is host to a candy-coloured breeding display that is out of this world

The male eider develops a spearmintgreen nape and upper beak and a jet-black brow that looks like velvet. His breast turns a delicate pink, and his whole head and neck appear to swell, so he looks as large and imposing as possible.

The true joy of an eider, however, is in their cheeky, chatty charm. Listen out for their mellow ‘awh whooo’ call, which is throaty and romantic, and the deep grumbles they utter as they stomp around on tree trunk legs and monstrous feet!

Despite being the UK’s heaviest duck, eiders can fly at speeds of up to 70mph. A true sea duck, they can be seen in the wild along northern coasts during the breeding season, and as far south as the Welsh coast in winter.

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.

HEADQUARTERS

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT wwt.org.uk membership@wwt.org.uk

Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410

CENTRES

For full location, address and contact details, please visit the individual centre pages on our website – wwt.org.uk/visit

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 magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Managing editor: Sophie Gore Browne waterlife@wwt.org.uk

Editor: Sophie Stafford sophie.stafford@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Chief sub-editor: Marion Thompson

Art director: George Walker

Contributors: Neil Aldridge, Amy-Jane Beer, Paul Bloomfield, Dominic Couzens, Derek Niemann, Andy Parkinson

Editorial board: Tomos Avent, Andrew Foot, Geoff Hilton, Peter Lee, Penny Read, Rob Shore, Mark Simpson

Sales executive: Jamie Dawson 020 3771 7201 jamie.dawson@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Client engagement director: Clare Harris, Think Media Group, 20 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JW; thinkpublishing.co.uk

Front cover: Agustin Esmoris/naturepl.com

Waterlife is published three times a year, and is printed by Walstead Peterborough on Leipa ultraMag

Plus, an FSC® certified paper containing 100% recycled content.

Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of WWT.

ISSN: 1752-7392

3 One to spot… With stunning colours and delightful gossipy calls, don’t miss our eiders!

4 Welcome and Contents Our Chief Executive, Sarah Fowler, on the Madagascar pochard

7 Update WWT conservation news from around the world

17 Waterlines Nature writer Amy-Jane Beer enjoys the spectacle of a dawn goose flight

18 Your views Your letters, plus our top shots from your photographs

20 ID guide Winter is the time to brush up on your swan and goose ID skills

22 Blue Recovery Chief Executive Sarah Fowler meets the people restoring Somerset’s wetlands

28 Science in action Why space satellites have the potential to revolutionise conservation

30 Wetlands for all David Lindo reveals why access to blue space is vital for everyone

35 Wild about... coots Andy Parkinson shares his stunning photos of coots in winter

40 Photo competition Don’t miss your chance to enter our popular photography contest

43 Get closer New look! Same great experiences! There’s so much to enjoy this winter

50 Back chat Find out why the Risebrows, WWT family members, love their wetland visits

Neil Aldridge/WWT

HELLO

As I write this, the country is in mourning. All of us at WWT were hugely saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The nation has lost a monarch who showed a deep sense of service, dignity a compassion. Her lifelong love of nature will stand as a lasting legacy. We were honoured to have the Queen as our Patron for many decades until 2016, when she passed on the role to her son. Our thoughts are with His Majesty King Charles III, as he builds on his mother’s exceptional legacy as our new monarch.

The Queen particularly enjoyed the swan feeds at WWT Welney, but I hope she would’ ve smiled at this story about the Madagascar pochard. Thought lost forever due to habitat destruction, when 20 of these small, brown diving ducks were discovered on a remote lake, an operation to save the species was launched with Durrell Wildlife Conservation

Trust. It involved a captive-breeding facility, and working with the local community to improve the health of the lake and increase fish and rice yields. In 2020, 21 captive-bred birds raised their own offspring in the wild.

It’s a story that started with saving a species, and ended with conserving a wetland and supporting a community. This is what our work is about. Protecting threatened species or wild places is not enough – we also aim to involve, engage and uplift local people from the start. With you by our side, we can grasp a glimmer of hope – and deliver huge gains.

Our wetland conservation efforts are only a success because of your support, your membership, your voices.

All our money goes back into helping wetland nature thrive and enriching local people’s lives.

In this edition of Waterlife, there are more stories of hope, success and the importance of urban and farmland wetlands. Thank you for continuing to support us, especially in these difficult times.

Sarah Fowler, Chief Executivei

VISIT OUR ONLINE SHOP…

…and give back to wetlands and wildlife with every purchase. wwt.org.uk/shop

PASSING ON THE GIFT OF NATURE

To learn more and request your free Guide to Gifts in Wills, please contact our Legacy Team via giftsinwills@ wwt.org.uk, on 01453 891150 or visit wwt.org.uk/gifts-in-wills

Neil Aldridge

Jim Johnston/WWT

Illustration courtesy of Birds of the World by Collins who showed sense of service, dignity and

YOURUPDATES

You may have noticed that your copy of Waterlife is feeling a bit lighter this issue. Due to steep rises in paper costs, in relation to inflation and rises in the cost of living across other areas, we have had to reduce the number of pages by 25%. We have also temporarily reverted to sustainably sourced, rather than recycled, paper.

Don’t forget that there are lots of other ways to stay in touch, such as through email, our website and social channels. As we expand into different media and other channels, we’re looking at the sustainability of our member communications. More on this in future…

To receive monthly updates on how your membership is making a difference for wetland nature, sign up to our e-newsletter at wwt.org.uk/newsletter

Explore Waterlands by ear

Immerse yourself in the sounds of the riverbank, crashing tides, wild marshes filled with birds, and the underwater sounds of the humble pond with our new WWT podcast, Waterlands

Presented by wildlife biologist and filmmaker Roxy Furman (above), each episode is a deep dive into an important topic or location, introducing a host of experts and other waterloving voices to bring these ideas and places to life.

In episode one, Roxy explores the importance of urban wetlands with a visit to WWT London Wetland Centre. And in subsequent outings we hear from people who have found vital wellbeing

benefits in blue spaces; discuss the problems of (and solutions for) plastic pollution with a mermaid swimmer in Bristol; visit WWT’s Steart Marshes on the wild Somerset coastline to discover the impact of a pioneering landscape realignment project; learn how we can better cope with flooding; and venture far afield – to the mangroves of Madagascar, and even back in time to roam the wetlands of prehistoric Britain.

In short, each episode is a journey of wonder, featuring some inspiring personal stories.

All six episodes are available now to download or stream on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Championing UK wetlands

Tom Fewins, Head of Policy and Advocacy, shares the latest on our work building political and wider support for wetlands

In June, MPs and peers experienced the wellbeing benefits of blue spaces during the first in-person meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Wetlands. Members of this cross-party group, which works to increase awareness of the importance of wetlands and support for them, travelled by boat from Westminster to WWT London Wetland Centre. En route they heard from WWT and Mental Health Foundation experts about how urban wetlands can boost wellbeing and quality of life, then experienced this for themselves at the centre. At the next meeting in October, the group will discuss how the ‘blue carbon’ some wetlands store can help to address climate change.

Our proposals for a Blue Recovery received a boost this summer with the publication of the first of four route maps for the creation of wetlands, focused on urban wellbeing. The route maps aim to share the benefits of wetlands with policymakers, businesses and other organisations that can help achieve our goal – the creation and restoration of 100,000 hectares of wetlands in the UK. Three further route maps, to be launched over the next few months, outline the importance of wetlands for carbon storage, flood protection and water quality.

We look forward to welcoming you to London Wetland Centre, virtually and in person

Our AGM: you’re invited!

Join us for this year’s AGM on Thursday 17 November to discover the latest news about our conservation work worldwide as well as developments at WWT

This year, our AGM is being held at our London Wetland Centre and simultaneously as an online interactive event This is your chance to meet the WWT team and other supporters, share your views on our work, and direct your questions to Council, the Board of Trustees and our conservation experts.

You can also follow the progress of the important conservation efforts you support through your membership – including projects that are helping to save precious species and wetland habitats worldwide.

The in-person event will start with a tour around London Wetland Centre at

If you can’t make it to London, you can join the virtual online sessions instead

1pm with our Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Peberdy, to discover how the centre has changed since being created by WWT in the late 1990s.

The official AGM, in person and virtually, will start at 2pm. For those attending in person there will be a light supper after it finishes at 5.30pm. We will also announce the winner of this year’s Marsh Awards, run in association with the Marsh Christian Trust.

If you can’t make it to London, you can join the virtual online sessions instead. You’ll still be able to ask questions and learn about our work this year and looking ahead.

PLEASE REGISTER TO ATTEND

Whether attending in person or virtually, please RSVP by Tuesday 1 November – email events@wwt.org.uk or call 07824 413335

If attending in person, please include any dietary requirements for the light supper that will be served, along with any access needs. Please send your questions for Council, Trustees or staff to answer at the AGM to: events@wwt.org.uk

Mixed fortunes for cranes, curlews and godwits

Breeding results for three of the UK’s most vulnerable wetland birds this year underline the importance of our conservation work with these species. The stately, long-legged crane was extinct in Britain for much of the past 400 years.

From 2010, 93 hand-reared cranes were released onto the Somerset Levels and Moors during an ambitious project involving WWT. Several set up home at Slimbridge, where six pairs nested this spring, of which four were successful in rearing a chick to fledging. We hope these wonderful birds will flourish in Britain’s wetlands, which we’re working to restore and protect.

Curlews and black-tailed godwits are of the highest conservation concern.

The number of breeding curlews in the UK dropped by nearly two-thirds since 1970, hit by changing agricultural practices and predation. We’re working with farmers, landowners, conservationists and communities in the Severn and Avon Vales to find solutions to the problems facing Europe’s largest wading bird.

As part of the Dartmoor Curlew Recovery Project, we’re headstarting curlews on Dartmoor – taking eggs from wild pairs, incubating them and rearing the young in aviaries until old enough to fly, then releasing them into the wild. We’re also undertaking research into the role

predators play in the curlew’s decline in the UK.

This year, we released 27 headstarted curlews onto Dartmoor. In the Severn and Avon Vales, of 20 nests studied this summer only five were successful, with eight young fledging. Predation by fox,

This year, we released 27 headstarted curlews onto Dartmoor. But elsewhere only five out of 20 nests were successful

carrion crow and raven was confirmed –important information to help guide future conservation work.

The black-tailed godwit has also suffered from predation and the draining of its wetland habitat; almost half of Europe’s black-tailed godwits have disappeared in the past quarter-century.

This summer, 51 headstarted birds were released into the Ouse and Nene Washes nature reserves in Cambridgeshire. This brings to over 200 the total released during the six-year Project Godwit – a partnership involving WWT and RSPB. In addition, eight fledglings from wild birds were recorded.

12,500 1 4

Four Meller’s ducklings – one of the rarest and least-known species of waterfowl – have hatched at WWT Washington

After just one year, Generation Wild has brought 12,500 children to their local WWT site

A fungus found in a Victorian gunpowder store at Castle Espie is a newly discovered species

Common cranes on the Somerset Levels

Championing Korean wetlands

We’re delighted to be working on more World Heritage Site nominations to protect the Yellow Sea and its wildlife, with South Korean authorities and our partners.

The nominations encompass intertidal wetlands fringing the Yellow Sea –vital habitat for birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, including the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper.

Last November, UNESCO inscribed a suite of four coastal wetlands at Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats – only the country’s second natural World Heritage Site. This was in recognition of their importance hosting endemic species as well as migratory birds including hooded crane, endangered great knot and Far Eastern curlew. This designation is a critical part of efforts to protect and conserve South Korea’s intertidal flats, more than 30% of which are estimated to have been lost to land reclamation since the 1980s.

With our rich history of expertise in restoring and managing wetlands, WWT has long worked with partners in South Korea on a range of projects. And in May, a WWT team was invited by the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership secretariat to advise on the conservation and potential inscription of a further World Heritage Site at Hwaseong. The report produced from this visit, commissioned by the local municipal government, highlights the potential increased biodiversity, carbon and ecotourism value of the site if habitats are restored and protected effectively

During the trip, the team also provided support and advice to help build capacity for effective wetland management of priority coastal habitats, opening doors to develop partnerships and encourage local governments to conserve, rather than develop, vital wetlands.

To find out more about our work, search ‘spoon-billed sandpipers WWT’ .

RESERVES

Llanelli’s now alluring lagoon

The transformation of the freshwater lagoon at WWT Llanelli this spring has been a huge hit, attracting a host of bird species to the newly restored habitat. This work was part of a project, funded by National Resources Wales, to make the area more attractive to a range of wetland wildlife. Volunteers helped to create new low-lying islands and reprofile existing ones, removing silt and improving fencing. Enhanced access to the lagoon banks enabled us to introduce rare breed sheep to help look after the vegetation and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. And a new wetland treatment system (incorporating a reedbed and silt trap) was created in the Marsh Garden.

Vegetation is already recovering on reprofiled areas – and the birds love it! Spring saw the arrival of a black-winged stilt – a first for WWT Llanelli, and only the second ever recorded in Carmarthenshire. It was followed by sand martins, which occupied the artificial nesting bank, along with black-headed gulls. With the arrival of summer, they were joined by an amazing 138 Mediterranean gulls –another centre record!

The restored habitat also attracted other species including a little gull, spoonbills and large numbers of wading birds not seen on the lagoon for many years, such as ruffs, snipe, green, common and wood sandpipers and black-tailed godwits. Visit soon and see what you can spot!

The team visited the Yellow Sea coastline of China and the Korean peninsula

The Yellow Sea is the most important site for migratory birds in the East AsianAustralasian Flyway

Cambodia: better rice – for people and wetlands

We’re working with farming families to trial a more sustainable variety of rice, which is better for them and better for rare wetland wildlife such as vulnerable sarus cranes.

Our work on sustainable rice farming in Cambodia’s Lower Mekong Delta is moving to the next level, thanks to a grant of £44,000 from Mandai Nature, a Singapore-based conservation organisation, that will benefit wetlands, local people and rare species.

The Lower Mekong Delta is a fertile region that is rich in wetland wildlife – or it was. In the past 30 years, some 65% of the region’s natural wetlands have been lost, threatening the diverse fish and bird species – including important populations of sarus crane – that rely on them. Conversion to intensified rice farming is accompanied by water overabstraction, erosion and pollution with pesticides and fertilisers.

As the effects of climate change and hydro damming on the Mekong are felt, water will become more scarce and this way of cultivating rice will become unsustainable. To address this, we’re supporting communities who are trialling a transition to higher-value, more resilient red jasmine rice, using improved techniques to improve efficiencies. Our local partner, the Cambodian Rural Development Team, is helping farmers find markets for this rice. We’re also trialling the

We’re supporting communities to move to more resilient red jasmine rice, using more efficient techniques

introduction of a second crop, mung beans, which improves soil fertility and provides a secondary source of income.

This system could prove a win-win – for farmers, who enjoy increased income, and for wetlands, reducing pesticide pollution and land conversion. And there’s potentially a third win, too. “We’re gauging whether sarus cranes eat this variety of rice,” explains Yorth Bunny, WWT’s Cambodia Country Manager. “Farmers are paid to leave a small proportion of their rice in the field at the end of the season, to assess whether this might provide an alternative food source for the cranes.”

Since last year we’ve worked with 55 farming families around Anlung Pring wetlands, which hosts the region’s biggest population of sarus cranes. Initial results indicate improvements in rice productivity and environmental conditions, including water quality, at Anlung Pring. The new funding will enable us to work with around 220 families, quadrupling the trial’s scope.

“If the expanded trial proves successful, we aim to scale it up to a regional level across the delta,” says Tomos Avent, WWT’s Head of International Programmes.

This partnership with Mandai Nature is the kind of long-term relationship that can enable landscape-level changes, helping wildlife and communities worldwide.

In the Mekong Delta, rice farmers are switching to the varieties loved by the sarus crane

Good news for…

We’ve launched two ambitious new projects, and are celebrating great results for two of our campaigns, thanks to your support and generous awards of funding from government and corporate donors

In our changing landscapes, curlews are increasingly unable to rear chicks

Britain’s embattled curlew

Thank you to everyone who has donated to our appeal to raise funds for curlews and other threatened wading birds. Launched in June, it had raised £130,000 (including Gift Aid) by the time Waterlife went to press. The UK hosts a quarter of the world’s curlew population, but numbers of breeding birds have plummeted by around two-thirds over the past half-century.

This vital funding is already supporting our work headstarting young curlews (see page 10), protecting nests from predators, liaising with landowners, working with local communities and creating new wetlands to benefit ground-nesting birds. Find out more at wwt.org.uk/our-work/projects/ eurasian-curlew-recovery

Flood management around the Thames

We’re delighted to have been awarded £100,000 funding from the Thames Regional Flood and Coastal Committee to provide advice on natural flood management (NFM) techniques. During this two-year project, WWT experts will support local authorities in the Thames catchment area in integrating NFM in their overall flood risk strategies, and in delivering more NFM interventions.

We will also work with landowners and other key stakeholders to identify and advise on the most effective interventions. Once this phase of the project is complete, we aim to support in-depth demonstrations of such interventions.

Developing wetland conservationists

An innovative new training programme launching this autumn will offer wetland professionals around the world access to the latest knowledge and guidance. This global wetland school will largely be an online learning platform, which makes a huge range of resources and training tools, developed by WWT and other wetland conservation organisations, available to early career wetland professionals in government, civil society and the private sector. The wetland school concept will be launched at the Ramsar conference in November, with the full pilot starting early next year.

Restrictions on lead ammunition

We’re pleased that a new report by the UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends significant restrictions on lead ammunition in Britain, including a complete ban on the sale and use of lead shot. WWT submitted extensive research during the evidence-gathering process for the report. Some 50,000-100,000 wildfowl die in the UK each year after ingesting lead; 200,000-400,000 more suffer health impacts.

We will now prepare a response to the report, pushing for a rapid transition away from lead ammunition.

Tell HSE that you support a complete ban on lead ammunition before 6 November here: consultations.hse.gov.uk/crd-reach/ restriction-proposals-004 (General comments, page 2).

Staines-upon-Thames

Bena Smith/WWT

Shutterstock

Don Mammoser/Shutterstock

Shutterstock

“There’s something grand and compelling about huge flocks in flight. Partly it’s the movement –like waves, living flames, or wind-rippled foliage, it seems to both soothe and stimulate”

Of all the wonderful sights and

f all the wonderful sights and sounds of the season, few are as potent as the avian spectacles

of numbers around wetlands.

Whether it’s a swan fall, concentrations of waders corralled by the tide, skeins of geese or gulls, or the pre-dusk gathering of a starling murmuration, there’ s something grand and compelling about huge flocks in flight. Partly it’s the movement – like waves, living flames, or wind-rippled foliage, it seems to both soothe and stimulate.

But flocks also draw our attention to the sky and thus borrow something from other celestial spectacles like sunsets, supermoons, auroras or meteorite showers. And there’s the further marvel that each throng is made up of individuals – beings not altogether unlike us.

I can’t see winter geese without remembering an ill-advised October half-term holiday to Norfolk with two other families in 2014. Two of the adults were teachers, including my husband, both suffering the usual autumn term burnout. The house was too small, we were sharing rooms with kids and babies, and everyone was tired and cranky.

After another sleep-deprived night, my three-year-old son woke before dawn, just as

a teething one-year-old dropped off. My only thought was getting him out the house before he woke everyone up. I hauled clothes over pyjamas, wrestled him, protesting, into his car seat and drove to a lay-by on the coastal marshes. I cut the engine, wound down the windows and let cold air fill the car.

He paused, mid-grumble, as ripples of unfamiliar sound from the still-dark sky filled his ears. Pink-footed geese, recently arrived, settling into an early routine.

The sky lightened. Pinkened. We got out of the car and I lifted him onto the warm bonnet. He lay back the way some people watch planes at the end of runways. Broad skeins flew over us, one after another, and another and another. Scores, hundreds, thousands of birds.

After half an hour the clouds boiled with colour and his upturned face glowed with it. The soundscape was layered: as each wave passed, we could hear the next coming. The repetition made that dawn seem endless – an audiovisual hall of mirrors, unreal, hyperreal, timeless. The strangest thing is he doesn’t even remember it now.

But I’m sure it is there in some part of his mind – a subconscious well of memory from which future dreams might be drawn.

DO ONE THING

Read about our work to ban lead shot and end the suffering of millions of waterbirds from lead poisoning: wwt.org.uk/lead

Dr Amy-Jane Beer is a biologist, writer, editor, outdoor enthusiast and mum from North Yorkshire.

Amy-Jane Beer

Your views

We love to hear your thoughts about wetlands, WWT and Waterlife, and share your photos, so please email them to us at waterlife@wwt.org.uk or write to the address on page 4

•This is my son visiting WWT Llanelli last winter. He was a little cautious at first, but after some prompting he, quite literally, had the nenes eating out of his hand! He is now hooked on birding after this visit and we joined WWT as family members immediately.

Neil Ellerton, via

email

My wife and I have been WWT members for many years and look forward to the arrival of Waterlife. In the last issue, your feature ‘Nature’s Way’ covered wellbeing, something close to my heart. I have always enjoyed the great outdoors and many WWT centres. I write and read verse for a local hospital radio in Perth, Scotland. I have written a verse, inspired by the five points you make in your wonderful magazine Mike Conlon, via email

• I took this photo of a male white-headed duck at Washington Wetland Centre. We are fortunate that the centre is very close to home, so we can spend lots of time there.

Ann Dunkerley

WWT says: It’s obvious why it’s called a stifftail duck!

•As an avid birder living close to Slimbridge, I’ve visited the hides many times in search of rare birds, winter migrants and so on. Recently, I brought a friend, a keen photographer. We wandered parts of the reserve I don’t normally visit. The flamingos were stunning and constantly argued – perfect for a photo. Keep up the good work! Craig Lewis, via email

ERRATA: Our thanks to member Bill Watkins who pointed out that in Waterlife issue 219 the moth shown on page 45 is actually an eyed h

TOP SHOTS!

BEST PHOTO WINNER

This is one of the two black-necked grebeling chicks I saw at WWT Arundel riding on mum’s back, while dad fervently searches for food to feed this hungry, growing ball of fluff. The other one is tucked well into mum’s feathers, sleeping. Christine Whiffen

RUNNER-UP

I photographed this redshank at WWT Slimbridge. The Waterscapes Aviary is a great opportunity to get close to a bird that is typically skittish in the wild. The natural light in the aviary was just right, and the redshank seemed quite relaxed. I enjoy taking photographs of wildlife and looking at the detail close up. Rob Adams

WIN! WIN! WIN!

Christine wins a copy of Where to Watch Birds in Britain by Simon Harrap and Nigel Redman, worth £25 and available in our shops and online.

not a poplar hawkmoth, as stated. Our apologies for this oversight. We

We love to see your photographs taken 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!

• This adorable Japanese crowned crane chick was photographed by Thomas Stokes

awkmoth,

HOW TO IDENTIFY

GEESE AND SWANS

Winter is a fantastic time to visit our centres to witness the spectacle of thousands of wild geese and swans feeding and flying to their roost. We also offer a range of special events that enable you to experience this breathtaking natural wonder

MUTE SWAN

Cygnus olor

This large swan is resident in the UK all year round. It has a long, S-shaped neck and an orange bill with black at the base. The male mute swan has a black knob at the top of its bill, which swells during the breeding season, and gives it the name knob swan in parts of Europe. The male is a cob, the female a pen.

CANADA GOOSE

Branta canadensis

The Canada goose is a large, long-necked goose with a black head and neck, and large, white chin strap. An introduced species from North America, it forms noisy flocks across the UK, and is often seen on amenity grassland and in parks. The male is larger than the female.

WHOOPER SWAN

Cygnus cygnus

From September onwards, whooper swans start arriving in the UK after an 800-1,400km flight from Iceland. The whooper is larger than the similar-looking Bewick’s, with a longer neck and more triangular, wedgeshaped bill, which is black with a large, triangular patch of yellow on it.

BARNACLE GOOSE

Branta leucopsis

Two populations overwinter here – birds that breed in Greenland winter in Britain and Ireland; birds that breed on Svalbard winter mainly on the Solway Firth. This compact goose has a black head, neck and breast, white face and belly, and silvery, barred back. Each individual has a unique cheek pattern.

BEWICK’S SWAN

Cygnus columbianus bewickii

From mid-October onwards, Bewick’s swans start arriving in the UK from the Russian Arctic. A small swan, not much bigger than a Canada goose, the adult has yellow and black markings on its bill. The Bewick’s has less yellow on the bill than the whooper, and the pattern is unique to each individual.

BRENT GOOSE

Branta bernicla

Two coastal subspecies winter in the UK. The dark-bellied brent goose (above) is a small, short-legged species with a black head and neck, and a small, white necklace. The light-bellied brent goose is much paler underneath and there is a clearer contrast to the black of the breast.

GREYLAG GOOSE

Anser anser

The greylag is a pale-grey goose with pink legs and an orange bill. The largest and bulkiest of the wild geese native to the UK and Europe, it is the ancestor of most domestic geese. Populations tend to be semi-tame, having been reintroduced. Truly wild populations can be found in Scotland.

TAIGA BEAN GOOSE

Anser fabalis

In the UK, you are only likely to see taiga bean geese in central Scotland. Darker and browner than other grey geese, both species of bean geese have orange legs and a dark head and neck. But the taiga bean goose is larger with a sleeker body and longer neck. An orangey patch usually covers more than half the bill.

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE

Anser albifrons

White-fronted geese have a white patch around the base of the beak, black bars on the belly and orange legs. Two subspecies can be seen in the UK. The Eurasian whitefronted goose from Siberia has a pink bill (above). The Greenland race has an orange bill and is larger, with darker plumage.

TUNDRA BEAN GOOSE

Anser serrirostris

Tundra bean geese can be seen throughout the UK in winter in small but fluctuating numbers. They are slightly smaller than taiga bean geese, with similar but slightly darker plumage. The bill is shorter and the orangey patch is smaller, typically covering less than half of the bill.

PINK-FOOTED GOOSE

Anser brachyrhynchus

One of our smaller geese, with a short neck, a short, pink bill and pink legs. Pink-footed geese are known for their loud ‘wink-wink’ calls often uttered in flight. Large numbers of birds spend the winter in the UK, arriving from their breeding grounds in Iceland and Greenland.

DISCOVER MORE...

These beautiful illustrations are taken from the new Collins guide Birds of the World (RRP £75). The ultimate reference book for bird lovers, it covers all 10,711 species of the world’s birds. Available to buy from all good booksellers.

BLUE RECOVERY

Somerset is one of the UK’s most important wetland landscapes but, under intense pressure, it has been reduced to a fraction of its former glory. I went to meet some of the people coming together with WWT to restore and enhance this special place

BY SARAH FOWLER, WWT CHIEF EXECUTIVE

BY NEIL ALDRIDGE

PHOTOS

ome of our visitors may think the rarest thing they could ever see at a WWT reserve is a Chief Executive. But, as for many of our wild inhabitants, wetlands are my natural habitat. I’ve been involved with them my whole working life and, much as I enjoy my role in the boardroom, I can ’t wait to get back outdoors to the day-to-day joys of being surrounded by nature.

It’s a great privilege for me to be able to visit wetland sites across the country – not just our own WWT centres but also landscapes where we are working with our partners to restore and create wetlands. The UK’s wetlands are some of our most precious national treasures, protecting us from climate change, biodiversity loss and

a decline in our own wellbeing. One of my main aims as CEO is to create and foster partnerships that will enhance wetlands, so visiting places where we ’ re already seeing the benefits of collaborating is incredibly exciting.

JEWEL OF THE SOUTH-WEST

In July, I visited two locations that few WWT members are likely to have heard of: Pawlett Hams and the Meads in Bridgwater. Both are in Somerset, a landscape that has always been home to great wetland nature reserves but today is a small fraction of what it used to be, highly fragmented and facing many challenges.

Pawlett Hams and the Meads in Bridgwater are just two of the flagship sites we ’ ve chosen to showcase the potential of

our new and exciting Blue Recovery initiative, which is calling for the creation of 100,000 hectares of new and restored wetlands in the wake of the pandemic. Working with multiple partners and stakeholders, including the Government, our ambitious plan aims to restore and enhance this special place in four ways –by creating a carbon storage network of coastal wetlands, a network of wetland features to reduce the risk of flooding, a network of accessible urban wetlands to improve wellbeing, and a water treatment network to improve biodiversity. Rather than creating nature reserves in isolation, the thrill of Blue Recovery is that it works at landscape, or even waterscape, level and will benefit and engage the widest possible community, especially in urban areas.

At Pawlett Hams, little and cattle egrets flock around livestock, catching insects disturbed by their hooves. We’re encouraging wildlife here by creating and restoring farm ponds, enhancing rhynes (ditches) and supporting local farmers

Our Blue Recovery proposal was officially launched in March last year, before I started working at WWT, and since then, our work at both Pawlett Hams and the Meads in Bridgwater began, partly owing to their proximity to Steart Marshes, our first and flagship ‘working wetland’ .

Steart’s 250-hectare coastal saltmarsh pioneered restoring wetlands as a way to provide flood defences for local communities and farmland, and as a refuge for wildlife to offset habitat losses. From the beginning, it prioritised community engagement and championed a partnership approach, involving the right people with the right skills to develop lasting, trusted relationships.

These approaches have formed the foundations on which we now build our Blue Recovery programme, so as I pulled up at the end of the track to Pawlett, I was eager to see how things were going, and whether it was making a difference.

Pawlett Hams lies just across the River Parrett from Steart Marshes. The name ‘Ham’ means ‘an enclosure at the bend of a river’, and the site is located at the Parrett’ s last meander before it disgorges into Bridgwater Bay. It is prime farming country,

hosting a fine herd of beef cattle, but at first glance it appears flat and featureless. It’s the last place you’d expect to find anything as exciting as a ghost.

But ghosts are a speciality of Project Officer Antony Bellamy (known to his friends as AJ) – or at least, ghost ponds are. “Places like Pawlett Hams often have a rich past that can help determine their future,” he told me. “I spent many hours online poring over old maps – from some of the earliest ever created by the Ordnance Survey in the late 1800s, right up to the present day. I discovered just how many ponds there used to be in this area. After the war, many were filled in or neglected, and became what we call ‘ghost ponds’. Some of these are prime candidates for restoration.”

“At first glance Pawlett Hams appears flat and featureless. It’s the last place you’d expect to find anything as exciting as a ghost”

BLUE OASES

Farmland ponds are important habitat for wetland wildlife in the agricultural landscape. Healthy networks of these ponds, at different stages of their ‘lives’, help wetland species move around. As habitat fragmentation increases, they are more important than ever – without them, many native species would struggle to survive. So we ’ re working with landowners to increase the number of ponds in farmland by helping manage existing ponds to enhance them, and create new waterbodies for a better, more connected rural wetland landscape.

It wasn’t only at Pawlett Hams that AJ and his colleagues discovered ghost ponds but in the whole coastal strip between Bridgwater and Weston-super-Mare, a distance of about 20 miles. As the Somerset Pondscapes Project became reality, they began to visit many of the farms concerned and, to their delight, found that some of the ghosts were alive and well in the memories of the people who worked the land. “Some farmers remembered the ponds we were talking about,” recalled AJ. “One or two said that their fathers had asked them to fill in the ponds decades ago.

Across the coastal Somerset Levels, such as here at Pawlett Hams, we’re working with landowners to restore farmland ponds and watercourses, which are vital places for wetland nature

Many loved the idea of restoring their ghost ponds and putting a lot more life and love into existing waterbodies – they were enthusiastic about the whole process. It was incredibly satisfying.”

This sort of cooperation doesn’t arise without the right connections and trust –you can’t just knock on a farmer’s door, your JCB engine revving, and ask them to open their gate. This is where one of the project’ s main partners, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) SouthWest, came in.

Its team leader, Ben Thorne, has spent his career understanding the needs of farmers and persuading them to engage with conservation. “Every farmer has a driving force,” he says. “Sometimes they immediately buy into conservation efforts, sometimes they don’t. But they do appreciate talking to someone who truly understands what it’ s like to farm the land.”

As we talked, we stood by one of the five restored ponds at Pawlett Hams, of which three were ghost ponds. “There’s already a healthy population of great crested newts in there,” says Ben, gesturing. “And you can see the aquatic vegetation is flourishing.”

This sort of cooperation doesn’t arise without the right connections and trust – you can’t just knock on a farmer’s door and ask them to open their gate

Take pleasure in discovering new things on your visit to a wetland

Landowner Will Barnard, who also acts as the site manager at Pawlett Hams, fizzes with enthusiasm as he surveys the scene. He’s truly a farmer who cares about the benefits to wildlife. He marvels as a flock of cattle and little egrets circles. “Seeing them puts a spring in your step, doesn’t it?” he enthuses. “Here at Pawlett, there are three strands to our work. Firstly, we ’ ve restored the ponds. Secondly, we ’ ve put in an electric fence to keep predators such as badgers and foxes at bay, to aid the productivity/nest survival of breeding lapwing and redshank populations. Thirdly, we ’ re carrying out wider work such as restoring ditches to better manage water levelsso that areas of splash flooding in the winter provide safe roosting and feeding habitat for overwintering wildfowl and waders. In spring and early summer, as these areas dry out, they provide wet, muddy margins that are essential feeding habitat for the breeding waders and their chicks.”

Both AJ and Will are proud of the progress in just a year. “Thanks to Will’ s pioneering work, seven pairs of lapwings regularly breed here – there are no other pairs in the south-west, from the Somerset

Four ways to a Blue Recovery

1 BLUE CARBON

Our work to highlight the potential of wetlands to store carbon started with Steart – now we’re making the business case for Blue Carbon on a national scale.

2 FLOODING

We’re helping make the case for nature-based solutions to flooding, with communities at heart.

3 URBAN WELLBEING

The Bridgwater Blue Heritage project is creating new urban wetlands and developing a Blue Prescribing programme to connect local communities with wetlands.

4 WATER QUALITY

We’re developing wetland solutions, such as treatment wetlands, to improve water quality, particularly nutrient pollution.

Project Officer AJ shows Sarah the large-scale wetland creation works planned with the Pawlett Hams farming landscape

Levels to Exminster Marshes in Devon. And the Pondscapes Project has enabled their population to more than double, to 15 pairs,” AJ tells me. “We also have a couple of pairs of redshanks – the first time this species has been recorded breeding here in living memory –and oystercatchers have come and held territory for a while here, too. ”

What excited me most about Pawlett Hams was how its achievements and lessons could be expanded elsewhere. “We know the presence of ponds within farmed landscapes kick-starts biodiversity,” says Ben. “And this project could easily be replicated elsewhere, with great effects.”

I was also curious to know how our partners viewed WWT’s role in the scheme. “WWT is a leader in top-class wetland science, creation, management and monitoring,” says Ben. “And more generally in bringing people together. It’s been instrumental in securing much-needed funds from awarding bodies, such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund.”

“We know the presence of ponds within farmed landscapes kick-starts biodiversity. And this project could easily be replicated, with great effects”

As I drove away from Pawlett, I reflected on the overwhelmingly positive aspects of the project, for everyone – farmers, partners and conservationists. When everybody ‘ gets it’, it’s amazing what we can do, together. It gives me enormous hope for the future.

TIME FOR BOLD MOVES

There are two words I love when they are put together: ‘wetland’ and ‘creation’. In my past career, I’ve been involved in a number of projects that created significant new wetlands, such as Wallasea Island in Essex.

The idea of the Bridgwater Blue Heritage project is to create a mosaic of urban wetlands all around the town, including sustainable drainage systems, to help better connect the community to the wetland landscape

A spirit of cooperation allows these projects to thrive and, importantly, enables decision makers to be bold enough to come onboard. And often it’s the local people who are key.

This was particularly striking at my next visit, to the Meads in Bridgwater. This is part of the urban wellbeing strand of the Blue Recovery programme. If you look at a map of Bridgwater, the eight o’clock segment is conspicuously free of buildings. It is an old floodplain marsh; two water

courses, Hamp Brook and Durleigh Brook, flow either side of it and into the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal.

Joe May is the Bridgwater Blue Heritage Officer. “Back in the day, they altered the course of Durleigh Brook to the north. Since then the whole Meads in Bridgwater area has been quite dry,” he says. “It was used for grazing and due to ample drainage would dry out completely in the summer. ”

Working alongside the Environment Agency and Sedgemoor District Council with funding from the Green Recovery Fund, WWT has been integral to improving the state of the wetland. “It was obvious that wildlife would benefit from the development of scrapes and reedbeds,” says Joe. “In the future, we plan to do conservation grazing to keep the area open for the birds.”

But the cows are only a part of the restoration. “Early on, we knew that local people would play a prominent role in what happened to the Meads in Bridgwater,” says Joe. “After all, for many of the town ’ s residents, this is their local open space, a place to come to unwind, to restore their wellbeing. Since they live, work and play here, we wanted them to be part of the wetland restoration.”

One of our hopes at WWT is to get people in their millions taking action for wetlands. And one of the ways to do that is to bring wetlands to them, in every sense. So the Bridgwater Blue Heritage Project was launched at a public meeting, where the overall plan – to improve the Meads as a wetland and potentially

alleviate flooding – was aired, and an appeal was made for volunteers to become involved. Together we have developed with the community a bluer future for the site that recognises how places like this can help people build resilience for the future.

PEOPLE POWER

As somebody who has worked with volunteers on many occasions, I know that conservation projects often attract wonderful, committed and passionate people. At the Meads in Bridgwater I was fortunate enough to meet Steve Webber and his partner, who rejoices in the name of Stan the Man. During lockdown, they took an online ecology course that fuelled their desire to help out in their local area.

“We come down to the Meads every month to carry out a variety of tasks,” Steve tells me. “By setting up acoustic monitoring kits, we ’ ve helped find out what rare bat species are present. So far, we ’ ve recorded 10 species, including Daubenton’s and pipistrelle bats.”

As we walk around the site, Steve and Stan point out the reedbeds they helped plant. Overall, more than 1,000 plants were sown in the wetter parts of the site. “It was good fun,” they tell me. “We all got very muddy.”

“We’ ve enjoyed being involved at the start of the project, and seeing the changes every time we come,” says Steve. “Improving the footpaths around the site has given more local people better access. ”

Steve and Stan are perfect examples of volunteers who have become immersed, quite literally, in wetland regeneration. You don’t have to talk to them for long to see that the Meads project has supported their wellbeing as much as it has benefited from their commitment.

“I just love coming here and being outside among nature,” muses Stan. Whether you ’ re a member, a volunteer or the Chief Executive of WWT, I think that’ s something we can all agree on. n

FIND OUT MORE

Discover our Climate Resilience work creating and restoring 130 hectares of wetlands along the Somerset coast at wwt.org.uk/climateresilience-somerset

Steve introduces Sarah to the bat monitoring equipment among the willows

Steve and Stan show Sarah the reedbeds they helped plant and now monitor

Science in action

ALL-SEEING EYES IN THE SKIES

WWT is a leader in the use of new technology to support wildlife conservation. Now, the high-resolution Earth imagery provided by satellites looks set to revolutionise our efforts

“

I’m tempted to say the sky’s the limit,” says Geoff Hilton, WWT’s Head of Conservation Evidence. “But actually, it isn ’t!” He is enthusing about a very 21st-century type of conservation – the analysis of wetlands and other habitats by satellite. “Every corner of the Earth is now viewed at regular intervals, from days to weeks. And different satellites are viewing the world through the whole spectrum of light, from infrared to ultraviolet. It’s extraordinary – we c monitor the state of faraway valuable wetlandswithout leaving Slimbridge.” With each pixel in a satellite image representing an area of 10-50m square, any changes in the state of a wetland are easy to spot. “We can monitor all kinds of things, from t area of open water to the extent of flooding and even certain types of pollution,” says Geoff. “Recently we have been able to monitor the effect of rice farming in the Mekong Delta in Cambodia, one of our priority hotspots. We can see the effect of changes in land use, such as dams and deforestation.”

look to contribute to public health, such as predicting cholera outbreaks. This means that we can help people as well as wildlife, and we ’ ve probably only scratched the surface of what can be achieved.”

MOVING HOME

One of our most useful applications of satellite images so far was in Madagascar. The Madagascar pochard was rediscovered in 2006 after the last previous d in 1991. This was completely unexpected, as the species was thought to occur on only one wetland, Lake Alaotra, but instead turned up 330km away on a different type of lake in the highlands.

The sheer detail that can be revealed by satellites is astonishing. “Some satellites reveal reflectance from the surface of the water that gives a strong indication of how polluted it is, or how much sediment it is carrying,” says Geoff. “Scientists are even starting to use changes in the way wetlands

“There were only about 20 birds in the w population, so it s critical that, if the species was to be maintained or increased in the wild, we would need to find a new location for them,” reports Geoff. “We couldn’t possibly visit all the potential lakes across Madagascar, so instead we visited a few dozen, collecting data on their ecological health and working out the landscape factors that tended to point to healthy wetlands. We then lookedat those factors in satellite images to work out

which of the hundreds of unvisited lakes might be in good shape. We were able to identify some wetland hotspots that very few scientists had visited. If they looked suitable, we sent in teams to monitor the habitats on the ground. We saved enormous amountsoftime and expense by using satellite coverage. ”

This real-world monitoring is vital to fine-tune the effectiveness of the satellite data. “We need the flesh and blood site visits to confirm impressions from satellite images,” Geoff says. “The process is one of continual learning and feedback.”

One of the most exciting aspects of satellite monitoring is that it is only going

“Some satellites reveal reflectance from the surface of the water that gives a strong indication of how polluted it is, or how much sediment it is carrying”

WORDS: DOMINIC COUZENS

Young Madagascar pochards were released on a new lake

One of WWT’s first attempts at satellite monitoring of bird habitats concerned an assessment of fields on the island of Islay, Scotland, and their suitability for wintering geese.

Satellites orbiting the Earth for observation and communication can help us detect changes over time, map and see areas of natural habitat that were once inaccessible. This is Madagascar

to get better. “Until fairly recently, cloud cover was a problem,” says Geoff. “If the satellite passes over and you can’t see what you want because clouds block the view, it is frustrating. However, new systems based on using radar to detect microwaves can see through clouds. Another development is using artificial intelligence to sift through the vast quantities of satellite data, detecting complex patterns far more quickly.”

The resolution of satellite images is also improving. “Researchers have begun using satellites to monitor colonies of large birds such as albatrosses and emperor penguins,” says Geoff. “It’s a long way from that to counting wildfowl from space, but these days you can’t rule anything out.”

Who would have thought that one of the most exciting conservation developments in recent years is one you can appreciate from your armchair? n

STEP BY STEP

1 KEEPING WATCH

The

technology

Remarkably, the small team at WWT Slimbridge simply log on to the satellite images freely available from the European Space Agency and other providers. The images are put into Geographical Information Software on the researchers’ desktop. This can be slow, depending on the processing power of the computers, but advances using cloud technology may improve this in future.

Looking for Madagascar pochard food in lake samples

3 THE REALITY

Establish the facts on the ground Satellite images are reliable, but they need to be interpreted correctly, and that is impossible without complementary on-the-ground monitoring, also known as ‘ground-truthing’. Using GPS coordinates provided by the satellite, site visits can calibrate the information from space. The more visits are performed, the more accurately the data can be analysed.

At one point, 25% of the world population of Madagascar pochard, seven chicks, were housed in a cardboard box with a plastic ice-cream box as a swimming pool.

2 PICK AND CHOOSE

The world at your fingertips

Satellites cover the whole surface of the Earth, but we focus on WWT’s priority areas, where we can use what we learn from the images to guide our work conserving wetlands on the ground. At the moment these priorities are the Mekong Delta in Cambodia and the central plateau in Madagascar.

Floodwaters overwhelm northern Madagascar

4 TAKE ACTION

What can we do, if anything?

It is possible to view satellite images from specific dates and times in the past, allowing researchers to detect any major changes in the appearance of a site. The changes will then point conservationists towards any areas of concern. We then hope this will enable those on the ground to respond and put any suggestions into action.

Loza Bay wetlands, Madagascar

Alamy WWT

WWT

WETLANDS FOR ALL

WWT Vice President David Lindo, aka The Urban Birder, is supporting our call for more ponds, streams and other wetlands in our cities – something we believe could help level up inequalities in wellbeing across the UK

BY DEREK NIEMANN

All images

Stephanie Foote/WWT

“It’s imperative that decision-makers consider how to incorporate wetlands into our urban spaces – sooner rather than later,” says David. “Wetlands could offer national and local Government a win-win situation, helping them reach their levelling up, climate change, nature and health targets all at the same time. It’s time to start thinking smart.”

“When a bird is flying over countryside and it needs to rest or refuel, it’s got a host of sites to choose from,” says David. “Birds flying over London can’t afford to be so choosy. If you make sure you’re at a good spot, sooner or later, the birds are bound to drop in.”

Many of us already play a part in this tale of two cities. Eighty-four per cent of British people live in urban areas and you may be one of them. You almost certainly draw comfort and joy from nature, and wetlands will surely be a highlight for you –whether you walk to them, cycle, take a train, bus or drive.

Otherpeoplemight as well be in a different city. Currently, people in the poorest urban communities are twice as likely as those in more affluent groups to live in neighbourhoods without good-quality blue or green spaces. Various barriers may deprive them of access to the blue and green spaces that could benefit their physical and mental wellbeing.

Whether these barriers are practical, cultural or social, there are unquestionably health and happiness inequalities. Tackling them to ‘level up’ could give a boost not just to people but also in turning our urban places blue. How can it be done?

MAKING CONNECTIONS

WWT’s Tom Ash is a professional persuader. His job title is Policy and Advocacy Officer, which means he has to face in two directions at the same time.

He draws on the relevant skills and experience of colleagues who work with urban wetlands and blue prescribing at LondonWetlandCentre, and on urban regeneration in Slough andBridgwater. Then he turns outwards to cajole people in positions of authority – the politicians, councillors, developers, water companies and business people who can make the creation of more urban wetlands happen.

LEVELLING UP

Work is under way to enshrine our aspirations for increasing access to nature in law. The Government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is due to go through Parliament this autumn and WWT is among the 80-plus conservation groups pressing for a legal right to nature, wherever people may live, to be included in the bill. This will help level up opportunities for people to have access, with all the attendant health and wellbeing benefits.

We’re focusing on securing investment for creating wetlands, especially in urban areas, and establishing a legal requirement on councils and developers through the planning process to ensure every home has access to nature.

Asked why wetlands are especially well suited to improving wellbeing, Tom replies: “Why does chocolate taste better than broccoli? We can’t exactly say why, but we know it does. We can’t yet pin down precisely why blue spaces boost our mental health, but there’s lots of evidence they do Research suggests factors such as light, sound, changing patterns on the water and personal associations make us less stressed in aquatic environments.

“We also prefer socialising around water. Leisure activities such as swimming and sailing bring people together, which helps build community cohesion and reduce social isolation. And participants who took part in our blue prescribing for mental health talked about there being so much going on in wetland nature, so many stimuli, they could forget about their problems and escape to another world.

“The urban route map initiative [see page 8] falls within our goal, set in 2020, of creating and restoring 100,000 hectares of wetland. This will rely on building partnerships, political and public support, and policy frameworks. Our aim is to see more blue spaces created and increase the access afforded for deprived communities –these often live in urban areas. And in this route map small spaces can be just as

important as large. Even rain gardens and little ponds can make a difference, bringing wetlands to people in towns and cities.”

The latter point is crucial when we come up against hard statistics: one in three of those living in urban areas do not have access to nature within a 15-minute walk. That figure drops to just 3% in Britain’s 200 most disadvantaged communities. Many of the so-called wastelands that inspired David Lindo, the ‘Urban Birder’, as a child have been paved over by development. And the gardens that fostered his love of nature have shrunk – disadvantaged communities have less than a third of the private garden space of the wealthy.

Yet people need oases to relieve their concrete deserts. Happiness could be a frog in a pond. For those with restricted mobility and means – for all sorts of reasons – wildlife on their doorstep is key.

BLUE SPACE FOR EVERYONE

Wetlands created, problem solved? Not quite. One troubling statistic has barely shifted in more than a generation. While 69% of people from white ethnic groups visit nature locations once a week, that figure drops to just 40% among people from black and Asian ethnic groups. If they are to engage, such groups need to feel a sense of ownership.

Slough and Bridgwater have taught WWT about the need for community-building, involving local people from the start in designing, creating and managing their wetlands, and to draw them in by building on their existing interests – welcoming excluded communities to wetlands through their passion for music, art, or walking, for example, as well as capturing children’ s imagination through school visits.

For wavering politicians who might promise pale green at best, Tom talks of using wetland access to indicate wellbeing more widely and make those persuasive arguments compelling: “It’s about quality of life. We can define it as connecting with nature, but there are also wider benefits to society. Through creating urban wetlands we can make cities more liveable, reducing people’s fear of their properties being flooded, and dealing with extremes we now see in summer by cooling cities and reducing drought where urban areas become heat islands.”

Momentum is building towards revitalising urban spaces for the sake of both wildlife and people. Let’s fill our cities with blue and green. n

Five questions for David Lindo

WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF NATURE BEGIN?

Mine was an innate interest and it began in my back garden in Wembley. My first proper birding patch was just beyond my local park, on the other side of the River Brent, which was a concrete drain. This area of derelict land was my countryside, where I saw my first skylark and my first kingfisher. I kept meticulous notes and I learned organically what to expect and when – a wheatear in September, teal [ducks] in winter.

WWT ASKED YOU TO BE VICE PRESIDENT LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF YOUR OBVIOUS LOVE OF WETLANDS. WHY DID YOU FALL FOR THEM?

Part of the reason I love wetlands is because, as a kid growing up in London, I found I liked open vistas. The biggest open habitat near where I lived was Brent Reservoir. On open water, you can find ducks, grebes, coots, moorhens, egrets and herons, and birds flying overhead such as gulls and terns. There’s something to see right in front of you all the time.

Over the years I began to realise that I was the only black person doing this, but it didn’t really bother me because I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I understood even then that nature was good for your wellbeing, because I’d go to a wetland and I’d feel great.

IS IT TRUE THAT WETLANDS ARE YOUR FAVOURITE HABITAT?

It was only last year that WWT drew out of me the realisation that

if someone asked me: “If you could visit any habitat in the world to look for birds, what would it be?”, I would choose a wetland. Hands down.

Some people walk through jungles, chasing shadows, hearing things a mile away. I sometimes found that unfulfilling. When I turn a corner and find myself in a wetland, I say “leave me here”.

AND YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR PASSION FOR URBAN WETLANDS?

In my career I’ve travelled to so many cities – some 350 in 16 years. For most of them, there is nothing written about their natural history value, and so you begin to source that information for yourself. Growing up in a city, I learned quickly that wetlands are magnets for wildlife, more so than any other habitat. So many birds are drawn to them to feed, breed and drink.

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW YOU’VE BROUGHT YOUNG PEOPLE OUT TO EXPERIENCE WETLANDS?

Many people feel it’s not their place to be interested. Recently, I took two groups of schoolkids out to an urban nature site. One group was mostly white, well-to-do, from out of the city, and they ‘got’ wildlife immediately.

An inner-city school came later, mostly Asian and black kids, and they seemed to have a “should I be doing this?” reticence. Of course, they couldn’t resist it. We need to motivate and inspire parents and children alike, and that’s why I’m so happy to front WWT’s campaign for urban wetlands.

COOTS WILDABOUT...

OUR MUST-SEE WILD SPECTACLE OF THE WINTER IS COOTS. NEXT TIME YOU VISIT, WATCH OUT FOR THESE FIERCE AND FEISTY WATERBIRDS

BY ANDY PARKINSON

All photos by Andy Parkinson

Coots are fantastically accessible and charismatic –and make rewarding subjects for anyone who wants to explore bird photography. Present across most of the UK – and used to people at WWT centres – they are highly territorial. Their explosive displays and plucky characters can be enjoyed at almost any time of year. I often just sit and watch them on my local lakes so I am prepared for when and where the conflicts/nesting behaviours will occur.

There’s no time of year when coots will not participate enthusiastically in some territorial aggression. Such fights can flare up and end in an instant, or they can persist for up to a minute, which can be great if you’re trying to photograph this explosive behaviour. In my experience, the peak month for displays tends to be April, but the depths of winter are no reason to take a day off. To capture the falling snow, I positioned my camera as close as possible to the water level to make the snowflakes visible against a dark, forested background. A higher perspective would have rendered them virtually invisible.

Like all animals, coots experience and display a wide range of complex emotions. While they may be best known for their feisty territorial defence, they also have a tender side to their characters. Breeding pairs like this will often have affectionate moments with each other and with the chicks to come, which they will both help to raise. It is important to try and capture as many different aspects of your subject’s character and behaviour as possible. Breeding may start as early as February or March.

This coot is diving for freshwater clams. This image captures the exact moment its bill breaks the water surface. When trying to capture action like this, remember that anticipation is faster than reaction. Had I waited to press the shutter until I saw the coot begin to dive, I would’ve missed the shot. By investing time watching and learning about the bird, I was able to predict this decisive moment by recognising the coot’s subtle pre-dive posturing.

ANDY PARKINSON

is one of Europe’s leading photographers and a Nikon Europe Ambassador (Wildlife). His work has been published in National Geographic and many other magazines.

NOW YOU DO IT

We love to see the photos you’ve taken at your local WWT centre. If you’ve been inspired by Andy’s coots, why not see if you can capture their pugnacious behaviour on your next visit? The best images will be published in our Your views section.

HOT SPOT!

This is your last chance to enter our 2022 photo competition and show us your best work from the past year. You could win a great pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars, worth £970

This summer’s extreme heat reminded us all of the value of blue space. As people flocked to local rivers and lakes to cool off, wildlife also desperately sought water. Our wetlands were alive with insects and birds attracted to our lagoons and wet marshes, and we helped our animal collection beat the heat, too.

Many savvy photographers were there to capture the unusual opportunities created by the heat as wildlife tried to stay cool.

Now it’s time to look through your photos from the summer and send your best shots in to our photo competition. Remember, images must have been taken at a WWT centre between 1 April and 30 November 2022 and you must be a member to enter (you’ll need your member number ID).

We’re excited to see our youth category providing a platform for new talent. The winner will receive a pair of Viking Otter 8x32 binoculars, courtesy of VIKING OPTICAL.

You’ve only got until 30 November 2022 to enter. A shortlist of winning and commended shots will be published in the March/June 2023 issue of Waterlife, and the overall winner will be awarded a pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars worth £970.

For full details and the rules, visit wwt.org.uk/waterlifephoto

WIN!

WIN!

SWAROVSKIOPTIKCL8X30 BINOCULARSWORTH£970!

To enter, and for the full rules, visit wwt.org.uk/ waterlifephoto

Make the most of every wildlife sighting with the Swarovski Optik 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

Avocets, WWT Slimbridge

By Alan Gee (2021

shortlisted image)

It’s time to look through your photos from the summer and send your best shots in to our photo competition

Reed warbler with insect prey, WWT Welney

By Warren Wise (2021 shortlisted image)

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Our best seasonal experiences to share with friends and family

eek! week

A fantastic family eek!sperience learning about intriguing wildlife.

Discover the eek!citing and mysterious world of wetland nature this October half-term.

It’s a weirdly wild day out for the whole family.

Dates: This October – check your local WWT centre for dates

WHERE: ALL CENTRES

Jim Johnston/WWT

Experiences to share...

Have a magical Christmas

Start feeling festive at WWT Slimbridge, where you can say hello to Santa and his friendly elves in a special wetland grotto. Receive a gift from Santa, take part in fun activities and enjoy treats from the Kingfisher Kitchen.

Wrap up warm, fill your lungs with fresh air and make some magical memories as you soak up Slimbridge’s wonderful winter wildlife and enjoy an adventurepacked day in a wetland paradise.

It’s a fantastic way to relax and spend some precious time

in beautiful surroundings with those you love over the Christmas season.

Other centres also have special Christmas events for children. Join Santa’s elves at WWT Castle Espie’s Elf Academy, and Sail to Santa at WWT Arundel and WWT Martin Mere as our elves escort you to our grotto on a boat. Meet Father Christmas, whisper a wish and receive a WWT gift!

WHERE: SLIMBRIDGE

Check online for Christmas events at your local centre

Watch the wetland sky

Don’t miss your chance to see marsh harriers this winter. These rare raptors roost in the reedbed at Arundel all year round but are easier to see from late October through February, when numbers increase. Watch them soar over the reedbed in the late afternoon and suddenly drop out of sight for the night.

WHERE: ARUNDEL

THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE...

LEARN MORE ABOUT BIRDS

Join our experts for a special Birdwatch Morning and take a closer look at the amazing variety of wetland birds on our reserve at a time when they are most active. Come along on the last Wednesday of the month and see if you can spot something new! Don’t forget to book in advance.

WHERE: CASTLE ESPIE

Go on a Wild Welly Walk

Run, splash and play your way through winter on a Wild Welly Walk around our wonderful wetlands. Bring your loved ones for a great day out experiencing the carefree thrill of puddle jumping, the excitement of spotting a new bird and the satisfaction of building the best stick man. And every child can enjoy a tasty home-made cookie on us. Make memories together, whatever the weather!

WHERE: WASHINGTON

COME ON A GUIDED WALK

See some of the season’s best wildlife highlights and learn more about nature with our friendly experts. Take a tour of our reserve on the third Saturday of every month, and discover how to identify a broad range of different species as well as secret wildlife signs and tracks.

WHERE: LLANELLI

Barry Batchelor/WWT

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WWT

Jim Johnston/WWT

Simon Murrell/WWT

Illuminature is back – book your tickets now!

London’s unique light trail returns from November 2022 to January 2023 with new displays and more to see. Hot chocolate in hand, you can follow the twinkling lights and celebrate nature with an immersive light trail of glowing larger-than-life sculptures and installations. New this year, you can enjoy glimpses of real animal magic through night vision goggles, as well as visit the resident otters tucked up in bed, while also learning about phases of the moon and how they impact our environment.

WHERE: LONDON

Join our wild bird feeds

Experience the spectacle of thousands of ducks – pintails, teals, shovelers and wigeon – and (usually!) hundreds of whooper swans this winter. From October through to February, the mere bustles with fabulous waterbirds, all waiting for our warden to feed them. Come along, get cosy in the Discovery Hide, and learn all about them during this informative session.

WHERE: MARTIN MERE

Swans Awake!

Get up with the larks

Wild Goose Festival

Turn your eyes to the skies and join us to celebrate the return of the barnacle geese to Caerlaverock. Many thousands of these migratory geese seek the shelter of the Solway Firth, and its saltmarshes, tidal pools and grazing land, in winter. The Wild Goose Festival takes place across Dumfries and Galloway on 21-30 October, offering activities from wildlife walks and creative events to interactive storytelling. Join us for a family-friendly programme focusing on the important connection we have with nature.

WHERE: CAERLAVEROCK

YOU SAID…

heir daytime hideaways.

WHERE: WELNEY

“The outdoor experience takes your breath away. Every pond is full of different waterbirds, and the various hides give great views of all sorts of wild birds. We saw children enjoying themselves. A relaxing and informative afternoon” Brian C

KimTarsey/WWT

Lorraine Hall/WWT

Toolbox Marketing

Martin Birchall/WWT

Waterlife

MY wildlife

I first visited WWT Arundel when I was a child, roughly my son’s age now, so about eight or nine years old. My uncle was a keen birdwatcher and photographer, and he would take me to the WWT centre on every visit. I always looked forward to it!

As a child, I was highly amused by the blue-billed duck and I always looked for it! I’ve always had an interest in wildlife, which has carried on into my adult years, and I am certain those early childhood visits instilled that in me.

Today, I enjoy the tranquillity of our local wetland centre. The town of Arundel can be busy, but the reserve is an oasis of calm. It feels like you ’ re a million miles away from the hustle and bustle outside, which is rare these days. All of the staff are always so welcoming and helpful.

Now I am able to share my experiences with my own children, it feels as if I am introducing the next generation to WWT. It’s great to witness their enthusiasm and interest when we walk around the centre. I have such fond memories of visiting with my family when I was young, and I hope to create similar memories for my children.

David, Steph, Josh and Emily Risebrow WWT Family Members

We absolutely love the pelicans and also the kingfishers. This year we ’ ve been lucky to see a breeding pair on every visit. I also have a soft spot for the Canada geese!

My children like the pond dipping the most. The boardwalk through the reeds is fun to do and, of course, the gift shop, where they will happily spend all of their pocket money.

We all enjoy being in the hides, spotting the different birds. Our children understand we need to be quiet to have the best chance of seeing wildlife. We ’ ve had some lovely conversations with strangers in the hides. Recently, one kind lady let my son use her expensive binoculars. There is a feeling of community.

There are so many distractions today, it’s all too easy for children to forget about the outdoors and howbrilliantit is! Spending time in nature and learning about wildlife has positive effects on children, both mentally and physically. Our children’s screen time is balanced by visiting wild places like the wetlands where they can have real experiences and learn. I encourage anyone who wants to see their child develop to get outdoors and have fun.

We became members because we want to support WWT. Membership is excellent value for money for people like us who visit often. When we looked at the benefits membership provides, and compared it to the monthly cost of visiting, it was an easy decision to make.

We love the fact that,as members, we can visit our local centre whenever we like, and also all the other WWT centres across the country. That’ s something I recommend as they all offer different experiences. We always know we ’ll have a nice time.

In our local area,we ’ re seeing more green land converted to housing. It is vital that areas such as wetlands are protected for the good of wildlife and people. In current times, where our wellbeing appears to be under attack from all sides, it’s so important to have blue and green spaces we can visit to support our mental health.

I hope our membership willhelp maintain and improve WWT’ s reserves, educate children who visit, and support the employees, who are all incredibly passionate.

It is important to educate our children about wildlife for it to have a future.

Risebrow family