Waterlife Jan–Mar 2017 by WWT Waterlife

waterlife 199 JANUARY/MARCH 2017

waterlife The magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust | 199 January/March 2017 | £4.25 | wwt.org.uk

WINTER WONDERLAND

OUR CENTRES’ MOST INCREDIBLE WILDLIFE SPECTACLES INSIDE THIS ISSUE wwt.org.uk

THE CRANE CHICKS PHOTO COMP HAVE MADE IT!WINNERS YOUR PAGE 24 BEST IMAGES ARE REVEALED

WETLAND CHAMPIONS HOW WE’RE INSPIRING CHILDREN IN MADAGASCAR

COMP TAKE BETTERPHOTO PICTURES

YOUR LAST NEW: IMPROVE YOUR CHANCE WILDLIFE PHOTOS – EASILY! TO ENTER FOR 2015

PLUS

FLIGHT OF THE SWANS: AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY PAGE 26

CONTENTS Bence Mate/naturepl.com

NEW YEAR, NEW WILDLIFE? Welcome to a new year. It’s crisp and fresh

and full of promise. Could this be a year packed with great wildlife and brilliant days out for you? The year you get out and about to see all the wild spectacles you’d so love to see? We certainly hope so! And we’re here to help you. Let’s get started straight away. Winter is a truly wonderful time of year to wrap up warm and visit one of our centres. On frosty days, our birds and local wildlife are often focused on finding food and keeping warm, so even secretive species venture out into the open, giving you amazing views. Winter is also the season to see our stunning flocks of migratory geese, swans and ducks. These beautiful birds are present in their highest numbers right now, and drake ducks are sporting their brightest plumage. Visiting one of our centres is the easiest way to tick these spectacles off your must-see list (and enjoy a nice hot drink and slice of cake in our cafés at the same time). There’s even more inspiration – and some surprising wildlife treats – in our top 10 list of wildlife wonders you can see at our reserves over the coming months (page 18). For the young at heart, our popular national Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck return in February. Visit Down Your Way (from page 43) to enjoy a week of wellies, water and whoopees! It’s not to be missed. We can’t wait to see you at your local centre soon.

A water rail – just one of the winter wonders that makes our top 10 list

In this issue...

4 Front lines Martin Spray suggests we need to change the way we think 7 Waterways The latest WWT conservation news from around the world 16 Wigeon post Your letters and photos, plus our crossword and competition 18 10 winter wonders Top wildlife spectacles you won’t want to miss 26 Flight of the Swans Join Sacha on every step of her incredible journey 32 Madagascar schools How we’re teaching children to love wetlands 34 Photo competition Our stunning winners are revealed! 39 Photo tips Expert advice for taking wonderful wildlife images 40 Kids’ zone Steve Backshall and Dusty Duck get to know pink-footed geese 43 Down your way All the wildlife, news and events at your local centre 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: Markus Varesvuo/naturepl.com

HEADQUARTERS Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT 01453 891900 wwt.org.uk membership@wwt.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410 CENTRES For full contact details, please see page 43 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: Emma Fauré waterlife@wwt.org.uk Editorial board: Katy Baird, Ray Clark, Baz Hughes, David Salmon, Rob Shore, Mark Simpson, Fiona Williams Editor: Sophie Stafford sophie.stafford@thinkpublishing.co.uk Senior sub-editor: Marion Thompson Designer: Mark Davies Contributors: Mike Unwin, Derek Niemann (text); Chris Gomersall (text and images); Tim Sutcliffe (Dusty Duck cartoon) Group advertising manager: Sonal Mistry sonal.mistry@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 3771 7247 Account director: Helen Cassidy, Think, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH; thinkpublishing.co.uk

Waterlife is published four times a year, and is printed by Herons, 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 2015: 92,555

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Waterlife

We want the value of nature to be more widely recognised and taken into account in the decisions governments and businesses make. That needs to change, fast

FRONT LINES

A SHIFT IN THINKING Martin Spray CBE, WWT Chief Executive

As we leave behind a wonderful year celebrating 70 years of outstanding conservation achievements by WWT, it’s time to focus on the present – and plan for the future. Today, in the UK, we’re lucky to have a thriving, broad and proactive conservation charity network. Environmental awareness is high and we have a better understanding of our environmental impact than ever before. But last year’s State of Nature report confirmed that nearly 60% of species in England are in decline. A few species are doing well, but the overriding message is that we need to wake up and take action. We know that this situation is not confined to the UK – it’s a worldwide problem. We also know that the demands we’re placing on our planet – our only home and life-support system – are not sustainable. Indeed, if we allow current trends to persist, they are likely to cause enormous problems for our own and future generations. I don’t believe that people don’t care. In the developing world, the health of the environment can be a matter of life or death for those who depend on it for their livelihoods. But I do wonder if, in the developed world, people don’t consider the environment to have the same immediate importance in their lives as other current issues, such as the economy and health. This is reflected in the priorities of our government. When has the environment ever

I don’t believe that people don’t care. But I do wonder if people don’t consider the environment to have the same immediate importance in their lives as other current issues

featured prominently in election debates or even, more recently, in the EU referendum debate? I believe we need to examine how we’re communicating our messages. We need to be realistic about the world in which we live and the aspirations of our fellow citizens, not only in the UK, but around the globe. We must change our language and present more compelling reasons for appreciating and valuing nature. The use of terms such as ‘ecosystem services’, ‘natural capital’ and ‘sustainable millennium goals’ may be fine for some audiences, but they simply don’t work for most people. They don’t touch hearts. It’s time to rethink our approach. Our relationship with businesses is, in my view, an increasingly important factor in achieving environmental improvement. But to be successful, we need to provide compelling business reasons for partnership. This is not as difficult as you might think, since many modern business leaders already appreciate the importance of the natural environment to the sustainable success of their enterprises – and to the lives of their employees. Promoting the need to conserve biodiversity for the sake of the planet is, without doubt, absolutely right. But if we’re really honest, it isn’t working. WWT has a long-standing relationship with HSBC, working in partnership to achieve our charitable objectives through support for education, community, biodiversity and conservation projects. We now need to develop effective partnerships across all sectors of society – business, farming, health and the economy – to develop greater understanding, more joined-up thinking and action, and a more realistic appreciation of the environment for a sustainable and successful future. It’s a challenge. An exciting challenge, but an urgent one. WWT must and will play its part.

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WWT NEWS

WATERWAYS NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WILDFOWL AND WETLANDS CONSERVATION

Most of the Svalbard population of barnacle goose winter on the Solway Firth, where numbers have reached a new peak

Bill Coster/FLPA

GOING UP!

Whooper swan

The 2015/16 results from the Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme (GSMP)* are in, with news of three significant population milestones for two geese and one swan species that winter in Britain and Ireland. The most impressive of these is that Icelandic pink-footed geese have reached an all-time high of more than half a million birds – just over 536,000 were counted in October 2015. Our Lancashire reserve, WWT Martin Mere, hosts awe-inspiring numbers of wintering pinkfeet and has, for many years, provided a safe winter refuge. More than 32,200 pinkfeet were recorded last October, making Martin Mere the third-largest roost in the UK. Continuing the Icelandic theme, in January 2015 counters took part in the International Swan Census organised by WWT, BirdWatch Ireland, Irish Whooper

Swan Study Group and Icelandic ornithologists. Thanks to the fantastic efforts of volunteer counters and organisers, this showed that the Icelandic whooper swan population has increased by 16% since 2010 to just over 34,000 birds. Interestingly, counts suggest a shift in distribution, with the number wintering in England having increased fivefold. At the Ouse Washes alone there were 7,171 birds, the highest total recorded at that time. Safe refuges such as WWT Welney, with good feeding and roosting conditions, are an important part of why wintering on the Ouse Washes is so attractive.

The third milestone is that of Svalbard barnacle geese. During 2015/16, the number on the Solway Firth peaked at 41,000 on 27 April, when more than 70% of the population was gathered on Rockcliffe Marsh in Cumbria prior to migration. The passing of this 40,000 milestone, amazing considering there were just 300 birds 70 years ago, is thanks in part to the protection of sites like WWT Caerlaverock. WWT is proud of its contribution to restoring goose populations such as Svalbard ‘barnies’.

Turn to page 19 to read about WWT Caerlaverock’s barnacle geese.

*The GSMP monitors the abundance and breeding success of the UK’s native geese and migratory swans during the non-breeding season. It is organised by WWT and funded in partnership with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (on behalf of NRW, NE and DAERA Northern Ireland) and Scottish Natural Heritage. JANUARY/MARCH 2017

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WWT NEWS

After 18 months of planning and proposal writing, the LIFE programme of the EU has agreed funding for an exciting new project in partnership with the RSPB to turn around the fortunes of black-tailed godwits breeding in the UK. Since the 1970s, the population of godwits breeding on the Ouse Washes has declined from 65 pairs to three. This is due to increased spring and summer flooding, which destroys nests and chicks, and makes the area unsuitable for breeding. The few remaining pairs of godwits have relocated to the Lady Fen-Bank Farm site at WWT Welney. A series of poor breeding years was followed by a successful season in 2016, with nine chicks fledged from three pairs. The Lady Fen-Bank Farm site was created by WWT in response to the deterioration of the Ouse Washes, not only for breeding waders but wintering

Chicks will be given an early boost

Wild Wonders of Europe/Geslin/naturepl.com

blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photo

GIVING BLACK-TAILED GODWITS A BOOST

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wigeon, too. Other wet grassland sites have also been created, including the RSPB’s ‘Pilot Project’ on the west side of the Washes. These sites are suitable for godwit breeding and offer protection from flooding and some predators. Now that the habitat’s been created, we need to help the birds’ numbers recover. So we’ve come up with a plan to ‘headstart’ godwit chicks. We aim to collect godwit eggs from breeding sites in the UK, and hopefully the Netherlands, rear the chicks in captivity and then release them as they’re learning to fly. We’ve yet to determine where the birds will be released, but it’s likely to be at both WWT Welney and the RSPB site.

Thanks to funding from HSBC, we trialled captive rearing of godwits at WWT Slimbridge last year. With LIFE funding and in partnership with the RSPB, next year we’ll start the releases. First up is a pilot release of 18 to 25 birds this year. All being well, releases of 60 birds per year will continue from 2018 to 2021. Our goal is to restore and secure the black-tailed godwit population around the Ouse Washes, and this means establishing a breeding population of at least 65 pairs. By 2021 we aim to have increased the Ouse breeding population at least sixfold, and for breeding to have occurred at the RSPB site. The project also involves managing the habitat at the Nene Washes to improve the outlook for the slowly declining population of just 45 pairs that uses that site. We also hope to engage schools with the godwits, inspiring a few ‘Wader Warriors’ to look out for them in the future. We can’t wait to get started!

A pair of blacktailed godwits will raise a clutch of three or four eggs

THE LAWS OF NATURE By Richard Benwell, WWT’s Head of Government Affairs Usually our work in Westminster is about gradual gains: we nudge a new law in the right direction, question the environmental merits of policy and make sure politicians understand our need for nature. The chance for change is often small and hard-won. This year, though, all the old certainties will be opened wide. We’re expecting a new 25-year environment plan, a new system of support for farmers, and a new relationship with the EU that will affect some of the central tenets of UK environmental protection. Get these wrong and the risks are high – for the environment, economy and society. Get them right and we can finally turn around the steady loss of species and habitats. Together, we can be a powerful force for change. So, over the coming year, we’ll be asking for your support to ensure we make the most of a green, clean Brexit. The 25-year plan is already open for consultation. The principles set out by the Environment Department all hit the mark: the government is talking about connecting people with nature, valuing

our environment and getting the regulatory system right. At the moment, though, the plan is far too flimsy. So we’re trying to give it some serious muscle, to defend and extend the environmental protection we enjoyed in the EU. The plan should: 1. Uphold and update legal protection derived from EU law, including the Nature Directives. 2. Set new, long-term, legally binding objectives for the UK’s environment – targets for species, habitats, air, soil and water – including 100,000 hectares of new healthy wetland. 3. Connect up local people’s priorities with national and international goals, combining environmental engagement and education with management across catchments. 4. Structure markets so that polluters pay for damage and providers are paid for environmental improvements, from small farmers to big businesses. With so much change afoot, every voice can make a difference. Wetlands and wildlife need us all to make the case for environmental ambition. Please join our campaign for an ambitious plan for our environment. Add your voice here: wwt.org.uk/richinnature.

We want to make sure Britain’s wild places are well protected by law

PÁRAMO JACKET WINNER We had a brilliant response to our Páramo outdoor jacket competition in the Oct/Dec 2016 issue of Waterlife. Thank you to everyone who entered. We asked you the question: ‘How far do Bewick’s swans fly from Russia to the UK?’ The correct answer was 3,500km (as detailed on page 28 of the same issue) and the first correct entry to be drawn was Mary Hite – congratulations!

Mary has won an incredible Páramo Halcon all-weather outdoor jacket, worth £300. We’d like to say a huge thanks to Páramo for supporting our Flight of the Swans expedition and donating this fabulous prize. l Join the Flight of the Swans expedition and see Sacha’s Páramo gear in action on page 26.

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TRACKING THE WANDERING GOOSE

Pink-footed geese spend the winter in the UK

WWT

Calling flocks of pink-footed geese filling the skies signals the start of the British winter for many people. But it wasn’t always so, as, although numbers of these dapper geese have risen to more than half a million, their numbers used to be much lower, with only about 50,000 birds in the late 1950s. Today, all the birds from the Greenland and Iceland populations spend the winter in the UK. And their spectacular arrival thrills visitors at WWT Martin Mere, a safe winter roost. Pinkfeet show remarkable site fidelity, but now geese that regularly overwinter in Scotland, Norfolk or Lancashire face new obstacles. Over the past 20 years, there has been a rapid increase in the number of wind turbines built both onshore and offshore around the UK – and more are being planned. Being large, unmanoeuvrable birds, pinkfeet are vulnerable to potential

collision along their flight routes, and sensitive to disturbance on their feeding grounds. So it’s vital that we understand their exact movements and potential interaction with existing and planned wind turbines. The winter wanderings of pink-footed geese in the UK are unusual. In October, huge numbers touch land at established arrival sites, such as Montrose Basin in Angus, Loch Leven in Perthshire and Martin Mere. As autumn progresses, the geese move with the availability of their food – grain, winter cereals, potatoes and grass – and many spread throughout south and east Scotland, while others move into south-west Lancashire, Lincolnshire and

Norfolk. The geese cover a lot of ground, yet their exact routes and the timing of their movements remains a mystery. In 2013/14, we trialled using GPS tags to help us identify key feeding areas used by the pinkfeet and how long they use them for. We’re now planning to tag 60 of the geese in Dumfriesshire, Lancashire and Iceland over the next two years, with the support of DONG Energy, an energy supplier specialising in offshore wind power in the UK. The information from the tags will reveal vital insights into the birds’ annual migration routes, their daily movements between roosts and feeding areas, and their seasonal movements within Britain. This is the first-ever study of the cumulative impact of wind farms at a population level. And the knowledge gained will enable us to predict the collision risk to pinkfeet posed by wind farms in Britain and, in particular, understand the potential impact of new turbines in the eastern Irish Sea. Together, we can better protect the pinkfeet and ensure we can all enjoy their winter spectacle for years to come.

Turn to page 24 to read more about where to see pinkfeet.

Duncan Shaw/Alamy Stock Photo

Huge flocks of pink-footed geese fill the skies over Invergordon on the Cromarty Firth

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ary/Alamy Stock Photo David Tipling Photo Libr

WWT NEWS

MALCOLM’S MEMORIAL SUPPORTS SPOONIE TAGGING In our last issue of Waterlife we told you about the sad passing of our editor, Malcolm Tait, and that his family has kindly nominated WWT to receive donations in his memory. Thanks to everyone who contributed, the fund (wwt.org.uk/Malcolm) has now reached a tremendous £4,152.64! We’ve put the money towards a satellite tagging project for the spoon-billed sandpiper project, as these tiny waders were close to Malcolm’s heart. With fewer than 250 pairs left in the world, it’s vital that we discover the sites the birds use throughout the year, so that these crucial areas can be protected. Currently, we only know where 50% of the population overwinters (in Asia) and where 25% of the birds breed in summer (Russia). Where the rest go is a mystery! Last October, three migrating spoonies were tagged on migration in China – a world first. The satellite tags will help us to track their perilous journey from China to South East Asia and then hopefully back to their breeding grounds in north-east Russia. It will provide us with invaluable information to help give these incredible birds a brighter future.

WWT

Find out more about the spoon-billed sandpiper project at saving-spoon-billedsandpiper.com

An artist’s impression of what the restored stream could look like

SAVING THE SALT HILL STREAM Back in September, we launched our new Working Wetlands community wetlands project in Slough. The project aims to bring together local people and WWT to turn around the fortunes of the Salt Hill stream. At the launch event, local school children released fish into the stream and ‘Urban Birder’ David Lindo spoke about the value of urban waterways and wetland wildlife. The stream is currently in a sorry condition. Plagued by litter, poor water quality and erratic flows, wetland wildlife is struggling to survive, and anyone walking along its banks is more likely to see an old tyre or oil slick than catch a glimpse of a kingfisher or dragonfly. It urgently needs a helping hand. So we’re working with community groups and Slough Borough Council, as well as Thames Water and the Environment Agency, who have provided the funding for this project, to identify

the problems afflicting Salt Hill stream, and help restore it to a cleaner and healthier condition. We believe it can become somewhere Slough can be proud of. The local community will be involved in every step of our efforts to revitalise the stream, from devising plans for its restoration to looking after it once we’ve finished. The project won’t just save this important stream, it will bring people together, help children learn the value of these wetland habitats for people and wildlife, and teach our volunteers new skills. Restoring the stream will also help to tackle pollution and protect the area against floods and droughts.

If you live locally and would like to volunteer for practical activities, please contact 07879 432111. If you’re a local business that can help support the project, call Andy Graham on 01453 891187 or email andy.graham@wwt.org.uk.

Crossword solution

Here are the answers to last issue’s crossword Across: 1. Canada 4. Dams 7. Umbrella 8. Mink 9. Deforestation 10. Cuckoo 13. Spring 14. Microclimates 17. Visa 18. Inflight 19. Fens 20. Creeks Down: 1. Combe 2. Norfolk Broads 3. Dolce 4. Dematerialise 5. Monsoon 6. Cactus 11. Utilise 12. Orchid 15. Infer 16. Ethos

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WWT NEWS

ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE The lesser white-fronted goose is threatened

WWT

Last October, WWT joined an international team of conservationists in Kazakhstan to tackle a worrying decline in two vulnerable goose species. The lesser white-fronted goose and red-breasted goose are popular with visitors to Slimbridge, Arundel, Llanelli and Martin Mere, but numbers in the wild have declined. They’re now of great conservation concern, so it’s important that we identify how much numbers are changing from year to year. Many of the wildfowl that spend the winter on WWT reserves, and in Greece, migrate from Arctic Russia, fleeing the onset of an inhospitable winter. To reach our warmer climes, they fly along the Baltic coast and the shores of the North Sea. But the lesser white-fronts and red-breasted geese follow a different route from Siberia, travelling south along the Ob River valley, east of the Ural Mountains, and down into the wetlands around the Caspian and Black Seas. This flyway is remote and little known, so it’s

difficult for conservationists to keep tabs on these birds. Every October, hundreds of thousands of these southbound geese stop to refuel in the steppes of northern Kazakhstan. Here, they feed on stubble fields, and roost on nearby lakes. It’s a great opportunity to survey the birds, so WWT consultant Dr Richard Cuthbert joined an international team to make an accurate population count.

The expedition was organised by the AEWA Lesser White-fronted Goose International Working Group, with funding from the German and Norwegian governments, and the team was comprised of members from Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, Kazakhstan and Russia. Though the steppes are the best place to count the migrating geese, it proved a fiendish challenge, both logistically and scientifically. There were literally hundreds of roosting lakes spread across a vast area, and some of the goose flocks comprised tens of thousands of birds! As the arctic winter started to set in, conditions got even trickier. Undaunted, the expedition team set about making dawn counts of the goose flocks as the birds left their roosts to feed in the fields. They covered hundreds of miles, moving steadily from lake to lake. At the time of Waterlife going to press, final numbers were not yet in, but we’ve taken important steps to work together to monitor these highly threatened birds, now and in the future.

SAFEGUARDING ARUNDEL’S WETLANDS

A generous legacy from a supporter who loved visiting WWT Arundel provided significant funding for this project. This is just one of the fantastic projects that would not have been possible without gifts in wills. For more information about legacies, visit wwt.org.uk/giftsin-wills or contact David Salmon on 01453 891150 or email david.salmon@wwt.org.uk.

Arundel’s reedbed is one of the largest in Sussex. Both above and below the gently waving reeds it absolutely teems with precious wildlife. WWT has worked hard for decades to get the management just right. But, in recent years, high tides coming up the Arun River have met heavy rain washing off the South Downs and the resultant flooding has on multiple occasions devastated our pocket of wildness. We’ve been raising money to put into effect a flood action plan for Arundel and we’re delighted to announce that work will start this winter. We’re going to protect the most vulnerable habitats and the visitor facilities, while making more space for floodwater elsewhere on-site. It means that WWT takes responsibility for our share of the flood risk, and we don’t shift the problem downstream.

WWT

Restoring healthy wetlands will allow wildlife such as this common frog to recolonise

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These works are vital to prevent the centre being temporarily closed to visitors, and to ensure the long-term future of these wetlands and the many species that depend upon them. As well as protecting existing wetlands, we’ll create a new area of habitat, which will feature permanent and seasonally wet pools, chalk banks and wildflower-rich grassland. This work, supported by Viridor Credits Environmental Company through the Landfill Communities Fund, will encourage new species to colonise the site and allow Arundel’s rarer species to flourish. Grass snakes, amphibians and butterflies will thrive in this new area. Come along to see how the project is progressing.

Many thanks to all members whose donations have supported this project.

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

Marathon man As a child, I was lucky enough to keep my own waterfowl collection at my family home in Shropshire. But when I left for Newcastle University, the close proximity of WWT Washington gave me the chance to apply my skills and passion as a volunteer. I’ve always had an attachment to WWT and have been inspired to support their efforts through fundraising. Being a fitness enthusiast, I’ve tackled running, swimming, climbing and assault course challenges to raise awareness and money. Last August, I took on the Isle of Man marathon in aid of Mission Madagascar. I raised more than €1,500, which will hopefully help to secure the future of the critically endangered Madagascar pochard and support local communities. My goal is to inspire the next generation to care about waterfowl. To this end, I’ve published a book, called Those with Webbed Feet, aimed at a young audience. Though conservation is not Ed is a popular subject already thinking among my peers, about next I hope to inspire year’s challenge more young people to get involved. And I hope Waterlife readers can help me spread the word! Edward Giles We’re so grateful to Ed and everyone else who has supported Mission Madagascar – thank you! Turn to page 32 to see how Robyn Silcock got on teaching our first educational workshops in Madagascar.

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send us your best photos!

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT WATERLIFE AND WIN A HAMPER!

As you know, we want to make sure you enjoy every second of reading your Waterlife magazine. So we’d really appreciate your help with this survey. It will only take you about 10 minutes to complete, and your details will be treated in confidence. Plus you could win a delicious hamper from M&S! Just complete the survey before 31 January 2017 to be entered in our draw. The survey closes on 3 February 2017. To find out more and take our survey, visit wwt.org.uk/waterlifesurvey Treasured memories We visited Slimbridge every week during the school holiday so my grandchildren could complete their Explorer passports. Thank you for all the activity ideas – they keep both young and old occupied on every visit. The most amusing was grandad steering the canoe and two grandchildren into the bushes, all of which was captured on video! We had the most amazing day on our last visit. The children were inspired by the great LEGO® Brick trail, particularly the magnificent otter, and Florence created a collage of Ha Ha (one of the centre’s resident otters) from bits collected on our walk to the

The children loved meeting Sacha Dench

Holden Hide. As we were leaving, we chatted to Sacha Dench – she was busy preparing for her Flight of the Swans expedition. What incredible experiences for young children – and memories to treasure for us all! Lynne Passfield Otterly fabulous Living in Bracknell, WWT London is my ‘local’ centre. I can be there in an hour taking the train and my Brompton bike. When I arrive, I enjoy a quick

LETTERS

brain-buster crossword We’ve got this great prize for the winner of our crossword, set by WWT member Tim Bonsor. It’s a lovely selection of exclusive Bewick’s swan bill pattern stationery, worth around £23. Send your crossword (photocopied if you wish) to the address opposite by 3 February 2017 and the first correct entry drawn after that date wins. Meanwhile, the solution to last issue’s puzzle is on page 13; congratulations Waterlife to the winner, Mrs MF Jones. Jan-Mar17 Across 1. Where you might see hares boxing on Lady Fen. (6) 4. This stoat is ready for winter. (6) 9. This duck is a winter visitor, but you can see it at Barnes all year round. (7) 10. Sounds betraying the presence of a bittern. (5) 11. A promising note. (1,1,1) 12. Open and public. (5) 13. Not the sort of hand you want to take photos. (5) 14. It’s out of this world. (5,6) 19. Christian name of Ms Dench, WWT Head of Media and intrepid traveller. (5) 21. The beginning (of winter, for example). (5) 23. Boring routine, of deer in the breeding season? (3) 24. This spectacular bird has been the object of a successful breeding project at WWT. (5) 25. They sell very quickly, but there’s one left. (3,4) 26. It expresses mild disappointment. (2,4) 27. You can see them on lapwing, grebe and some newts! (6)

8 9

spotting skills Not all of us are lucky enough to see last issue’s mystery bird all year round, as these handsome ducks are mainly winter visitors. But even without showing the diagnostic long tail, many of you recognised that stunning plumage as belonging to a pintail. Well done to our winner, John Tyler.

10 11

17 19

18 21

23 24

Down 1. Like 9 across, this duck grazes, like a goose. (6) 2. The natural home of a beaver. (5) 3. Flexible and stretchy. (7) 5. Ian Rankin’s detective can solve this puzzle. (8) 6. To set apart. (7) 7. Tries to write dissertations. (6) 8 and 22 down. Epic journey on the trail of Bewick’s. (6,2,3,5)

coffee before doing some enjoyable wildlife watching. Among my favourite species are the Asian short-clawed otters. I always pay a visit to these fascinating aquatic animals. This year I intend to visit all of your centres by train and bike. I’m preparing a plan over the winter. Ray Beal, Bracknell Shell’s guide to birdwatching My mother-in-law recently moved into a care home, so we’ve been hard

15. From Madagascar, it is possibly the world’s rarest bird. (7) 16. For £3 a month, you could be one, and help save the spoon-billed sandpiper. (7) 17. Not The Birds – a different Hitchcock thriller. (6) 18. At Washington, they are Asian and short-clawed. (6) 20. Venue for watching sport or entertainment. (5) 22. See 8 down.

at work clearing out her flat. Among her magazines I found a souvenir edition of the Illustrated London News, marking Churchill’s death in 1965. Inside the back cover was this advert The otters are about Caerlaverock by a delight! Shell – it seems to be one of a series featuring British bird sanctuaries. I wonder what other locations were featured! Sally England

This issue, we’re challenging you to name that beak. Who does this impressive beak belong to? Send your answer to the address opposite, and the first correct entry drawn out of the hat after the closing date of 3 February 2017 will win a copy of Watching Waterbirds.

In 1965, Shell promoted visits to Caerlaverock

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Andy Rouse/naturepl.com

10 WINTER WONDERS

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JANUARY/MARCH OCTOBER/DECEMBER 2017 2016

Winter is an amazing time for wildlife – and there’s no better place to watch and enjoy it than at one of our centres. From spectacles of numbers to rare sightings and incredible behaviour, we’ve got the lot. Here are some of our seasonal highlights

W W T ’ S TO P 10

BARNACLE INVASION

You hear them first: the plaintive honking of thousands of unseen barnacle geese merging in one high-pitched, rushing roar that wells up from the morning mist. Then you see them: straggly horizontal lines that stretch, waver and overlap until each individual skein is subsumed into one vast swirling mass. The noise crescendos as the expanding flock circles above the feeding grounds and starts descending, birds raining down on the pasture below. Soon the foreground is a restless hive of motion as thousands of hungry geese crop the sward, each individual inching forward, head down, like avian wildebeest nibbling their way across a Scottish Serengeti. Peeking from behind the hedge, so as not to spook them, your binoculars alight on the closest individuals, revealing black and white markings as delicate as any wood engraving. A distant piping of oystercatchers from the mudflats behind tells you that the roost site is now empty. In the late 1940s, no more than 300 barnacle geese overwintered in the Solway Firth. Today, thanks to WWT and our conservation partners, more than 40,000 arrive every year, turning WWT Caerlaverock Wetland Centre into one of Europe’s most impressive wildlife spectacles. Long ago, our ancestors – who were unable to find barnacle goose nests – believed that these birds hatched from goose barnacles. Today we know that they breed on Arctic Svalbard, then, when winter snows blanket the tundra, migrate 2,000 miles south to our more temperate shores, where there is food all winter. Sometimes the truth can be as miraculous as fiction. Where: Caerlaverock When: October to April Time: The geese can be seen feeding on the reserve all day

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BUSY BEWICK’S

Is there trouble on swan lake? Necks arched and wings beating, two Bewick’s rear up from the water in an apparent altercation, their high bugling calls cutting through the air. But this is not a bust-up: the birds are a pair, and their display signals the renewal of courtship – a process that will soon see them depart to begin their annual 2,000-mile spring odyssey back to their breeding grounds in Russia. The WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre staff know these two birds well: like all the swans here, and at WWT Welney, their unique bill markings confirm their individual identities. The markings have continued to inform one of the longest ongoing research programmes of any bird species in the world. Bewick’s swans pair for life; some couples have returned here for more than 20 years.

Where: Slimbridge and Welney When: October to March Time: Daily feeds at Welney at 12 noon and 3.30pm, and Slimbridge at 4pm, plus floodlit swan feeds at Welney at 6.30pm (see WWT website for details) 20

Waterlife

At WWT Arundel, you may hear the pig-like squeal of a water rail or glimpse one dashing from the reeds

Bence Mate/naturepl.com

David Tipling/naturepl.com

At a Bewick’s swan feed at Slimbridge, our experts reveal the drama of life in the flock

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WINTER WATER RAIL

On a crisp winter morning at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre, a movement in the reeds disturbs a foraging wren. The diminutive bird cocks its tail and gives its

scolding alarm trill. On cue, a larger bird emerges from below. It resembles a skinny, upright moorhen, but the low winter light reveals striking blue-grey underparts, a chestnut back and red dagger bill. A water rail! Though rarely seen, this secretive reedbed denizen occurs on many WWT reserves, its presence most often betrayed by its pig-like squealing calls. During winter cold snaps, when visitors from Eastern Europe swell the native population, it shows a more public face, emerging from the reedbeds in search of open pools. Watch quietly or it will dash away, white undertail flicking in panic, to resume its skulking. Where: Arundel; also Steart, London, Slimbridge and Caerlaverock When: November to February at Caerlaverock, October to March at Arundel Time: All day, easier to see in cold weather

Andy Rouse/naturepl.com

4 Llanelli is home to all five species of owl, including the short-eared owl. At Caerlaverock, Saltcot Merse Observatory is an ideal spot to watch â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;shortiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; hunting over the merse

OWL ARRIVALS

The light is already fading when a short-eared owl materialises from the gloom at the back of the marsh. It quarters the ground methodically, dipping and stalling just above the grass heads and occasionally dropping from sight in pursuit of a vole. Drifting closer, it alights on a fence post. Your binoculars pick out blazing yellow eyes framed in dark spectacles: a glare of pure predatory intent. As you watch, the owl ducks to evade two passing carrion crows, which divert from their flight path to dive-bomb the intruder. Then it launches again to resume the endless quest for food. The short-eared owls that visit WWT Llanelli Wetland Centre every winter come mostly from further north and continental

Europe. They are drawn by the rich rodent life in the marshes and are not the only owls to find a home on the reserve. Barn owls quarter the rough ground in a similar fashion, moth-like in their ghostly white plumage. Little owls pop up around old buildings, bullheaded and inquisitive. And the quavering hoots of tawny owls echo after darkness through the woods, where the dark branches may even hide a roosting long-eared owl, the rarest of this nocturnal quintet. Where: Llanelli; also Caerlaverock, plus Welney for barn owls and Steart for short-eared and barn owls, and Washington for tawny owls When: Winter Time: Look for short-eared owls hunting during the day

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Waterlife

White wings beat down from the grey winter sky, fanning higher as the birds apply their aerial brakes. Long necks outstretched and black feet extended, the whoopers splash down, clearing an impromptu landing strip among the smaller wildfowl as they hydroplane to a halt across the surface. On the water, they break into an excited trumpeting, then, shuffling wings and tail back into position, recover their composure and glide more serenely towards their companions. Hundreds of whooper swans, their snow-white ranks punctuated with the grey-browns of this year’s youngsters, already crowd the lake as they gather for the afternoon feed. Many have been at WWT Martin Mere and Welney Wetland Centres since October: refugees from the frozen north, they touched down after a 500-mile journey south from Iceland – the longest sea crossing of any swan species worldwide. Now their numbers have reached 2,000 at Martin Mere and 7,000 at Welney, bringing a breath of the Arctic to the chill of a February afternoon. Where: Martin Mere, Welney and Caerlaverock When: October to March Time: Daily feeds at 11am and 2pm Caerlaverock, 12 noon and 3.30pm Welney, 3pm and 3.30pm Martin Mere

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Up to 2,000 migratory Icelandic whooper swans winter at Martin Mere

Bitterns move silently through reeds at the water’s edge, looking for fish, so you’ll have to look hard to spot one

CAPITAL BITTERN

A bittern in the centre of London? Surely that’s just a birdwatcher’s fantasy. And yet there can be no mistaking that chunky, streaky-brown form lurking in the reedbed at the back of the lake.

Ro bin Ch itte nd en /na tur epl .co m

John Waters/naturepl.com

WHOOPERS TOUCH DOWN

As coots fuss past in the foreground, this secretive bird emerges into plain view. Its long legs are those of a heron, yet there’s something almost owl-like about its cryptic camouflage plumage. At the shrieking swoop of a black-headed gull it freezes, briefly pointing its dagger bill skyward, then slips back behind the screen of phragmites reeds and is instantly lost to view. Up to six of these enigmatic visitors have been recorded at WWT London Wetland Centre in winter – their numbers highest during a cold snap, when individuals arrive from the big freeze in continental Europe to make the most of our milder conditions. Be patient, keep your eyes peeled and you may just get lucky. Where: London; also Llanelli, Arundel and Slimbridge When: Most visible in winter Time: Dawn and dusk

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WHISTLING WIGEON

It’s a frosty morning at WWT Welney Wetland Centre and a chorus of excited whistles announces that wigeon are taking flight nearby. A party of 50 or so – just a fraction of the population of more than 10,000 that has taken up winter residence on the grazing marsh – wheels overhead, white shoulders flashing in the low winter light. They circle the hide and splash to a halt in front of you, the males decked out in their handsome livery of pink breast, chestnut head and creamy crown, the females a camouflage brown.

Welney’s Lady Fen provides the ideal habitat for breeding hares – and hare-lovers

Numbers of this gregarious duck have been building up on the reserve since late autumn, gradually overtaking those of their dabbling companions, the mallard, teal and shovelers. Other WWT reserves host similar wigeon gatherings, the birds waddling over flooded grasslands and upending in the shallows, nibbling all the while. When 3,000 take to the air at once, the whistling is impressive. Where: Caerlaverock, London, Martin Mere, Slimbridge and Welney, plus Castle Espie, Llanelli, Steart and Washington When: Winter Time: All day

In winter, many wigeon visit the UK from Iceland, Scandinavia and Russia, forming large flocks on the coast

BOXING HARES

Lapwings scatter as the two assailants rear up on their hind legs, trading fast, frantic blows. They dance back and forth, dropping to their haunches then standing again, before one dashes away at lightning speed, disappearing over a rise. It may only be late February, but ‘mad March hares’ are already gearing up for the breeding season. The sparring is not between rival males, as is often thought, but between unreceptive females and over-amorous suitors. Today, brown hares are in decline across the UK, but WWT Welney Wetland Centre offers a perfect opportunity for close encounters with our speediest mammal. And winter, when the short grass leaves the hares more conspicuous as they hunker down, is the best time to look – especially at Lady Fen, when 100 or more may gather to nibble at what remains of the pasture. Try a guided walk, and look out for those long, giveaway ears and wild golden eyes.

Where: Welney; also Caerlaverock all year and Washington When: December to February Time: Hare walks at Welney at 2-3pm on Mon, Thurs and Sat

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Waterlife

Andy Rouse/naturepl.com

Alan Williams/naturepl.com

W W T ’ S TO P 10

You’ve struck lucky: it’s a perfect winter sunset. The birds arrive silhouetted against a vivid backdrop of pinks and golds as they straggle across the sky, skein after skein commuting back from the fields to their roost at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre. The numbers are impressive – some 5,000 of the birds remain throughout the winter here – but this doesn’t compare to the tens of thousands that overwhelm the reserve during October. For these travellers, the food-rich wetlands offer a vital pit stop; a chance to rest and refuel after their 500-mile flight from Iceland before continuing to wintering grounds further south. Numbers at this time may top 40,000: a significant chunk of the world population. Now, as the early darkness of January falls on the reserve, you watch those that remain hunkering down on the water among their fellow Icelandic voyagers, the whooper swans. The clamour gradually subsides to a more companionable honking as birds tuck heads under wings and settle down for the night.

A blizzard of pink-footed geese fills the air over Martin Mere. The reserve is home to up to 40,000 geese in late September and October

LAPWINGS AND GOLDEN PLOVERS

Peregrine alert on Slimbridge marsh! An eruption of wings shatters the quiet December afternoon as thousands of golden plovers and lapwings take flight en masse. The hunting falcon, materialising from nowhere, sweeps through their ranks like a fighter jet. In the air the birds divide, the agile golden plovers sifted like grains of sand through the larger lapwings, and the two flocks – each moving as a single organism – twist and wheel to evade the predator. Frustrated, the peregrine gives up and heads for the horizon. As the birds settle down the air fills with their calls: the golden plovers’ plaintive piping and the lapwings’ shrill ‘peewits’. Up to 6,000 of the former and 7,000 of the latter spend the winter here, commuting in to Slimbridge each

morning from fields inland. The golden plovers hail from the Russian Arctic: the lapwings from Eastern Europe. Together, they find safety in numbers and offer visitors a dazzling spectacle. Where: Slimbridge and Steart; Washington (lapwings only) When: November to February Time: Peak numbers at midday, also during high tides

Lapwings and golden plovers return to roost at Slimbridge in the morning. But the greatest numbers can be seen in the middle of the day

WWT

Andrew Parkinson/naturepl.com

PINKFEET ON PARADE

Where: Martin Mere and Caerlaverock When: September to April Time: Dawn and dusk

There are loads of ways you can enjoy winter wildlife even more with us, thanks to our special events. Just turn to pages 43-63 to find out more about what’s going on near you. Don’t forget to let us know what a great time you had by emailing waterlife@wwt.org.uk.

come & join us! 24

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F L I G H T O F T H E SWA N S

live the adventure Experience the highs and lows of every stage of Sacha Dench’s thrilling Flight of the Swans expedition. And discover its far-reaching conservation benefits Over the past two decades, the number of Bewick’s swans making the journey back to the UK has almost halved. We know the swans face dangers during migration, but the exact cause of their

decline is a mystery. We needed to understand what’s going wrong for the Bewick’s swans – and fast! So last September, WWT’s Sacha Dench began an epic 7,000km journey, following the

Bewick’s on migration from their breeding grounds in Arctic Russia to their most westerly wintering site at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire. Here’s how she got on…

25 SEPTEMBER TRICKY LANDINGS It’s goodbye tundra and hello taiga as Sacha and her ground crew are reunited in the coastal town of Mezen. Now it’s time to cross Russia’s vast taiga forest. The main issue for Sacha is finding somewhere to land among all the close-packed trees. The swans tend to complete this part of their migration in one go, but Sacha has to land and refuel the paramotor every few hours. And the only possible landing spot is a dirt road.

19 SEPTEMBER WE HAVE LIFT-OFF! Early on 19 September, a light tailwind provides ideal conditions for Sacha to start her incredible expedition from the Pechora Delta on Russia’s northern coast. The first leg of the journey for Sacha and her paramotor partners, Dan Burton and Alexander Bogdanov, is a challenging 600km over the tundra. In this remote region, they have no backup on the ground. Sacha finds the flying

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and extreme cold even more gruelling than expected. At the end of day one, disaster strikes – the paramotor’s engine fails and Sacha is grounded in the middle of nowhere with little kit and no food. Fortunately, the weary travellers are rescued by some kind local reindeer herders who look after them, while Sacha’s paramotor is spirited away by helicopter, fixed and returned to the tundra. After that experience, the team takes some time to rest and refuel, just like the swans.

This comes with obvious risks, so the ground team uses its convoy of Mitsubishi 4x4s to set up impromptu roadblocks and enable Sacha to touch down safely. Everyone is relieved to get to Arkhangelsk, where Sacha talks to school children and a conservation conference about Bewick’s swans, while the crew plays frisbee with local children.

Hearing her cry, an elderly Russian couple appear from the forest nearby to offer comfort and fill her pockets with cranberries ‘as they are good for health and healing’.

9 OCTOBER INJURY STRIKES!

Resting the knee for a day provides no relief, so Sacha goes to hospital for an MRI scan. It confirms that while, thankfully, nothing is broken, she has dislocated her kneecap. The doctors prescribe her six weeks’ rest!

Though Sacha has felt her body adapting to the gruelling physicality of the expedition, the paramotor is a dead weight. As she runs across a field east of St Petersburg to take off, she stumbles on the uneven ground. Pain stabs through her knee.

But injury is always a risk for paramotorists, just as it is for the swans, and Sacha courageously wants to continue her journey without delay. How can she take to the air once more without putting pressure on her knee?

18 OCTOBER IN PURSUIT OF SWANS It’s all change for the team as they arrive in Estonia and bid a fond farewell to Alexander and Dan. The country’s rich coastal wetlands are among the most important refuelling stops on the Bewick’s migration, and for many swans, this is their first chance to rest and feed after starting their journey. As cold and high winds ground the team, Sacha uses the time to practise her take-offs and landings in the paratrike. Sacha is soon back in the air and off on the trail of one of our tagged Bewick’s, Maisie, who’s resting just 10 miles away on Lake Pihvka. Then the whole team heads to Matsalu National Park where it finds 600 swans sheltering from the cold weather. Matsalu is a crucial staging post, with around 300,000 migrating birds, including more than 10,000 Bewick’s swans, resting and refuelling here.

12 OCTOBER NEVER GIVE UP

landing techniques are completely different to a paramotor,’ she says.

The answer is a paratrike. Luckily, Alexander and Dan, are experienced paratrike pilots. Sacha is soon able to get airborne once more, in tandem with Alex, while wheels and a frame are being added to her paramotor so that she can fly on her own. Piloting a paratrike will be quite a change for Sacha, who has no experience of flying this way. ‘The take-off and

Plus, the trike can only land on an airstrip or in a large, flat field with no bumps, which means landing spots have to be checked beforehand. The trike flies a lot faster than Sacha’s used to. This means she can cover more miles each day, but with the higher speeds come a greater chill factor. Sacha is soon shivering. The pressure is on for everyone…

Maisie in flight

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31 OCTOBER SECRET WEAPON

cope with wind speeds of up to 20mph. It will help the team make up for lost time.

The Arctic winter’s icy fingers catch up with the team and poor weather conditions ground the paratrike, which is unable to fly in wind speeds above 10mph. But Sacha needs to keep moving, so she brings in the expedition’s secret weapon.

Unlike Sacha, the swans have no choice but to push ahead with their migration despite the weather. She’s keen to get back on the paratrike as soon as possible. It’s the closest she can get to flying at the same speed and height as the swans, and to experiencing the journey as they do. For now, she’s got no choice but to keep moving.

A microlight. It’s bigger and more robust than a paramotor, can travel at speeds of around 60mph and can

‘I have an engine and a support team on my journey. Even so, it’s the most physically and emotionally challenging thing I’ve ever done. Bewick’s swans need to be incredibly tough to complete this gruelling migration. It’s not surprising they don’t all make it,’ says Sacha 1 NOVEMBER MAKING UP LOST TIME The next day, Sacha flies in tandem with expert microlight pilot Rob Keene into Latvia. Here, Sacha’s diary is full of events – there’s a visit to Degumnieki School and a community event at Lake Lubans. Then it’s on to Lithuania. Here she gets a call that a very special swan has been spotted and finds Daisy Clarke, one of our tagged swans, sleeping on an inland pool on the Nemunas Delta.

But it’s not just swans Sacha’s here to see. She visits Silute School, attends a conservation meeting at Vente, and then meets a local lady (right) who cares for a wild Bewick’s swan injured after a collision with a power line. Their chat makes her more determined than ever that Flight of the Swans inspires locals to take action on the issues that threaten the survival of Bewick’s swans on their long migration – from power lines and illegal hunting to wind turbines and loss of habitat.

4 NOVEMBER INSPIRING CHILDREN With 13 Ramsar sites, Poland is an important place for Bewick’s and other migrating birds. So Sacha has a busy schedule ahead of her, visiting schools and community organisations, and meeting with local scientists and local media. First, Sacha stops by a school in Biebrza, the country’s biggest national park, to meet the children and talk about their feathered neighbours, the Bewick’s swans. Inspiring and engaging with children has been a huge part of Flight of the Swans. Swan-themed activities have included art competitions, face-painting, exhibitions, a kite festival, a sing-song and special lessons. All of which have delighted the children – and been a highlight for the team. 28

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FLIGHT OF THE SWANS IN NUMBERS

11 NOVEMBER RIP CHARLOTTE The challenges of migration become all too apparent as the team receives news that Charlotte, one of our tagged Bewick’s, has died. Charlotte has been part of WWT’s tracking programme for two years and given us an invaluable window into the swans’ world. We’ve been tracking her progress alongside Sacha’s online, and though both human and swan faced the same bad weather in Estonia, Charlotte never made the onward journey. The last signal from her collar was

from Kihnu Island in Parnu Bay on 7 November. Members of the media team travel back to Estonia where Charlotte was last seen to try and find her body, but bad weather forces them to abandon their search. We’ll never know for sure what happened to her, but we’re grateful for everything she taught us.

dislocated knee

(and counting!) 12 NOVEMBER PEOPLE POWER With perfect flying weather, Sacha is disappointed when her starter motor fails and she’s unable to get airborne. While it’s fixed, she visits the stunning wetlands of Warta Mouth National Park. The wildest part of the park, the Słonsk reserve, is also known as the Bird Republic due to the huge flocks of geese, swans and cranes that fly here to roost in safety.

Later that day, Sacha inspires residents in Słonsk to take further action to protect the Bewick’s swans. A local man suggests a community initiative and the presentation of a bill proposing a ban on lead shot. This is great news for Sacha, who’s keen to encourage local communities to harness the media attention captured by Flight of the Swans for conservation.

25 NOVEMBER BON VOYAGE! Sadly, as the team prepares to fly on across Europe – over Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and France – and home to the UK, we must leave it because Waterlife is going to press. Find out what happened next on the voyage at flightoftheswans.org. Thank you for joining us on this part of the journey. This is not the end of the story. We hope Flight of the Swans will have far-reaching conservation benefits for Bewick’s swans and for all the migratory birds that use this flyway. To find out more, please turn over…

The number of schools visited between Russia and Belgium, where we’ve helped to inspire children about the importance of Bewick’s swans and wetlands

925 The number of media print and online articles, radio and TV programmes, etc, about Flight of the Swans at the time of Waterlife going to press

1,386km The distance covered by a Bewick’s swan known as Daisy Clarke – from Lithuania to the UK – in just one week

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F L I G H T O F T H E SWA N S

a lasting conservation legacy

Why Flight of the Swans is really just the beginning of the story…

Little girls gasped when the stranger

striding into the classroom took off their helmet and long, golden locks tumbled out. Sacha’s dramatic entry made an immediate impression – and we hope it will also leave a lasting legacy. All along the Bewick’s swans’ flyway, Sacha’s arrival galvanised conservationists and communities alike. As WWT’s swan expert, Eileen Rees, noted, the sense of occasion as she dropped in on her paramotor ‘provided a focus for conservationists to review existing actions and update what needs to happen next’. Waterbird specialists in Estonia greeted Sacha with a workshop to make plans for the future, and she triggered public events to raise the plight and profile of swans in Latvia and Lithuania, while ecologists gathered in the Netherlands to ponder the birds’ feeding requirements. Each event kick-started public awareness, or added fresh impetus and urgency to scientists working to help these iconic swans. Perhaps the greatest long-term benefits may be felt in Russia, which 30

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has historically been a challenge for conservationists trying to save the Bewick’s swan. Even during the Soviet era, UK research scientists were working with their Russian counterparts to understand what was happening to the swans on their Arctic breeding grounds. It was not always easy crossing the Iron Curtain, but we had cooperation. However, politically and culturally, there was a gulf. We needed to dig deep and find ways to help Russian decision makers and people in Arctic communities understand and engage with the birds of their summer. The sheer novelty of a woman embarking on such an ambitious flight provided a breakthrough. The hitherto inaccessible – but now curious – regional governor came to see Sacha, and spoke encouragingly about

In Russia, the sheer novelty of a woman embarking on such an ambitious flight has provided a breakthrough

political support. Hunting groups overcame their suspicions and reservations to meet with the Flight of the Swans team, and offer constructive ideas to help tackle illegal hunting. They spoke of building communication networks to share information, so that everyone could recognise the swans’ conservation importance. Our ecosystem health officer, Julia Newth, enthused: ‘We’ve never had this kind of contact in 25 years of working in this part of the Arctic. Forget the internet and modern technology – we’re going back to the good old basics of people talking to each other!’ Fundamentally, Sacha’s incredible journey has prompted Russians of all kinds to ask themselves one question: if this brave lady from faraway Angliya is prepared to risk her life for their swans, then surely they must be worth protecting? Today’s little schoolgirls in an Arctic classroom may grow up to be the conservationists of tomorrow, inspired by the swan lady to become the most powerful advocates for the birds we could imagine.

T H A N K YO U

thank you An expedition of such magnitude and far-reaching impact would not have been possible without the support of you, our members, and everyone who has helped us in different ways. • Thank you so much to all of you who have signed our petition. Together, we can protect swans making their migration from Arctic Russia to northern Europe. • A huge thank you to everyone who has donated to Flight of the Swans so far. With your support we’ve reached our appeal target of £70,000, which will go towards securing a brighter future for Bewick’s swans. • Thank you to all of our sponsors and partners, without whom this incredible journey would not have been possible.

Atomos Attwoolls BlueSkyBlue BPS CAA UK Coleman Dudek Esprit Film and Television Fresh Breeze Fujifilm UK Ltd Gerbing's Heated Clothing Limited

G-Technology, a Western Digital Corporation brand Inmarsat Lazarus Training Lord Leverhulme’s Charitable Trust Max Adventure Ltd Met Office Mitsubishi National Trust Olive Herbert Charitable Trust Over Farm Páramo RED Digital Cinema Rix & Kay Sena SJH Projects Ltd SPOT Rescue Staverton Flying School Transglobe Expedition Trust

We need your support... to ensure that the progress we make in protecting Bewick’s can lead to their long-term recovery. Make a regular donation today at wwt.org.uk/ waterlife/swans Thank you

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Waterlife

LEARNING TO LOVE WETLANDS

To help protect Madagascar’s precious wetlands, we’ve developed environmental education materials to inspire a new generation to value them. Robyn Silcock reports

Photography: Andy Bamford/WWT

Madagascar is home to some of the

world’s most amazing wetlands. Yet the scale of habitat destruction here is worse than almost anywhere else in the world. Over the past 60 years, as much as 60% of its wetlands have been lost, putting 80% of the wildlife they support at risk. The damage caused will cost local people their livelihoods. So we’re working with communities to build a more sustainable future, and supporting the next generation to make the best decisions for themselves and the environment. Using games and interactive learning, WWT has developed a series of educational workshops for primary school children. These highlight the connection between all living things, and stress the need for environmental protection to secure healthy wetlands for healthy people. The workshops adopt an environmental education approach – a teaching style similar to that seen in 32

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We taught children to see nature in a new way

the UK’s ‘forest schools’ – that makes complex scientific subjects more accessible. Crucially, the teaching programme requires few resources, meaning it can be delivered easily to any community. Last September I packed a suitcase full of teacher training aids, badges and student resources, and travelled from London to Lake Sofia for the pilot phase of my project. I was so excited! On arriving in Madagascar, I had a meeting with government officials and education professionals to promote future use of the course on a wider scale. Day one at the lake was a teacher training day attended by teachers from all nine ‘fokontany’ – towns of various sizes that surround Lake Sofia and thus rely on the wetland in different ways. I explained the game-based teaching approach and encouraged them to practise using the materials. There was

W W T OVERSEAS

Key learning points In interactive workshops we sought to: l develop students’ passion for their natural wetland environment

Our workshops get people talking about wetlands…

l enhance understanding that all living things are connected l highlight the ways that each student could have a positive effect on and conserve their wetland l inspire them to share this new knowledge with others

…inspire passion for wetlands and their rich wildlife…

…help children to connect with nature…

…and help them to understand what impact people have

I adapted the training materials as we a lot of laughter! But by the end, I knew went along to better suit the students’ they were convinced. needs, and began to include nature walks We chose the towns of Marotalana, – something neither teachers nor pupils Marofamara and Andampy to deliver had ever done before! By the final week, the five workshops. We targeted state our delivery was tried and tested, and the schools, because teachers here are in last school was a breeze. greatest need of support. They may Throughout our trip, I was moved receive less training and often rely on by how welcoming villages, teachers, financial aid from students’ parents parents and students were, how keen to achieve an adequate salary. they were to learn, and how accepting For three weeks, I worked hard to they were of my strange ideas! deliver our wetland workshops But I realised that there’s a with the help of Columbe, my lot more work to be done. translator, and Tina from BE A WETLAND Now I’m back in the Asity, our project partner UK, we’ll develop the who will eventually roll CHAMPION resources further and out this teaching across TO FIND OUT MORE AND send them to Asity, the region. Each day, SUPPORT THIS PROJECT, to engage children we gave 30 eight- to VISIT WWT.ORG.UK/ throughout the 13-year-olds breakfast to APPEALS catchment and continue diversify their rice-based to spread our message that diet and fuel their learning wetlands need love. Long-term, capacity. Then we worked with the workshops will be adapted for use local teachers to teach them about at other WWT project sites around food chains, threats to wetlands and the the world, translated into multiple meaning of conservation. languages, and made free to download. The first week was a steep learning My visit to Madagascar lasted only a few curve for everyone. Both the weeks, but the memories and WWT’s information and the approach to learning were new to teachers and pupils legacy will last a lot longer. alike. Working in small groups, using art This project has been funded by to depict ideas… All of this was novel, but the HSBC 150th Anniversary something the children loved. Charity Programme.

Each day, we worked with local teachers to educate 30 eightto 13-year-olds about food chains, threats to wetlands and the meaning of conservation JANUARY/MARCH 2017

Waterlife

PHOTO COMPETITION

snap happy Our annual photo competition is a wonderful opportunity to see the incredible wildlife that lives at our centres through your eyes and camera lenses. So let’s unveil the winners of this year’s contest… The beauty of nature is all

around us, but not everyone takes the time to notice it. Everyone, that is, except you – our wonderful members. You not only see it, but you notice the details that make it beautiful. You photograph wild animals and birds – in flight, in action, in secret moments when they think no one’s looking – and you do it extremely well. Your incredible dedication and patience made judging our annual photo competition very hard. This year we received more than 300 entries, from all of our wetland centres, of subjects as diverse as cute otters, tiny weevils, rare turtle doves and spectacular swans. You thrilled us with images of squabbling kingfishers at WWT Martin Mere, sparrowhawks

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hunting at WWT Washington, and herons carrying off tufted duck ducklings at WWT London. Sophie Stafford, Waterlife’s editor and an experienced photography judge, had the unenviable task of cutting hundreds of images down to a shortlist of fewer than 20. Then a team of WWT experts made the final cut. We’re delighted to say congratulations to Ian Stone, who took this stunning image of a bathing grey heron at WWT Slimbridge. Sophie said: ‘This is a technically challenging image that Ian has executed

brilliantly. He’s frozen the splashing water, but in all those flying feathers he made sure you can still see the heron’s startling yellow eye.’ As the winner of our competition, Ian wins a pair of incredible Leica Trinovid 8x42 HD binoculars, worth £830. Thank you so much to Leica for its support. Don’t forget that our 2017 photo competition will launch in the summer issue. If you’d like to be in with a

You thrilled us with images of squabbling kingfishers at Martin Mere, sparrowhawks hunting at Washington, and herons carrying off tufted duck ducklings at London

JANUARY/MARCH 2017

chance of winning, you still have time to brush up on your skills with the help of our photo class (page 39). The top tips from professional photographer Chris Gomersall will help you take better wildlife photos regardless of which camera you use. Many WWT centres also offer photography courses for hands-on advice. To everyone here at Waterlife, you’re all winners. So don’t forget that we would love to see your photos and publish them in a future Wigeon Post. Just send them to waterlife@wwt.org.uk.

winner GREY HERON BATHING BY IAN STONE wwt slimbridge Ian says: ‘Grey herons are nervous and fly off if they sense your presence. When this bird began to preen, dipping almost all of its body in the water, I used a high shutter speed to capture the splashing.’ Sophie says: ‘The very best photography shows us something we might not otherwise see. Birds are fascinating, and this dynamic image shows the normally aloof and sleek grey heron really letting loose. A deserving winner.’

RUNNER-UP WATER VOLE BY MELISSA NOLAN WWT ARUNDEL Melissa says: ‘This image was taken near the walkway in the feeding bay entrance. I read on the WWT website that the voles were highly visible, so I arrived at about 6am. I had to wait almost three hours to get this shot, but it was worth it.’ Sophie says: ‘Melissa sensibly maximised her chances of getting a good shot by arriving early. Her patience enabled her to perfectly capture this vole’s cheeky character.’

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Waterlife

PHOTO COMPETITION

commended OSPREY FISHING BY KEITH HUMPHREY WWT ARUNDEL Keith says: ‘I’d been watching this osprey from the Ramsar Hide for most of the morning. It spent much of its time flying high in the sky, watching the lake in front of the hide for signs of prey.’ Sophie says: ‘This is a challenging photo that has been executed really well. Despite his subject being in flight, Keith has not only taken a perfectly crisp portrait, but captured the osprey making a beautiful shape, with a nice and clear eye.’

commended SHY DUNNOCK BY DAVID SMITH WWT MARTIN MERE David says: ‘I took this photo from the Janet Kear Hide. First, I identified the perfect spot on a branch where I hoped a bird would perch, which had minimal distractions in the background. Then it was just a question of waiting.’ Sophie says: ‘A lovely, intimate portrait of a “little brown job”. Soft light has brought out all the beautiful detail in the dunnock’s plumage, and the bird is framed against a lovely diffuse background. It’s nice to see the less flashy species get attention.’ 36

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JANUARY/MARCH 2017

PHOTO COMPETITION

commended LADYBIRD’S SUPPER BY PAUL FARNFIELD WWT LONDON Paul says: ‘An army of ants was attempting to fend off this predatory ladybird and stop it eating the aphids they “farm” for their sweet honeydew. I saw the ladybird approach and waited to see what would happen.’ Sophie says: ‘Paul’s keen eyes and patience enabled him to catch this fascinating, but easily overlooked behaviour.’

commended

EMERALD DAMSELFLY BY GEORGE DAVIES WWT LLANELLI

George says: ‘I photographed this female on a reed behind the Peter Scott Hide. I moved slowly to avoid disturbing her and got down low.’ Sophie says: ‘The eye contact with this peek-aboo damselfly makes this picture a real winner!’

commended AFRICAN PYGMY GOOSE BY RICHARD MELVILLE WWT SLIMBRIDGE Richard says: ‘Though it’s called a goose, this is actually a duck. I took this shot in the Tropical House. The bird was shy, but just as I was leaving it moved into view. I wanted to capture its reflection in the water, as this shows off its colours beautifully.’ Sophie says: ‘A difficult picture to get right in dark and humid conditions, but Richard has nailed it.’ JANUARY/MARCH 2017

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WWT PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO TIPS

In our new section for nature photography lovers, top professional Chris Gomersall offers his helpful tips to improve your wetland wildlife photos

focus on the eyes

design your image

Eye contact creates a more engaging and intimate image – providing your subject doesn’t look startled or uneasy. When close up, focus on the eyes, not the tip of the beak or snout, to get them pin-sharp. Look for a light reflection – or ‘catchlight’ – in the eye to bring your subject to life. These subtle details will transform your pictures.

Don’t just put your subject in the middle of the frame – try off-centre for a more pleasing composition. Imagine the picture area is divided into three equal parts by height and width: the points where the lines intersect are classic hotspots. This is called the ‘rule of thirds’. Make sure your subject is looking or moving into the space created.

find the best angle

Carefully assess your view of your subject, then explore different camera positions to get the best angle. Simply moving a step or two sideways can have a huge impact on the foreground and background of your picture. Get down really low for an intimate view of birds and animals on the ground or on the water.

happy snapping

shoot in bad weather

Rain and snow can provide dramatic photos if you protect yourself and your camera. You can buy waterproof camera and lens covers or improvise by cutting off the corner of a plastic carrier bag and attaching it to your lens with an elastic band. Even a shower cap works wonderfully on compact cameras!

We hope you’ll practise your photo skills on your next visit to a WWT centre. Tweet @WWTworldwide, using the hashtag #wildWWT, or email your photos to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. We’ll publish the best in the next issue. Want to improve your skills with a camera? WWT holds photography courses at its centres that will help you. Find out more in our Down Your Way section on page 43. JANUARY/MARCH 2017

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with

Hello again

I have a special soft spot for the geese that birders call ‘pinkies’. Pink-footed geese have come all the way from Iceland or Greenland to spend the winter here. They’ll sleep out on the water at night – a lake or a shallow bay at sea. Then at dawn, they’re off on a great commute together, heading for fields where they find what seems to be their favourite food – grass. At dusk, they’re back to the water again, just as if they were clocking off after a hard day at work. When pinkies fly overhead in a great V-shaped flock, they make a terrific racket, all honking away – a real goose natter. Keep a lookout for the seriously pink legs that give them their name. Can a goose be cute? These little fellas certainly are!

! o h o H

Tongue-twister Try repeating the line below, then do it really fast 10 times over to see if you can say it without stumbling over your words.

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Handsome pink-footed geese arrive in the UK in October and depart in April

Great grey goose ganders graze grass

Goose gatherings Pink-footed geese are sociable birds of habit. They feed and roost in big flocks and generally return to the same place year after year. Whole families fly together – mum, dad, the kids and a few dozen cousins, aunties and

What do you get if you run over a goose? Goosebumps! 40

Steve a l l B ac k s h

uncles. They call to each other to make sure they stay close. The biggest numbers gather around large estuaries on Britain’s east coast, especially the Moray Firth, Firth of Forth and the Wash, and the Solway Firth and Ribble on the west coast.

Get in touch Send your letters to Explore, Waterlife, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, or waterlife@wwt.org.uk. I’d love to hear from you.

Dusty

Pinkie poos Imagine spending all your time doing nothing but eating. No time to play, no school (!), just eat, eat, eat. That’s what pinkies do all day long. Their digestion isn’t very good – most food goes straight through their guts and so they don’t get much nutrition from it. A pinkie poos out grass just an hour and a half after eating it! As a result, they have to feed almost non-stop – they’re taking an average of two

bites a second. Pinkies don’t have a huge stomach that can break down the goodness in plants, like cows do. If they did, they would be too heavy to fly. And, of course, they can’t chew their food because they have no teeth. They do have special grass-grinders though – they swallow tiny stones, which then sit in a thick-walled bit of the gut called the gizzard. Those little pieces of grit mash up grass as it passes through.

Wild goose chase

Can you find Britain’s wild geese in this brain-busting word search? T Q H A U G Z S O C M D W T J N G F U C F R D T Y R E N C Z O J Z C A I R E L W Q U D W R R B I I N F T R Y M P J U J L F M I F A V S X D L I S B R U E R W V D Q N W Q A A R I T J T A V Y A Y C K X J E G H W R I R K M A E S T J N I S T R L H J H U Z H O X T Z Q Y H W D W L H V T O D T X C P F R A Q A O S X F O I I G C A O X F R S J J K N A E B V T Z Q Y W L X E N E V F K P O D L E Z W R J I V D S Y G P L U X I H E I P B A R N A C L E V U C P X E BARNACLE CANADA WHITEFRONT

BEAN GREYLAG

BRENT PINKFOOT

KIDS’ ZONE

DUCK Version 1

Version 2

Version 1 - only to be used on a white background Version 2 - to be used on a coloured background (preferably teal)

WWT logo must be included on any material (teal version on white background and w

Use of the Dusty Duck identity must be approved by WWT creative services (email: c

Winter is a great time for watching the spectacular performances of huge bird flocks and having frosty fun with all the family For the full list of centre events, information and news, find your local centre at wwt.org.uk

JOIN A DAWN GOOSE FLIGHT

GO MAD FOR MARCH HARES

Sunday 5 February

Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays until 27 February

Map illustration by Fred Van Deelen; photos by Shutterstock; WWT

Calling all early birds! Join our warden out on the reserve for the unforgettable sight and sound of thousands of barnacle geese flying from their roost at dawn to feed on our fields. It will take your breath away!

Get closer than you ever thought possible to our gorgeous wild brown hares on Lady Fen. Watch these confiding creatures interact and maybe even box each other on our unique walks.

GO BATTY ON OUR FUN FAMILY WALK From Friday 17 March

Are you brave enough to join us after dark to discover the secret lives of Britain’s bats? Decode their calls and learn how to tell bats apart using one of our bat detectors. It’s fun for all the family.

ENTER OUR PUDDLE JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH DUSTY DUCK

CAPTAIN A SAFARI BOAT

February half-term See your local centre for details

Do you have what it takes to captain one of our Wetland Discovery boats? With expert tuition, taking the helm and piloting a boat for your friends or family could be easier than you think. Don’t miss this unique day out!

It’s back! So pull on your wellies and bring out your best moves. You’re invited to give an award-winning puddle jumping performance in our championships across the country. Could you make the best and biggest splash?

Wednesday 4 January to Friday 31 March

If you love your local WWT centre, we want to hear from you. Please tell us what’s great about a day out with us, in 25 words or less, by emailing waterlife@wwt.org.uk. You could see your review in a future issue.

D O W N YO U R WAY Arundel

Mill Road, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PB 01903 881530 | info.arundel@wwt.org.uk WWT Arundel

WWT ARUNDEL WETLAND CENTRE February is fabulous as the Celebrity Dusty Duck Trail lands at Arundel on 4 February to 5 March. Jump into half-term from 18-26 February with the welcome return of the South East Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck. Don your wellies, make a splash in our practice puddles and enter our daily competitions at 11.30am and 2.30pm. How many birds can you see at WWT Arundel Wetland Centre in a single day? Or even in just one hour? Find out this January as part of our new Great Bird Rush. We’re challenging visitors to see how many species they can record around the reserve during one hour between 10am and 3pm. Team up with a friend and test your spotting skills. Or if you prefer to sit and wait and see what comes to you, we’ll be opening the reserve early on 21 and 22 January. This is perfect for anyone who loves those first quiet moments of the day – and it’s even better for photographers. The ‘golden hour’ just after sunrise, when the daylight is warmer, softer and richer, is the best time of day to take pictures. So we’re opening our

doors just after sunrise at 7.50am to allow you to capture amazing shots and enjoy the sounds of nature. If you’re inspired by Waterlife’s new Photo Tips section (page 39), why not join award-winning wildlife photographer Robert Canis on a half-day photography workshop on 23 January? You’ll learn how to approach your wildlife photography in fresh and creative ways, discuss the best camera equipment and discover Robert’s tried-and-tested camera settings for getting the best images of everything from birds in flight to tiny mushrooms.

Steve Backshall’s Explorer Dusty will be at Arundel on 4 February to 5 March

‘The highlight of our vacation, this place is amazing. It’s beautifully designed so you can view hundreds of birds on the wetlands. You can take a boat trip through the marsh to see fish, voles and ducks.’ Annie Laur, Mexico

Arundel Events (Key below. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/arundel) Daily Activities Wetland Discovery Boat Safari Glide with a wildlife guide on quiet electric boats through the reedbeds of Wetland Discovery. First boat 11am, last boat 3.30pm. Suggested donation of £1.

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Diving Duck Feed See some of the rarest waterfowl in the world show off their fishing skills in the clear chalk-fed waters of the Icelandic Lake pen. 2pm. Jump straight in for some splashtastic fun

key 44

Hand-feed Wildfowl Hand-feed rare and exotic wildfowl in our

World Wetlands feeding bay. until closing time. Feeding grain costs 20p per handful from vending machine in the feed bay. Weekends only Guide in the Hide Meet our volunteer guides to help see what’s wild through the scope. Locations vary. 10.30am-1pm and 2-4pm. Jan to Mar Learn to Drive a Wetland Boat Learn to drive a Wetlands Discovery Safari boat and pilot your friends

through the reedbeds when you graduate, 2.5 hours of one-toone tuition included. 10am-12.30pm. £50. BE Sat 7 Jan Great Bird Rush Who can spot the most species in an hour? Form a two-person team and record what you see and hear during any hour of the day between 10am and 3pm. Winners announced at 4pm. Prizes include a pair of travel binoculars. 10am-3pm. £5 per team (does not include admission price).

Get up with the birds and watch WWT Arundel come to life

Sat 21 & Sun 22 Jan Early Birds Golden Hour Doors open at 8am to allow photographers the chance to shoot in the ‘golden hour’ when the reserve is quiet (sunrise is at 7.50am). Café opens for breakfast at 9.30am.

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.

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JANUARY/MARCH 2017

We were delighted to be visited by a juvenile osprey

Have you always wanted to drive one of our boats? From 4 January to 31 March (excluding 18-26 February), you can learn to drive a Wetland Discovery Safari boat. Enjoy 2.5 hours of one-to-one tuition and then pilot a boat for your friends or family (subject to your tutor’s approval). This unique experience runs between 10am and 12.30pm and costs just £50. In March, early bees and songbirds such as chiffchaffs, firecrests and Cetti’s warblers will become more active on the reserve. Learn what species to look for and where to find them in our Begin Birdwatching course on 29 March.

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS

Try your hand at piloting a Wetland Discovery Safari boat

lA juvenile osprey was spotted in late August and stayed in the area for five weeks, visiting the reserve most days to fish. lS and martins and house martins passed through the reserve in September. Visitors got great photos from the Sand Martin Hide.

Sand martin

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lT hroughout autumn, kingfishers made regular appearances at the boat jetty in the late afternoon and along the Wetland Discovery Boat Safari route.

Mon 23 Jan Creative Nature Photography Workshop Join award-winning wildlife photographer Robert Canis on a half-day workshop and learn how to capture the natural world in new, creative ways and to see with the eyes of a professional. 10am-12.30pm or 1.30-4pm. £50PP.

Sat 4 Feb to Sun 5 Mar Celebrity Dusty Duck Trail Explore the reserve searching for our 14 celebritydesigned GIANT Dustys, including Steve Backshall’s Explorer Dusty and Joanna Lumley’s Absolutely Fabulous Patsy Dusty. 9.30am4.30pm. Sat 18 to Sun 26 Feb South East Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck Kids can make

a splash in the February half-term during our puddle jumping contest. Two official competitions will take place every day, and there will be practice puddles to try out your techniques! Prizes awarded CBBC’s for daily Sam and Mark’s and Tiger weekly Dusty winners. 11.30am and 2.30pm. Sat 25 & Sun 26 Mar Discover Birds Weekend Spring birds

are the theme of walks and talks with our own experts. Some of the activities require you to sign up on the day, but all are included free with admission. 10am-4pm.

Start looking out for firecrests from early March

Wed 29 Mar Begin Birdwatching: Spring This introduction to birdwatching fieldcraft includes an outdoor session to identify birds by sight and sound. Bring your binoculars and wear appropriate outdoor clothing. 8.30-10.30am. £12PP or book all four seasonal workshops for £40. BE

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D O W N YO U R WAY Caerlaverock

WWT CAERLAVEROCK WETLAND CENTRE

Caerlaverock hosts thousands of wintering barnacle geese

WWT

Wrap up warm and head out to Caerlaverock for a winter bird spectacular. Hundreds of whooper swans migrate from their breeding grounds in Iceland to this remote and wildly beautiful reserve for the winter. Last October the first swan to arrive was Rainbow, on the 4th, followed by handsome Hagar later that same day. The best views of this amazing spectacle can be enjoyed at our Wild Swan Feeds, which take place every day at 11am and 2pm. With a live commentary by the warden, you’ll meet the individual swans that return to Caerlaverock every year, and find out more about their amazing lives. If you received a new camera for Christmas, you might like to join our Wildlife Photography Workshop on 29 January. Our experts will teach you how to take better wildlife photos so that you can really make the most of your time on the reserve. Or if it’s films that capture your imagination, why not join us at the Wildlife Film and Photography Festival? Taking place on 24-26 March the programme will feature inspirational speakers, including TV presenter Iolo Williams, a photography exhibition, workshops and the best nature films from around the world. Or if you’re an early bird, why not join us at 7am on 5 February for the dawn flight of the barnacle geese? Thousands of Svalbard ‘barnies’ roost on the Solway Firth and fly in to feed on the reserve as the sun rises. Our warden will take you to a spot at the edge of the marsh where you’ll be in the perfect position to experience this magnificent sight! Younger visitors are invited to enter the Scottish Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck on 13-15 and 20-22 February. Can you make the biggest and best splash in our special competition puddle and win a prize?

Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire DG1 4RS 01387 770200 | info.caerlaverock@wwt.org.uk WWT Caerlaverock

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS l A change in the wind blew in over 16,000 barnacle geese in October. We even spotted three, pure white ‘leucistic’ barnacle geese, of which only a handful has ever been recorded. l In late September we had a record number of teal, with more than 3,000 on the Folly Pond alone. l A great white egret delighted visitors well into autumn and was occasionally seen with its smaller cousins, the little egrets. l Hen harriers were seen hunting over the merses, with sightings of merlins and peregrine falcons adding to the excitement. l Huge flocks of waders wheeled on the incoming Solway tides with flocks of knot, dunlin and golden plovers joining more than 10,000 oystercatchers.

Caerlaverock Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/caerlaverock) Daily Activities Wild Swan Feed See wild whooper swans closer than anywhere in Britain from the Sir Peter Scott Observatory with live commentary by the warden. (Oct to Apr). 11am and 2pm. Guide in the Hide Our friendly, knowledgeable guides will be in the hides to point out the best wildlife of the day. See the ‘What’s on’ board in the visitor centre for information and availability. 11am-3pm. Sun 29 Jan Wildlife Photography Workshop

Wildlife photography workshop with Tom Langlands and Bob Fitzsimmons. Learn how to take fantastic shots of the swans and geese on this wetland reserve. All abilities welcome – suitable for beginners and more experienced photographers. 10am-4pm. Please contact the centre for further details. BE Sun 5 Feb Dawn Flight Join the wardens as we open early to experience the wild geese flighting in against the dawn sky. The coffee shop will

also be open early to provide hot drinks and bacon rolls. Bring warm, waterproof clothing, binoculars and a torch. 7am. BE Mon 13 to Wed 15 Feb & Mon 20 to Wed 22 Feb Scottish Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck How good are you at puddle jumping? As a wetland habitat, we have plenty of fantastic puddles! Come and show us your skills at the Scottish Puddle Jumping Championships. 10am-1pm.

Sun 5 Mar In Focus Try before you buy the latest binoculars and telescopes from the huge range available today. In Focus experts are on hand all day to give advice and WWT Caerlaverock benefits from every sale. 10am-4pm. Free. Sun 12 Mar Wildlife Photography Workshop Come along to Tom Langlands and Bob Fitzsimmons’s workshop to learn how to take fantastic shots of the swans and geese on this reserve. All abilities welcome – suitable for

beginners and more experienced photographers. 10am4pm. Please contact the centre for details. BE Fri 24 to 26 Mar Wild Film Festival Dumfries will host the new Wild Film Festival, which will celebrate the natural world through film,

photography and discussion. Visit nearby WWT Caerlaverock as part of the experience. One of the speakers will be TV presenter Iolo Williams, plus there will be photo exhibitions and workshops. See wwt. org.uk/caerlaverock, or contact the centre, for more details.

Iolo Williams JANUARY/MARCH 2017

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D O W N YO U R WAY Castle Espie

WWT CASTLE ESPIE WETLAND CENTRE Come to Castle Espie and meet Can you make Kate the Kingfisher, Flavia the the biggest and Andean Flamingo, Lottie the best splash? Otter and all 11 of our individually designed LEGO® brick animals! From 11 February to 2 April, you’ll have fun tracking down our GIANT animals, some of which are up to 12 times their actual size, and learning about their real-life cousins. And don’t miss our LEGO brick workshops on weekends, which are fun for all the family (please book in advance). In our hour-long interactive workshops, make and take home your very own frog, to celebrate the NEW addition of our Fred the Frog LEGO brick animal! This February half-term, grab your wellies and make a splash jumping in puddles for a chance to win prizes in the Northern Ireland Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck. Practice makes perfect, so try out your moves in the practice puddle zones around the reserve before making a splash for the judges. Marks will be awarded for height of splash, enthusiasm and creativity!

‘We saw birds, searched for critters, pond dipped and played in the park. I overheard my four-year-old daughter tell the guide it was “the best day EVER!”’ mickiepickle

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Ballydrain Road, Comber, Co Down BT23 6EA 028 9187 4146 | info.castleespie@wwt.org.uk WWT Castle Espie

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS lS pectacular views of the brent geese arriving on Strangford Lough – an estimated 25,000 migrated here from the eastern Canadian Arctic. lA stunning long-eared owl hunting around the Limekiln part of the reserve. lmost daily visits from juvenile and adult buzzards. lA

Castle Espie Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/castleespie)

First three Suns of every month (8, 15, 22 Jan & 5, 12, 19 Feb & 5, 12, 19 Mar) Guide in the Hide Join the Castle Espie Birdwatching Club for its Guide in the Hide sessions. 2-4pm. Last Thurs of every month

(26 Jan & 23 Feb) Birdwatch Morning Join expert Dot Blakeley for a morning of birdwatching at Castle Espie. 10.30am-12.30pm. Sat 28 & Sun 29 Jan Embrace the Outdoors Embrace the outdoors at Castle Espie and enjoy special guided tours and a fun nature trail for the kids. 12 noon-4pm.

Sat 11 Feb to Sun 2 Apr GIANT LEGO Brick Animal Trail Pick up a trail map and have fun finding our giant LEGO brick animals around the reserve. All day. WWT

Sat 14 & Sun 15 Jan Owl Man Owl Man returns to Castle Espie with his amazing selection of owls. 12 noon-4pm.

Kate the Kingfisher is a big attraction

Sat 11 to Sun 19 Feb, then weekends only until Sun 2 Apr LEGO Brick Workshops During your day out at Castle Espie’s Giant LEGO Brick Animal Trail, take part in a

fun-filled hour-long interactive LEGO brick workshop and leave with your own model to take home. All day. £8.50PP (doesn’t include admission to the reserve). BE Fri 17 to Sun 19 Feb Northern Ireland Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck Make a splash for your chance to be the Northern Ireland Puddle Jumping Champion! All day.

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D O W N YO U R WAY Llanelli

WWT LLANELLI WETLAND CENTRE

Llwynhendy, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 9SH 01554 741087 | info.llanelli@wwt.org.uk WWT Llanelli

Children will be making a splash this February with the return of our Welsh Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck during half-term. Come and practise at weekends throughout February and also try your hand at building a den. Crafty children will love making a bird nest box on 24 and 26 February – perfect for little birds this spring. But the fun doesn’t stop there! Our new Our colourful Bay play Flamingo Bay play area is ready to welcome Flamingo area is now open adventurous children who love having fun. It includes a climbing net, a basket swing, flamingo rockers, a slide and plenty of sand play. Make the most of crisp, cold days and spot the last of the wintering waterbirds with our guide in the hide on weekends throughout January. Enjoy the warmth of our viewing tower and see if you can spot a great white egret or bittern with the help of our guide at

WWT

Water way to have fun! Make a splash during our puddle jumping championships

Winter thrushes, including redwings, gorge on hedgerow berries in the Millennium Wetlands

Llanelli Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/llanelli) Every Mon During Term-time Monday Munchkins Come along with your toddlers to take part in guided activities, with a different theme each week. Activities include pond dipping, minibeast hunts, crafts, stories, games

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and feeding the birds. 11am-12 noon. First Sun of the Month Veggie Patch Kids Enjoy wildlife activities and making things for a wildlifefriendly garden. You can also grow lovely veggies in our patch

JANUARY/MARCH 2017

and learn how to care for plants and what they need to grow. 11am-12 noon. RI Suns until 26 Mar Follow the Feed This is a special opportunity to join our grounds warden feeding our wonderful

variety of collection birds… and the cheeky native birds that fly in especially for the feed! 3.30pm. Sat 7 to Sun 29 Jan January Weekend Family Fun Telescope in the Tower: 11am-12 noon;

Guide in the Heron’s Wing Hide: 1-2pm; Winter-themed Crafts: 2-4.30pm (small donation to cover costs). Sat 4 to Sun 12 Feb February Weekend Family Fun Self-guided Den

Building: all day; Self-guided Practice Puddles: all day; Telescope in the Tower: 11am12 noon; Family Birdwatching in the Observatory: 1-2pm; Craft Workshop: 2-4.30pm (small donation to cover costs).

Red-crowned crane courtship display

Telescope in the Tower (weekends until the end of February) and enjoy family birdwatching in the observatory (on February and March weekends). If you’d rather get up close to the birds, a Sunday visit is a must so you can follow the feed. Join our warden around the grounds on the afternoon feed to see our spectacular collection of birds enjoy their lunch. Learn more about each species, what they like to eat and how we care for them, and enjoy a unique insight into the job of a warden. Our popular bat walks return in March, and younger visitors can enjoy craft activities before the walk. Join us after dark to see how many bats you can spot with the help of our detectors, and explore the secret lives of our bats – from why wetlands are so great for them and how big (or small) they actually are to how many insects they can fit into their tiny bellies! Why not treat mum this Mother’s Day and enjoy our ‘mums go free’ offer on 26 March. Head to our café to enjoy some beautiful cakes or book a workshop to make mum a unique gift. Don’t forget to visit the crane pen on weekends in March to catch our pair of red-crowned cranes performing their ritual dances and learn more from a guide. The Millennium Wetlands provide a stunning walk as the season changes and winter days turn warmer. See if you can spot redwings and fieldfares munching on the last of the winter berries in the bushes and look out for flocks of hungry goldcrests, tits and treecreepers flitting together through the leafless trees. You may even hear the squeal of a water rail.

Last autumn our black-tailed godwits set a new record

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS lB reathtaking numbers of black-tailed godwits – more than 1,000 – and over 80 greenshank flooded the saline lagoons and broke all previous records for the species at Llanelli. l Huge numbers of knot, redshank, curlew and lapwing added to the spectacle. l The arrival of a turtle dove was an early Christmas treat, as this species is rarely seen in Wales. Turtle dove

‘We’ve been to a lot of WWT centres, but this is one of our favourites. There’s lots for the children to do, a good café and beautiful views across the estuary. Definitely worth a visit.’ Chris

Sat 18 to Sun 26 Feb Welsh Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck Grab your wellies and make a splash this half-term. Competition at 2pm every day. Other activities include Self-guided Practice

Puddles: all day; Self-guided Den Building: all day; Telescope in the Tower: 11am-12 noon; Family Birdwatching in the Observatory. 1-2pm; Craft Workshop: 2.304.30pm (small donation to cover costs).

Fri 24 & Sun 26 Feb Bird Nest Box-Making Workshops Drop in to make your own bird box to take home and attract little birds to your garden this spring. Receive expert, one-to-one tuition. Drop in between 11am and 12 noon or 1-4pm. £7 per box.

Sat 4 to Sun 26 Mar March Weekend Family Fun Self-guided Den Building: all day; Minibeast Hunt: 11am-12 noon; Family Birdwatching in the Observatory: 1-1.45pm; Crane Talk: 2-2.30pm; Craft Workshop. 2.30-4.30pm

(small donation to cover costs). Fri 17 Mar Family Bat Walk Join us for an early-evening bat walk to look and listen for bats with bat detectors. Batty Crafts: 6pm; Bat Walk: 6.30-8pm. £5PC/PP. BE RI

Sun 26 Mar Mother’s Day – Mums Go Free Join us for a special Mother’s Day treat where mums go free. Contact the centre for details of café offers and Mother’s Day workshops.

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Waterlife

D O W N YO U R WAY London

Queen Elizabeth’s Walk, London SW13 9WT 020 8409 4400 | info.london@wwt.org.uk WWT London

Dave Peters/WWT

WWT LONDON WETLAND CENTRE The New Year starts with a splash in our London Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck. From 11-19 February you can don your wellies and have a splashing time creating the biggest and most stylish shapes. There’s also still time to see the GIANT LEGO® Brick Animals, until 28 January. Winter is one of the most spectacular times of year at London Wetland Centre. With more than 180 species of bird recorded annually during the colder months, there’s always a chance of seeing something exciting. A Winter Birdwatching Walk with our warden will take you to the best spots to see seasonal birds. You can spot up to 150 shoveler wintering on the main lake and sheltered lagoons, though the bitterns may prove more of a challenge. We host up to six of these secretive birds, and though notoriously hard to see, they are a regular sight here. With sightings most days throughout winter, London

Wetland Centre is one of the best places to tick off the species. If you’d like to capture the reserve’s most striking winter wildlife on camera, our Winter Wildlife Photography Course is on 3 February. Hone your skills with our expert tuition and then try them out on our winter species, such as snipe, water rail and redwing. Have you ever wondered why there’s a herd of cows on the reserve? Though our adorable cows aren’t wild, they play a crucial role in helping us to manage the wetlands for wildlife. Spend time behind the scenes on 19 February learning about the importance of our cows and how our wardens look after them. And if you enjoy exploring parts of the reserve that are usually out of bounds to visitors, join us for a walk in the reedbeds on 11 February. Learn about this fascinating and important, but often overlooked habitat, and the wildlife it supports. Jump in for some watery fun

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS l Impressive numbers of wintering ducks, including wigeon. l September brought lively flocks of canaryyellow siskins (right) and fieldfares, and even some water pipits.

‘Just 20 minutes from Waterloo is a pleasant environment that makes you forget you’re in a major metropolis.’ TripAdvisor

London Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/london) Daily Activities Otter Feeds Meet the otters at feeding time, and find out more about them. Guided Tours Learn how the centre was created and gain an insight into the wildlife that lives here. 11.30am and 2.30pm. Feed the Birds Join a warden as he feeds the birds in World Wetlands. Guide in the Hide (in the Peacock Tower and Headley Discovery Hide) Join one of WWT’s experienced birdwatchers, who will point out unusual species and answer questions. 10am-1pm.

Photographer and author Iain Green will guide you through your camera’s automatic settings – and then show you how to turn off the ‘automatic’ mode but still get fantastic photos. 10am-4pm. £60PP. BE

Until Sat 28 Jan Meet our GIANT LEGO Brick Animals The awesome models will form a trail for kids (and big kids) to inspire them to build a better future for nature. At weekends you’ll also get a chance to make a LEGO brick frog to take home (additional charge). 10am-4pm.

Sat 7 Jan Members’ Walk: Make Your Own Garden Wetland Creating a wetland in your garden is one of the best ways to help local wildlife. Join our warden as he takes you around the reserve to show you how you can create your own wetland at home. 1pm. £2PP. BE

Sat 7 Jan Winter Birdwatching Walk This is a wonderful time to visit London Wetland Centre, with the winter birds decked out in their finest plumage. Our warden will guide you around the reserve and give you tips on fieldcraft and bird ID. 9.30-11am. £20PP. BE

Sat 7 Jan to Sun 5 Feb Weekend Family Activities Join us by the fire for stories about wetland creatures; on cold days we light the woodburning stove to make it extra cosy. 10am-4pm.

Sun 29 Jan Birdwatching With a Warden An expert warden will guide you around the reserve showing you the birds, their plumage, calls and behaviour. You’ll get tips on how to watch birds, what to listen for and the differences between key species. 9.30-11am. £10PP. BE

Sat 21 Jan Introduction to Wildlife Photography

Fri 3 Feb Winter Wildlife Photography Course

Discover how to photograph seasonal specialities of the reserve. The day will begin with a session inside, before heading out onto the reserve. 10am-4pm. £60PP. BE Sat 11 Feb Members’ Walk: Reedbed Ramblings Join our warden on a 30-minute walk into our reedbeds to explain their management, the wildlife they support and how humans rely on them. 1pm. £2PP. BE Sat 11 to Sun 19 Feb London Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck Children can grab their wellies and have fun jumping in puddles. Jump with style,

enthusiasm and splash to win your sticker! See website for further details. Sun 19 Feb Udderly Amazing Cows Watch our cows being fed and discover how they help us manage the reserve. 10-11am and 1.30-2.30pm. Sat 25 Feb to Sun 19 Mar Weekend Family Activities Enjoy pond dipping or try crafts. 10am-4pm. Sat 11 Mar Members’ Walk: Managing our Reserve The warden will explain the work they do creating and managing the habitats for the animals and plants that you see. 1pm. £2PP. BE

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Waterlife

D O W N YO U R WAY Martin Mere

WWT MARTIN MERE WETLAND CENTRE

Prepare to be amazed at our spectacular swan feeds

WWT

Winter is all about whooper swans at Martin Mere. Every day, you can experience the amazing sight and sound of up to 2,000 whoopers feeding on the mere. During swan feeds at 3pm and 3.30pm, the warden will reveal the incredible migration these birds undertake from Iceland and why they overwinter at Martin Mere, and introduce you to individual swans. There’s also a chance to see the swans in the evening, at special floodlit swan feeds, every Tuesday night throughout January. Just don’t forget to book (see below). During February half-term, younger visitors can take part in the North West Puddle Jumping Competition with Dusty Duck. Be prepared to create a splash as you’ll be judged on the height of your jump and your creativity. You might even win a prize. From mid-February, we’ll be welcoming the return of our beautiful avocets to the reserve and preparing Enter the Puddle to bid farewell to the whooper swans, Jumping which will be preparing for their long Championships with Dusty migration back to Iceland in March. Duck Once water levels have fallen, the reserve will become a hive of spring activity, as the breeding season begins, waders pass through and the cattle are put out to graze the wetlands.

Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 0TA 01704 895181 | info.martinmere@wwt.org.uk WWT Martin Mere

‘The otters were adorable and the staff sO knowledgeable. We visited a number of hides and were lucky to see a barn owl. The whooper swans were a tremendous sight. We enjoyed our visit very much.’ Lynda B

Martin Mere Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/martinmere) Daily Activities Otter Talk Come and meet our friendly family of otters and learn lots of fascinating otter facts – at 11.30am and 2.30pm every day. 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. Swan Spectacular Come and see the spectacle for yourself as up to 2,000 swans feed every day at 3pm at the new Discovery Hide and 3.30pm in the Raines Observatory,

which includes a warden talk.

telescopes. 7am12 noon. £22 PP. BE

Guide in the Discovery Hide Come along and meet a guide in our new Discovery Hide every day between 12.30pm and 3pm. They will tell you all about the swans, geese and ducks we have visiting Martin Mere at this time of year.

Sats 7 Jan & 4 Feb 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. £65 PP. BE

Fris 6 Jan & 3 Feb Birdwatching Morning Join Andy Bunting from In Focus to develop your bird identification skills in the field and receive expert advice on using guides and choosing binoculars and

Suns 8 Jan & 5 Feb Drawing and Painting Birds Join award-winning local artist and illustrator Tony Disley to explore the process from drawing through to a finished

painting of a bird subject. 10am-4pm. £50 PP. BE Every Tues in Jan from 10 Jan Floodlit Swans Enjoy watching thousands of whooper swans by floodlight at the Raines Observatory while chatting to our wardens and learning all about the incredible journeys these swans undertake. 6.30-8pm. Adults £9.73; concessions £7.11; children £4.63. BE Wed 11 Jan to Sat 11 Feb Southport Palette Club Exhibition The exhibition will be located in

the main foyer at the centre. All day. Please refer to website for dates and times Meet Reptiles Come along and meet reptiles from the North West Reptile Society in our lecture theatre. Sat 11 Feb to Sun 19 Feb North West Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck Bring along your wellies to make a splash with Dusty Duck at the North West Puddle Jumping Championships every day at 2pm. 50p a go, with a daily winner getting a prize.

Sat 11 Feb to Sun 19 Feb February Half-Term Come along and make your own nest box to take home (extra charge applies) and see thousands of whooper swans and pink-footed geese as they journey to Martin Mere for the winter. Mon 13 Feb to Sat 11 Mar Exhibition: Craig Daniel This exhibition of Craig Daniel’s watercolour artworks of wildlife will be located in the main hall at the centre. A percentage of sales will go to Martin Mere. All day.

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Waterlife

D O W N YO U R WAY Slimbridge

Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT 01453 891900 | events.slimbridge@wwt.org.uk Prebook all paid events on 01453 891223 WWT Slimbridge

WWT SLIMBRIDGE WETLAND CENTRE

WWT

Could you be the South West Puddle Jumping Champion?

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS l Strong September winds blew a juvenile spoonbill onto the estuary and an adult stayed for a week. WWT

Join us for the South West’s Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck this February half-term. Wrap up warm, grab your wellies and jump in the puddles for a chance to win a prize. Don’t forget to practise before the competition starts! Wet and mild winter weather draws thousands of waders, including golden plover, lapwing and dunlin, into Slimbridge’s flooded fields. Temperate conditions also allow birds that would normally winter further south and west to stay on the reserve. The result is a glittering flock of around tens of thousands, which may be spectacularly flushed into the air by one of the resident peregrine falcons. Enjoy the best views from the Holden Tower and Zeiss Hides. As spring beckons, wild and far-carrying calls fill the air. It’s the sound of our cranes courting, and now is the best time to see the birds pair up and lay claim to territories. Watch their stunning dancing displays with our warden on a special Crane Birdwatch Morning on 11 and 25 March. Nowhere else in the country can such greats views be guaranteed. Marvel at the spectacle of 200-300 wild Bewick’s swans at our commented wild bird feeds every afternoon until the end of February. Or settle down with a glass of mulled cider to watch them being fed and learn their incredible stories at a Floodlit Swan Supper. Then enjoy a delicious threecourse meal in the relaxing surroundings of our new Kingfisher Kitchen. The café has a fresh, new, relaxing interior and updated menu featuring local produce. So if that tempts your taste buds, why not celebrate Mother’s Day on 26 March with a delicious two- or three-course lunch?

l Visitors enjoyed seeing a tame spotted crake for several days in that same month.

Spotted crake

l In September, we welcomed four curlew sandpipers, resting en route to their wintering grounds in West Africa. A count of 31 ruff included adults and young, all in different plumages and leg colour.

Slimbridge Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/slimbridge) Daily Activities Except Christmas Day Otter Talk – Back From the Brink Meet our family of otters and hear a talk as they tuck into a fish supper. 11.30am and 3pm daily.

birds are caught and ringed in the decoy nets. Book at the admission desk. A demonstration may run on a Sunday depending on staffing and dog availability. 2pm.

Except Christmas Day Toad Hall Talk Hear Jay Redbond, our amphibians expert, give an insight into the world of amphibians, as well as have the chance to hold frogs, toads and newts. 2.15pm daily plus 12.30pm at weekends and school holidays.

Sun 1 Jan to Tues 28 Feb Wild Bird Feed Don’t miss this winter spectacle. From the heated observatory, hear our warden’s commentary as he feeds the thousands of wild birds and hundreds of Bewick’s swans that have flown all the way from Arctic Russia. 4pm

7 Jan to 25 Feb – Sats only Decoy Demonstrations Watch our furry canine assisting with conservation work as

Sun 1 Jan to Fri 31 Mar Crane Talk – Back from the Brink Discover how Slimbridge staff are

working to breed and release back into the wild these birds, which have been extinct in the UK for more than 300 years. 2.30pm. Fri 6, Sat 7, Thurs 12 & Fri 13 Jan Floodlit Swan Supper Settle in to the comfort of our heated observatory, with a glass of mulled cider, to watch our wild Bewick’s swans as they are fed by one of our wardens. Learn about their incredible stories and watch them feed among thousands of other birds. Afterwards, you will be served a delicious three-course meal in our new Kingfisher Kitchen, followed by tea and coffee. 6.15pm. £34.95, includes meal. BE RI

Sun 29 Jan Birdwatch Morning Join our warden as he opens our hides around the grounds, to learn about the different birds visible from each one and how to identify them in their seasonal plumages. 8am. £15.95, includes tea/coffee and bacon roll. BE RI Sat 4 Feb Wildlife Photography for Beginners with Iain Green Starting with an illustrated introductory session looking at composition, technique and equipment, you will then head outside for a practical session of nature photography. There will be plenty of time for one-to-one tuition. Iain will guide

you through key camera techniques and skills. Suitable for users of all types of camera. 10am-4pm. £62.50, includes tea/coffee and biscuits. BE RI Fri 10 Feb Advanced Birder Learn to assess fine details such as plumage, weather conditions and habitats to take your skills to a new level. 8am-12 noon. £27.95, includes tea/ coffee and bacon roll. BE RI Sat 11 to Sun 19 Feb South West Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck For Feb half-term, make a big splash at our South West Puddle Jumping

Championships with Dusty Duck. Wrap up warm, grab your wellies and jump into the puddles for a chance to win prizes. Puddles will be available all day for that essential practice before the competition starts. 9.30am-5pm. Sun 26 Mar Mother’s Day Lunch Enjoy Mother’s Day in the relaxing surroundings of our all-new Kingfisher Kitchen. Book a table for a delicious two- or three-course lunch. 12 noon and 2pm. See website for cost. To book, call 01453 891223. Non-members will also need to pay normal admission charge. BE RI

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Waterlife

D O W N YO U R WAY Washington

WWT WASHINGTON WETLAND CENTRE

Pattinson, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 8LE 0191 416 5454 | info.washington@wwt.org.uk WWT Washington

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS

days in September. This beautiful little wader was last recorded on the reserve 15 years ago! lL agoon View Hide provides spectacular views of the River Wear and we were astonished to record several sightings of grey seals and wild otters swimming upstream.

WWT

Fancy your chances in our North East Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck? This popular and fiercely fought contest is back for a second year, so throw on your coats and wellies and join us during February half-term to try your luck at making the biggest and best splash in the North East! We’re celebrating 2016 being the most successful year ever for avocets at WWT Washington Wetland Centre. No fewer than 42 of these beautiful birds were counted on the reserve with a record number of fledglings. We’re hoping Listen to the cooing this year will be just as fantastic, so keep of our beautiful your eyes on the skies in mid to late eider ducks in Close Encounters (inset) February for their return! Our friendly eider ducks are settling in well into their new home in Close Encounters, where you can see them up close and even feed them by hand. The area has reopened after being redeveloped and now visitors can enjoy a complete l Kingfishers have been seen sensory experience with a new walkway, aromatic plants and a rushing daily on the saline lagoon waterfall. As we move into spring, this area will really start to blossom. and amphibian ponds, and Wader Lake eagerly anticipates the arrival of grey herons, which even on Wader Lake. will return by mid January and start to rebuild one of the North East’s largest heronries. The herons often fly from the lake to the River Wear l Excitingly, a curlew sandpiper stayed for several with great views enjoyed from the Lagoon View Hide.

‘Really enjoyed another fantastic day at the wetlands centre. The site is beautiful and well organised. The otter and flamingo talks were great and the staff are friendly and helpful. There’s some great conservation and education work going on.’ Steve B

Washington Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/washington) Daily Activities Otter Feeds Meet our playful Asian short-clawed otters at commentated feeds. 11.30am and 3pm. Flamingo Feeds Learn more about our fabulous Chilean flamingo flock and hear all about how our staff and volunteers hand-raised 29 flamingo chicks! 11.45am and 3.15pm. Sats 7 Jan, 4 Feb & 4 Mar Guide in a Hide Discover more about

our diverse wild bird species with the help of our volunteer guide. The guide will be on site from 10am-12 noon and 2-4pm. Please check on arrival for details of which hide they’re in. Sats 7 Jan, 4 Feb & 4 Mar Walking With Wildfowl Learn fascinating facts about our rare and endangered waterbird collection on a guided walk with our aviculture expert and hear about how WWT’s conservation

breeding programmes are playing a vital role in their survival. Meet in the picture window at reception at 2pm. Third Sat and fourth Sun of each month Walk With a Warden Join our wildlife reserve manager as he leads a guided tour around our site, taking in the sights, sounds and seasonal wildlife. Meet in the picture window at reception at 2pm. Sat 18 Feb Day Trip to Caerlaverock

Come with us as we travel to WWT’s Scottish centre. Dress suitably for the weather and a change of shoes will be needed. £17PP and £9PC. Admission to Caerlaverock not included (WWT members free). Coach leaves at 9am, returning 5pm. BE Feb Half-term Holidays North East Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck Grab your wellies and join us for

splashtastic fun this half-term! No matter what your age or puddle jumping ability, everyone is welcome. See who can produce the biggest and best splash in special competition puddles, with efforts marked by the WWT judges. Registration for puddle jumping daily from 2pm with competition taking place after registration. Feb Half-term Holidays Family Crafts Get creative with a

family craft session this half-term. Make your very own animal or micro garden to take home. Small costs apply. 1-3.30pm. Sun 26 March Mother’s Day Lunch Treat your loved one to a special two-course meal in our Waterside Café and enjoy delicious food with a stunning view. Call 0191 416 5454 ext 235 for menu, prices and booking. BE

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Waterlife

D O W N YO U R WAY Welney

WWT WELNEY WETLAND CENTRE

Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck during half-term. The event was a resounding success last year, so come and find out whose splash is the biggest and best. If last winter is anything to go by, we should be in for a treat as black-tailed godwits from Iceland flock to the reserve. Numbers previously topped 1,000 individuals, and it’s great to see that many of the birds sport coloured leg rings. Some of them are regular winter visitors to Welney, but it’s always worth noting ringed birds in case they haven’t yet been recorded.

Don’t miss your chance to chat to the incredible Flight of the Swans team

WWT

Winter can mean only one thing at WWT Welney Wetland Centre – the spectacular swan season is here and there’s one weekend you won’t want to miss: our Festival of Swans! On 21 and 22 January, you’re invited to meet some of the Flight of the Swans team fresh from their epic adventure flying with Bewick’s swans from Arctic Russia (find out more on page 26). You can also take a closer look at the wintering swans with our expert team, to learn how we monitor and keep them safe each year. Black-tailed The festival is the perfect opportunity godwits are to thank one of our most dedicated due to return volunteers, Norman Ridley, who’s welcomed people to Welney for 40 years – and made a wonderful day out just that bit better. Thank you, Norman! One animal that many visitors flock to see at this time of year is the brown hare (see page 18). Their antics on Lady Fen have become one of the top winter highlights at Welney, and our guided walks are the best way to appreciate them. No matter what the weather – covered in snow or a sunny winter’s day – getting that bit closer to these evocative creatures is a fantastic experience. You might even see them chasing and boxing each other as spring beckons. If our mad March hares make you feel like jumping for joy yourself, this February we will be hosting the second East Anglian Puddle

Hundred Foot Bank, Welney, Nr Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE14 9TN 01353 860711 | info.welney@wwt.org.uk WWT Welney

Welney Events (See page 44 for key. Events are subject to change, so for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/welney) Daily Activities Swan Feed Join us for our fantastic commentated swan feeds at lunchtime. After Christmas, the swans and ducks get an extra feed during the coldest part of winter. Listen to the commentary and watch the feed as the hundreds of pochard ducks make the water bubble. 12 noon daily until Sun 12 March.

Waterlife

Swan Feed Join us for our fantastic commentated swan feeds in the afternoon. The sight of hundreds of swans and ducks being fed is enhanced further by the flight in of more swans at dusk shortly after the feeding time. 3.30pm daily until Sun 12 March. Floodlit Swan Feed Experience the evocative sight of swans gliding on

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the floodlit lagoon after dark. The commentated floodlit feed is an event that can be enjoyed by the whole family as the swans get their last feed before it is time to tuck their heads under their wings for the night. 6.30pm Thurs to Sun each week until Sun 26 Feb. BE Hare Walks Join us for a guided walk out on Lady Fen

to get close to the hares and other wildlife. Find out how creating wetlands has been so successful at WWT Welney and enjoy watching the hares that also take advantage of this protected site as they get ready for the spring boxing. 2-3pm Mons, Thurs and Sats until Mon 27 Feb. BE Sat 21 & Sun 22 Jan Festival of Swans

Join us for a weekend celebrating all things swan. Meet some of the Flight of the Swans team who followed the Bewick’s swans, fresh from their epic migration. Enjoy swan feeds, guided swan watching talks and more. Sat 21 & Sun 22 Jan, & Sat 11 & Wed 15 Feb Swans Awake Join us before dawn breaks across the

Washes to watch thousands of swans wake up from their roosting sites on the reserve. With a warden, watch them take to the skies as they fly out to feed in the fields for the day. It’s worth the early start! Dawn event, see website for individual event times. £10PP, £5PC. Optional breakfast £6.95. BE WP

Nothing beats the spectacle of Welney’s ‘mad March’ hares as spring approaches

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS l Flocks of up to 17 cranes (below) were regularly seen foraging on the Washes in October.

WWT

l House martins and swallows put on fabulous farewell displays in August, as they gathered for their migration south. They often perched on the visitor centre between feeding forays!

Cranes

‘My little nieces were completely absorbed by the treasures in their Nature Explorers backpacks and the activities along the way – making a pine cone bird feeder, eyeing up the contents of an owl pellet and watching dragonflies. They cried when we left!’

As the days get longer, the first signs of spring appear, with furry catkins on trees, early flowers in bloom and insects starting to emerge on warm days. There’s also a change in the types of bird seen on the reserve as, after a peak in January, wintering ducks and swans start to fall in number from February onwards. By March, little ringed plover, avocet and garganey are usually starting to return, and we may even welcome thousands of golden plover on-site.

Sats 4 Feb, 4 Mar & 1 Apr Willow Weaving Workshops Join expert willow weaver Jane Frost for a day teaching you how to create garden structures and basket forms from natural materials. Contact Jane Frost to book at jane@frostart. co.uk or on 01353 861944 (materials included in ticket price). 10am-4pm, £60PP. BE

Sat 11 to Sun 19 Feb East Anglian Puddle Jumping Championships with Dusty Duck See if you can make the biggest splash this half-term! Take part in the competition, enjoy trails and activities throughout the day and watch our commentated swan feeds.

mariakw2016

Spot the puddle jumping participant

Tues 14 Feb All About Bees Talk

An evening talk by Josh Wells, assistant warden at WWT Welney. All welcome. Funds raised go towards WWT’s work at Welney. 7.309.30pm. £3 (£2 Friends of Welney Members). Sat 18 & Sun 19 Feb Wildlife Photography Workshop Learn how to get the best from your camera with photography expert David Featherbe. Access the

wildlife photo hide for eye-level access to swans and ducks, and explore for wild hares. 10am-4.30pm, £60PP. BE Tues 14 Mar A Focus on Birds Talk An evening talk by David Tipling. All welcome. Funds raised go towards WWT’s work at Welney. 7.30-9.30pm, £3 (£2 Friends of Welney Members).

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Waterlife

D O W N YO U R WAY Steart Marshes

Stert Drove, Bridgwater, Somerset TA5 2PU 01278 651090 | wwt.org.uk/steart WWT Steart Marshes

WWT STEART MARSHES On crisp winter days, Steart is the place for breathtaking 360-degree views across Somerset. When the skies are clear, you can even see the peak of Pen y Fan in Wales! In January, water levels are at their highest and this allows visitors to get up close with our wintering waders and wildfowl. To make the most of the opportunity, we’ve added a raised viewing platform to our freshwater marsh, Stockland Marshes, so you can enjoy even better views. Siberian We’ve also built a large viewing screen on the chiffchaff northern side of the breach. This allows visitors to climb on top of the new banks and gaze out over the saline lagoon, where there are three islands that are popular with a fantastic variety of waders.

LAST YEAR’S top spots Steart was host to an American wigeon (a rare vagrant), cattle egret (now breeding successfully in Somerset), Siberian chiffchaff (a rare species of chiffchaff), green-winged teal (which occurs in small numbers each year) and a glaucous gull (a scarce winter visitor).

During the winter, Steart is a great place to see raptors, as they flush clouds of feeding or roosting waders here and on Otterhampton Marsh. In addition to buzzards, kestrels and sparrowhawks, look for peregrines calling from the top of the pylons, tiny merlins perched on fence posts and marsh harriers gliding over the tops of the reeds. You might also enjoy encounters with the barn owls that feed on the rough grass next to the main car park, or spot short-eared owls swooping from low undergrowth. As spring approaches, we’ll be busy maintaining the site, monitoring wildlife, including the fish using the saltmarsh, and studying how the creek system is gradually changing.

Phillip Edwards, 2 Nov 2016

‘An amazing visit! The marshes are beautiful, teeming with wildlife, wonderful birdwatching and lovely long walks. The area is kept in beautiful condition and is so peaceful and picturesque!’ Jennifer C

Steart offers stunning views across Somerset

Steart Marshes Events (Key on page 44. Events are subject to change so, for up-to-date information, please visit wwt.org.uk/steart) Daily Activities Willow Sculpture Trail Download an information sheet or pick one up from the reserve office and discover our 10 lifesize willow sculptures. Made by local artists, they depict animals that live in or use the reserve throughout the year. High Tides Check the website for the best time to make the trip out to the breach and see this spectacle.

Guided Walks If you are in a group and would like a more in-depth tour of the reserve and also find out more about the work we are doing here, please get in touch, as we can usually accommodate this by arrangement (£2-£3PP). Sun 15 Jan & Tues 28 Feb High Tide BIRDWATCHING BONANZA! High tide in winter is a great time for

birdwatching here. The tide itself is a fabulous sight, but you’ll also see a wider variety of birds in large numbers: dunlin, lapwing, golden plover, curlew, wigeon and teal, and there’s always the chance of something unusual. 8-10am. £3 members/ £4 non-members. BE Tues 24 Jan & Wed 22 Feb Explore the Breach by 4x4 Take a trip by 4x4 onto the saltmarsh

and see the breach up close. Explore the part of the reserve not normally accessible to the public. £10 members/ £15 non-members (max four people per trip). BE By Arrangement One-to-one Birdwatching A fantastic opportunity to spend two hours with one of our guides with in-depth knowledge of the reserve and its winter birds, explore the

far-flung parts of the reserve and watch the spectacle of migrating birds with an insider’s knowledge. Dates will be arranged to suit you and the guide, and to coincide with the best tides, so likely to be early morning. £20 members/£30 non-members. BE Thurs 16 Feb Birdwatching for Beginners We will take a small group of young people

(suitable for eightto 14-year-olds) to a good location, show them how to use the equipment and how to identify different birds, from common to more unusual. Places are limited, and booking essential. 10.30am-12.30pm. £10PP. BE How to book: See above contact details. Events are subject to change, so please check wwt.org.uk/steart.

JANUARY/MARCH 2017

Waterlife

B AC K C H AT Rebecca loves nothing more than poking around wetlands in her wellies, preferably in the sunshine

MY WILD LIFE

Rebecca Woodward, associate director of WWT Consulting, chats to Waterlife about the highlights and lowlights of her exciting role My job is the best job in the world because I’m passionate about

conserving and restoring wetlands, and encouraging people to love and value them as much as I do. I’m so lucky to pursue my passion among like-minded colleagues, knowing that I am making a small, but vital contribution to wetland conservation. Working for WWT Consulting means there’s no such thing as an

average day. We normally have up to 40 projects under way at any one time and I’m often travelling, both in the UK and internationally. I love the diversity and intensity of the work.

Rebecca Woodward Associate Director, WWT Consulting

The strangest thing I’ve ever done was radio-tracking Laysan ducks

from a golf buggy in the middle 66

Waterlife

JANUARY/MARCH 2017

out towards the South China Sea. So I used my tripod to anchor the boat in the mud and clung on with one hand while calling for help on my mobile with the other. Luckily, a high-speed rib full of police came to my rescue and even insisted I joined them for a meal while I tried to explain what I had been up to.

Water voles always bring a smile

I can’t get through my day without

to my face.

Recently I’ve learned that people from all round the world and all walks of life love wetlands and their wildlife. This gives me hope. My worst day was being rescued

Highlights of my role range from

helping to save the wonderful Laysan duck in Hawaii to pitching a wetland centre project to billionaires at the top of the Bloomberg building in New York.

of the night. WWT helped the US Fish and Wildlife Service to translocate some of these critically endangered ducks to Midway Atoll in the Pacific, and I was tracking them day and night to make sure they were healthy and happy. I had to dodge breeding albatrosses everywhere as I drove!

“

by the marine police from a boat drifting uncontrollably out to sea in Hong Kong. I’d been sitting in a hide on stilts in the middle of Deep Bay counting waterbirds on the hour, every hour, for 24 hours. I could only sleep for 40 minutes at a time so I was exhausted. As I cast off the boat to return to shore, the engine failed. I began to drift helplessly into an international shipping lane and

a lunch break. As tempting as it is to eat lunch in front of my computer, I would much rather get outdoors and enjoy Slimbridge. If I could wave a magic wand, I would wish that governments

would prioritise wetlands more than they do at the moment. Healthy wetlands are vital for our future. You might not know that urban

wetlands found in cities in tropical climates play an important role in cooling. Studies have shown that if you live next to a wetland compared to, say, a car park, the temperature difference can be as much as 10 degrees.