News
Keeping Track of the Whoopers
Whooper swan season has well and truly begun at WWT! Whooper swans undertake probably the longest sea crossing of any swan species, covering between 800 and 1,400 km between Iceland and their wintering sites here in the UK. Each autumn hundreds of whooper
3 November 2015
Autumn Wildlife Photography Top Tips - Part 1
Autumn is an amazing time to get outdoors with your camera – it’s a time of great change, of epic migrations and swirling murmurations. There’s so much to see, and in this series James Lees, acclaimed photographer and Reserve Warden at WWT Slimbridg
28 October 2015
Pink-footed geese bonanza at WWT Martin Mere
Over the last couple of weeks more than 30,000 pink-footed geese have arrived at WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre. Such large numbers, this early in the year, suggest that we could be on track to beat last year’s record number of 45,800 geese roosting a
20 October 2015
Bewick's swans - record breaking early arrivals fuel cold winter rumours
Something quite extraordinary is happening this week at WWT, three of our wetland centres have reported the earliest arrival of the world famous Bewick’s swans for over 50 years and it's rumoured that this may mean we are in for a long and bitter winter
15 October 2015
Five things you can do to help wetlands
Create your own pond Wildlife needs water, so bring wildlife to you by giving them a lovely pond. You’ll attract animals like frogs, dragon flies and pond skaters. Check out WWT’s guide to creating a pond and our advice on native UK plants for pond
12 October 2015
Unashamedly passionate about wildlife
In November, BBC's Autumnwatch will be showcasing the wonders of the migration at our very own WWT Caerlaverock in Scotland. In this special guest blog, presenter Chris Packham gets you in the mood for Autumnwatch and speaks out about being ‘unashamedly
7 October 2015
Goat Moth Caterpillar - A Rare Sight
Goat moth caterpillars spend four years munching on willow; their large pinscers are just the tools they need, so mind your fingers if you go near one! This month the caterpillars are looking for somewhere to pupate over winter. They will then emerge
28 September 2015
Musk Beetle - A Closer Look
Musk beetles are part of the longhorn group. They are scarce in the UK, but larvae feed and grow inside willow trees, so wetlands like ours are a great place to spot them. Adult beetles are this amazing green-blue metallic colour! https://youtu.be/ec2
23 September 2015
Ruff - The Most Extravagent of Waders
Ruff have extravagant breeding plumages that come in many colour forms. Even at this time of year the plumages can vary and the females are much smaller than the males. Whilst birds are passing through on migration; look out for these waders next time you
15 September 2015
Grass Snake - Hiding in the Workshop
Grass snakes are easy to identify with their distictive yellow and black collar. They are the largest UK species of snake but thankfully only eat fish and amphibians. They are very timid but you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of one before winte
28 August 2015
Lizard - Enjoying the Sun
This common lizard is enjoying the late summer sunshine. Basking as this one is, helps them warm up ready to go hunting. https://youtu.be/NVtcgwYpU6w Footage by Adam Finch
20 August 2015
Dragonfly - 30,000 Lenses
Vision is the most important sense to a dragonfly. Their compound eyes are incredible allowing them to see forwards, alongside, above and behind all at the same time! Luckily we aren't on the menu and can watch them hunting for smaller prey. https://youtu
15 August 2015
Stoat and Weasel - Spot the Difference
Stoats and weasels are easily mistaken for one another. Both small mammals are often moving very fast and don't tend to stay out in the open for long. But if you focus on the bottom end; if the tail has a black tip you are looking at a stoat! https://yout
10 August 2015
Kingfisher - Taking a Dive
A beautiful kingfisher sits patiently waiting to catch his next meal outside the main observatory at WWT Welney. Footage by Bob Ellis https://youtu.be/TvdvUs0LMBc
1 August 2015
Dragonflies - Ancient Flyers
Dragonflies were some of the first insects to evolve. They have honed their flying skills to become amazing aerial predators, and as a result have inspired engineers to replicate this adaptation in human technology! There are relatively few species to l
6 July 2015