Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT wwt.org.uk membership@wwt.org.uk
Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410
CENTRES
For full location, address and contact details, visit the individual centre pages on our website – wwt.org.uk/visit
WWT Arundel 01903 883355
WWT Caerlaverock 01387 770200
WWT Castle Espie 028 9187 4146
WWT Llanelli 01554 741087
WWT London 020 8409 4400
WWT Martin Mere 01704 895181
WWT Slimbridge 01453 891900
WWT Steart Marshes 01278 651090
WWT Washington 0191 416 5454
WWT Welney 01353 860711
WATERLIFE
The magazine of WWT For WWT
Managing editor: Emma Faure, waterlife@wwt.org.uk
Editorial board: Tomos Avent, Jon Boardman, Elliot Cassley, Andrew Foot, Chris Harris, Geo Hilton, Peter Lee, Caitlin Scott
For Sunday
Consultant editor Sophie Sta ord
Head of content Lucy Ryan
Chief sub-editor Emma Johnston
Lead creative Rob Hearn
Senior designer Emily Black
Group account director Emma Franklin
Content and creative director Richard Robinson
Production director Michael Wood
Contributors: Amy-Jane Beer, Paul Bloomfield, Nicola Chester, Mark Cocker, Dominic Couzens, Barney Jeffries, Derek Niemann
Front cover: Agami/Daniele Occhiato
Correction: In the last issue, we incorrectly said our young contributor, Jamie Smart, was 11 when in fact she was 10. Apologies, Jamie.
Waterlife is printed by Acorn Web O set Ltd on Leipa ultraMag Gloss, an FSC® certified paper containing 100% recycled content.
welcome
AS WETLANDS ACROSS THE UK begin their quiet transformation in preparation for winter, so too does WWT. From starlings flocking together to water voles stocking their larders, nature shows us how to face change with resilience – and we’re following its lead.
For decades, Waterlife has shared stories of restoration, wildlife and the remarkable impact of your support. Together, we’ve campaigned for change, and this summer saw a landmark victory: the government finally agreed to ban lead shot over wetlands, a cause we’ve championed for years. Your signatures, your belief in our science, and your enduring support made it happen.
You’ve also helped us ampli our work to ‘waterscape’ scale –connecting habitats across landscapes to create wetlands that are bigger, better and more joined-up. It’s a bold vision, and one we’re proud to share in Magnificent Severn on page 30.
Now, it’s time for Waterlife to evolve. This will be the final printed issue. Rising costs mean we must focus our resources – and your support – where they’re needed most. From now on, we’ll be moving to connect with you more digitally: a more sustainable, responsive and interactive way to share our work and celebrate your impact.
Sign up to our newsletter to stay inspired and informed by discoveries, science and seasonal wonders from across WWT: wwt.org.uk/emails. Change can be daunting, but we’re excited and hopeful for the future. As this issue’s Wetland Champion Geo Hilton says, “We’ve entered the restoration era… and WWT is bringing nature back to health.” (p38)
Our members are, and always will be, at the heart of everything we do. Every decision we make – to change and evolve – is made with you in mind. Nature adapts with purpose. So do we. And with you by our side, we’ll keep moving forward – restoring, reconnecting, and renewing the wild places we all depend on.
Views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of WWT.
ISSN: 1752-7392
Sarah Fowler, Chief Executive
with fresh eyes as it adapts to
Amy Jane Beer on how water flows through our culture in myriad ways.
in
Meet Ava the bird girl
EXPLORE WETLAND WONDERLANDS
Winter beckons, and with it new birds arrive as our wetlands shift with the seasons. As wildlife adapts to the colder, harsher conditions, there are new species and behaviours to see. So, wrap up warm and experience the magic of our wetlands
Gone to seed
Once the summer glut of insects that enables reed buntings to feed their young with high-protein food is over, these adaptable birds switch back almost completely to a seed-eating diet. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, only 5% of a reed bunting’s food is made up of small spiders, springtails and other crunchy tinies. You’ll o en see reed buntings in the colder months far away from water, for they readily join other buntings and finches on farmland to forage for such dainties as chickweed and goosefoot.
Bearded reedlings make a seasonal shi to seeds too, and provide watching humans with enormous entertainment at their sensational agility. Those reed stems are just made for gymnastics and o en you’ll see the birds, legs splayed, with each foot grasping a di erent stem. They’ll hang upside down from seed heads, or perch on top of one and use their beak or foot to pull another seed head within pecking distance. They’ll also rake over leaves on the ground to find fallen seed in the manner of a scavenging chicken.
Bearded reedling
Bulb-ilicious!
The waterside perennial plants that store their reserves for the winter in bulbs and rhizomes unwittingly provide a bank of nutrition for water voles. These resourceful rodents make hay in the autumn, packing the damp floors of their burrows with fresh greens. When winter bites, they dig out the bulbs or rhizomes of plants such as meadowsweet and add them to their stores. If supplies run out, they’ll turn to chewing bark. Wood you believe it?
Sitting pretty
Like all amphibians, frogs are ectothermic –unable to generate their own body heat – so they must sit out the winter in a slowed metabolic state called brumation. Where they choose to hunker down is critical to survival. They must be cocooned against extreme temperatures, and do so in a moist place, because drying out is fatal. Some males burrow into the mud at the bottom of ponds, where they can stay since they take in oxygen through their skin.
Water voles also eat blackberries
The unseen seen They’re famously elusive over the summer, so your best chance of sighting a water rail is in winter, especially as numbers of our resident birds are boosted by visitors from mainland Europe. ‘Shy and retiring’ for water rails means being embedded deep in reedbeds. But when summer insects are mostly gone, they switch to plants, and this forces them out into the open more o en. They peck around for shoots, watercress roots, seeds and berries.
One of the best places to hear (and maybe even see) water rails is WWT Martin Mere. Why not time your next visit to coincide with the North West Bird Watching Festival on 18-19 October?
Slow and stealthy
Watch and wait seems to be the mantra for pike in winter. These huge fish, found in our waters throughout the UK and present across our WWT centres, are supreme ambush predators, sitting in the shadows until small, unwary prey swim too close. The pikes’ metabolism might be reduced, but they still have enough oomph to make that killer lunge, and they remain active in jaw-freezingly cold conditions. A study in North America’s Great Lakes found them active in water that was at freezing temperature.
Did you know?
The UK’s largest recorded pike, found in a lake in Wales in 1992, weighed over 21kg.
Water rail
Pike
Coats for coping
Anyone who has taken an unseasonal dip in the colder months can appreciate what a challenge it must be for the all-but-aquatic otter. A key to its survival lies in a well-maintained furry wetsuit.
Otters are equipped for cold water. They have a dense underfur of extremely fine hairs that are 7-9mm long. This thermal vest is hidden under the coarse so-called guard hairs, which are about 1217mm in length. It is not enough to simply have this protective covering – the animals must maintain it.
The otters use much of their resting time for self-grooming, licking their fur and scratching at it, sometimes even blowing air into it. When they’re rolling around on loose material or scratching against logs, it’s also spreading oily properties over that top layer of fur, which is what helps them to be waterproof and therefore able to dry o quickly to stay warm. Look out for this behaviour at our WWT centres with otters.
Ever-changing vistas
In their changing colours, wetlands reveal astonishing beauty in these shortened days. Who cannot marvel at autumn foliage, the tracery of frosted stems, and spiders’ webs?
And the pared-back look gives opportunities to spot wildlife as we rarely do in summer. Wintry wetlands are great for photography – find tips at wwt.org.uk/wintertips or find a course at your local WWT centre.
Snap happy
For photography news, tips and events, sign up to our newsletter at wwt.org.uk/emails
Eurasian otter
best with fine feathers of many colours for the winter months, and it’s not all for show. Bottle-green mallards, chestnut pochards and the lacy grey finery of gadwalls
are there to help ducks
establish the pair bonds they will maintain until the spring. But there’s also the very practical need to possess a full set of well-maintained feathers, for this plumage will keep them alive. Watch ducks on the water and you’ll notice the inordinate amount of time they devote to preening. They’ll be knitting loosened quills back together, coating them with oil from their preen gland, and generally shaking out and flu ng up their feathers so that they e ciently trap their body
heat. All this care will give
them the insulation they need to survive.
Historically, harsh winters have seen huge numbers of great crested coast. For a species that relies on diving for its prey, frozen waters mean starvation, and the seas around Britain don’t freeze. Grebes congregate around the mouths of estuaries and other shallow sea margins. The onset of warmer winters as a result of climate change
grebes leave the inland lakes where they breed to head for the may well reduce this mass exodus. grebe is famed for its elaborate vertical courtship dance.
Great crested grebe
Explore the Super Natural this
October half term
All WWT centres except for WWT Caerlaverock
This Halloween, escape the ghouls and goblins, and step into a super natural adventure to leave you spellbound. If you love the super natural but not the spook, WWT wetlands are the place to explore this October half term.
For one week only, make magical memories and experience the wonder of wetlands through enchanting activities.
Weave a little magic with a handmade willow wand, mix a magical potion and cast a spell for wetlands, search for spotted tops, giant domes, and more on a fungi hunt. Pick up your super natural log book and capture the magic of your wetland adventure.
Get ready for a new evening event at WWT Slimbridge… the Mystical Marsh Lantern experience. Encounter largerthan-life birds, luminous bugs, and interactive bat puppets in this unmissable family event. Our bat experts will even help you track down these elusive creatures in the wild. Wander through our spellbinding spiders’ webs and glowing firefly tunnel. If you get
peckish along the way, stop to toast marshmallows in the firepit or head to the Kingfisher Kitchen to fuel up on a great array of tasty street food. 17-18 October and 24 October-1 November from 5.30pm- 7.30pm.
Twilight SEN sessions are open to all visitors, especially those who benefit from a less intense sensory experience, on 17, 18 and 24 October at 5.30pm and 5.45pm.
Book online wwt.org.uk/ slimbridge-lanterns
Give wilder this Christmas
Remember, when you buy gi s (or treats for yourself) at any of our shops, or online, you’re doing your bit to support wetlands. With Christmas coming, take a look at our extensive collections of nature-themed gi s, tasty local produce, books, garden accessories and clothing. For something special, check out our wide range of optics for every occasion and budget. You’ll find lots of ideas for little ones, too. shop.wwt.org.uk
Mark Loudon
NEWS
THE REED looking to the future
on wetland and wildlife projects, events and fundraising news…
We’re evolving to ensure wetlands keep thriving – and the charity that restores them continues to flourish
Zoom to our online AGM
We’ll be hosting our 78th AGM online – and we’d love you to be there! Join us over Zoom on Thursday 27 November 6-8pm to hear about the vital work your WWT membership supports. We’ll share recent successes and look ahead to future plans.
It’s also a chance to share your views with our Council and Trustees, our Chief Executive Sarah Fowler and the team. To register for your free ticket, scan the QR code or visit wwt.org.uk/agm. If you’ve got questions for the team, email events@wwt.org.uk
WWT, Alamy
WWT Arundel
AT WWT, OUR MISSION IS CLEAR:
to restore wetlands and unlock their power. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to protect and restore wetlands, inspire generations of nature-lovers, and connect people with these precious habitats for nearly eight decades.
Like many organisations, we are facing a challenging financial environment. To make sure we can continue delivering our vital work for years to come, we’re evolving – carefully, thoughtfully, and always with our members and our mission at the core.
Over the coming months, you may notice some changes at your local WWT wetland site. We’re reviewing how each of our 10 sites can best showcase the incredible diversity of wetlands, with some focussing on wonderfully wild, natural experiences, and others o ering more immersive and interactive encounters. This approach will help us ensure each site plays its own unique role in delivering our mission, while continuing to welcome visitors and members to experience wetlands up close.
Crucially, all 10 of our wetland reserves will remain open. We’ve frozen membership prices for 2025 and introduced a 10% saving for those booking their visit online to reflect the challenging financial environment that is impacting many of us.
While we can’t confirm specific changes yet, we are committed to keeping you regularly informed. Keep an eye on our website and sign up to our newsletters for the latest news and updates from your local site.
Don’t forget, you can find out what’s on at your local WWT centre at wwt.org.uk/ member-visit or scan
Together, we’re adapting for the future – so we can continue unlocking the power of wetlands for wildlife, for people and for the planet.
Floating ecosystems boost biodiversity
Thanks to WWT, three new floating ecosystems are bringing nature back into a former industrial area in Bridgwater docks. Planted with native wetland species, the floating islands will attract dragonflies and damselflies, and provide a safe haven for waterbirds. Under the surface, a miniature forest of roots provides shelter for fish and improves water quality. Constructed from sustainable materials, the largest island measures nearly 10 metres long and five metres wide, and the two smaller islands are around seven metres by 3.5 metres. In partnership with The King’s Trust, we worked with local volunteers to plant them up over the course of two days.
The floating ecosystems are the latest addition to our Bridgwater Blue Heritage project, funded by the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier scheme. Since 2020, we’ve been working to regenerate the town’s blue (water) infrastructure and reduce flood risk through nature-based solutions, tackling the climate and nature emergencies while improving people’s lives and increasing biodiversity.
things see New to and do
We’ve been working hard to make our sites a great place for all the family, with more ways to have fun and connect with nature. Here’s a round-up of what’s new for you
WWT Martin Mere
Our fun new Paddle and Play area is now open at WWT Martin Mere, including trampolines, tunnels and a wet play area – perfect for cooling o on a hot day.
WWT London
The capital’s haven of wetland wildlife and nature experiences has just got more exciting for younger visitors. Get ready for more watery fun in our Explore play area. A Splash Pad has opened with brand new waterplay equipment, featuring a water tunnel, fountains, interactive puddles and more!
WWT Arundel
Our newest Dalmatian pelicans, Odin and Logan, joined existing residents Rogue and Storm at Pelican Cove in March. Marvel fans may have noticed a theme to the names.
WWT Slimbridge
Come and immerse yourself in our newly opened Estuary Shoreline garden at WWT Slimbridge. From the moon gate walkway to the mindfulness area and waterside dining, it’s a stunning new way to experience our wetland habitats. Hidden in a tranquil corner of Warblers’ Meadow is our new glamping site, with its five beautiful shepherd’s huts. Unplug, unwind and wake up to birdsong… visit warblersmeadow.co.uk to find out more.
WWT Washington
Lose yourself in the natural world when you wander through a thriving wetland habitat on our woodland boardwalk. Wet Wood – which reopened this spring as part of the centre’s 50th birthday celebrations –o ers visitors a calm and tranquil atmosphere based in a scenic woodland setting. The habitat is a haven for many bird species such as willow tits, wrens and long-tailed tits.
MATCHMAKING FOR GODWITS
Fewer than 50 breeding pairs of black-tailed godwits are left in the UK, but our matchmaking efforts this year are set to increase that number
As part of our Godwit Futures project, we’re establishing the world’s first captive-breeding programme for any godwit species. The birds currently living at WWT Slimbridge are only a year old – godwits don’t normally breed until their second year – but many have already developed their breeding plumage.
“We’ve paired up 16 birds, making sure we put unrelated individuals together and matching the biggest females with the smallest males, as this is how godwits mate in the wild,” says Project Manager Will Costa. “Four of the pairs particularly like each other, and we’ve seen positive signs for next year, such as nestscraping and breeding calls known as wickering.”
Godwit Futures is part of a 10-year action plan to bring these longlived waders back from the brink of extinction in the UK. Last year, we
released 29 birds into the wild a er incubating eggs, some of which had been rescued from flooded nests in Norfolk. We’ve had sightings of the released birds in France and Spain, and three have returned to the Fens this year to attempt to breed.
In the wild, black-tailed godwits share the parental duties, caring for clutches of olive-coloured eggs that average four per nest. The birds currently breed in two locations in the UK, the Ribble Estuary and the Fens, including WWT Welney, but we’ve been reviewing a shortlist of places they could be reintroduced to in the future.
“Ultimately, black-tailed godwits need bigger, better and more connected waterscapes, both in Europe and in West Africa where they spend the winter,” says Will.
Godwit Futures is supported by the National Black-tailed Godwit Working Group (WWT, RSPB and Natural England). The project has received major funding from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme Capital Grant Scheme (SRPCGS) and generous donations from WWT supporters.
Counting curlews
Last year, the floodplain hay meadows of the Severn and Avon Vales were under water at the start of the curlew nesting season. This year could not have been more di erent – but our wetland waders seemed unperturbed by the dry conditions.
We monitored 30 nests this year, of which 12 hatched. The rest were lost at the egg stage, mostly to predation. We’ve found that installing electric fences around nests boosts hatching success.
With approximately 35 breeding pairs, the Severn and Avon Vales is one of the most important lowland sites in England for curlews, whose numbers have fallen by two thirds since 1970.
Later in the season, our focus shi ed to monitoring chicks and working with farmers to coordinate hay cutting around broods. Six chicks made it to fledging, an average of 0.24 per nesting pair; 0.5 chicks per pair, per year is needed for a viable population. Our work in finding solutions is not over.
Funding success
Small grants, big impact
Showing people all over the world why wetlands matter is a vital part of our mission. We’re grateful to our partner Eversheds Sutherland for funding our Small Grants Programme through Wetland Link International – our support network for wetland education centres across the globe. Last year, their donation funded 11 grants of between £250 and £4,000 to support projects that will help these centres get local people involved and raise awareness of the amazing work they do. Eversheds Sutherland has generously committed to renew this funding for another year to support more of these projects.
Twice as nice
Thanks to your amazing support, we’ve much to shout about. In our last two fundraising appeals, we unlocked all available matched funding through the Big Give. This meant that your donations were doubled – doubling the impact for wetlands and wildlife. This winter, there’s something exciting you can be part of. We’ve secured a partnership with insurer Admiral for a project that allows your support to go even further. We’ll bring you more details soon.
Lottery winners
Over the past 10 years, players of People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL) have raised over £7 million to fund our wetland work – culminating in the opening of our brand new Estuary Shoreline project at WWT Slimbridge in May. This stunning new wetland landscape includes an event space surrounded by lush wetland wildflower meadows and native trees. “It’s inspiring to see what’s been achieved thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery,” said PPL’s Laura Chow.
In July, we went to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe for a vital wetland gathering – the Ramsar COP. It is a moment for the world to agree on actions to protect and restore global wetlands. Established in 1971, the Convention brings together the 172 countries signed up to the Ramsar Convention on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, along with expert organisations including WWT.
Going global Flying start
We’re excited to be involved in some seriously big plans in China that will benefit millions of waterbirds
It’s a critical opportunity to come together to share ideas and shape the future of the world’s wetlands, at a time when wetlands need a voice most. In the last 300 years, we’ve lost 87% of wetlands across the world and they’re disappearing at an alarming rate, even faster than forests. We’re proud to have a seat at the table, helping to turn things around before it’s too late.
The aquaculture ponds that will be restored
The Asian Development Bank has asked for our input in designing two large coastal wetland restoration projects in China’s Fujian province. The two projects are the start of a US$3-billion (£2.28-billion) regional initiative to restore up to 147 sites along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, 40 of which are located on China’s coast – a priority conservation area for WWT.
Our experts proposed improvements to create waterbird roosting areas within abandoned aquaculture ponds, restore saltmarsh habitat and improve the natural hydrology. “Having worked on wetland conservation projects in China for over 20 years, WWT has earned the respect of government agencies, domestic NGOs and conservationists,” says WWT’s Bena Smith. “Asian Development Bank requested our involvement because of our expertise in wetland restoration and management, and waterbird ecology.”
LEAD BAN
A MAJOR WIN FOR WILDLIFE VICTORY
Thanks to you and our partners, the government makes a historic decision to ban toxic lead ammunition for good
On Thursday 10 July, Steve Reed, Secretary of State for the Environment, announced the government’s historic decision to finally ban poisonous lead ammunition in outdoor shooting across Great Britain.
This major win for wildlife – particularly migratory birds – is the result of decades of campaigning. “We wouldn’t be here without the thousands of people who wrote to the Secretary
“
The public have shown Steve Reed that we want a non-toxic future – and he listened
of State, our incredible campaign partners, and the scientists and campaigners at WWT who’ve fought for this every step of the way,” says Sarah Fowler, CEO of WWT. “The public have shown Steve Reed that we want a non-toxic future –and he listened. It’s a win for people and wildlife across the country. Finally, an end to this toxic lead scandal is in sight.”
The ban allows for a three-year transition from lead shot and bullets and WWT urges the government to implement this legislation at pace and make sure it’s complied with. Toxic lead ammunition has been poisoning wildlife, and posing a risk to communities, for more than a century. This historic ban is a landmark victory for people and wildlife, and for all those who campaigned to make it happen. Thank you.
Keep catching all the action
This is our last issue! Sign up for emails to keep up to date with all the action at our sites, wondrous wildlife, super science, amazing wetland experiences and how your incredible support is helping wetlands. To stay connected, scan the QR code or visit wwt.org.uk/emails
7,000
tonnes of lead will be prevented from entering forests, fields and wetlands every year.
100,000
wildfowl including ducks and swans have died from lead poisoning annually in the UK.
40,000
birds of prey risk lead poisoning each year from eating contaminated prey/carrion.
Sign up to our emails.
From le to right: Hannah Millbank (WWT), Julia Newth (WWT), Emma Hardy (Government Environment Minister), Jonathan Reeves (WWT), Mark Robinson (WWT)
WWT Steart Marshes
There’s nothing quite like a flock of lapwings, flashing black and white from a distance as the birds turn in close formation, but with an iridescent green and purple sheen up close. On WWT Steart Marshes, lapwing numbers peak in autumn and winter, ranging from a few hundred to 10,000 in one of the largest concentrations in the south west. The saltmarshes lie between the mouth of the River Parrett and the Bristol Channel on the Somerset coast. This position attracts migrating birds and has some of the biggest tidal forces in the world, and the lapwings’ presence reminds us what we can bring back to the site. Visit during high tide, and look out for black-tailed godwit, dunlin, snipe and wigeon as well.
For such huge birds, cranes can be surprisingly inconspicuous. So, WWT Welney – where they gather in post-breeding flocks towards the end of each day in autumn and winter – o ers one of the best opportunities to see a spectacle that a few decades ago was impossible. Incoming skeins are o en visible from the visitor centre or the café, but get outside to hear them, too –the sound of wildness returning. The flock starts to reform from mid-September and typically includes more than 50 individuals – 83 were counted last year. WWT Welney also supports the largest concentrations of both whooper and Bewick’s swans in the UK – see their 3:30pm feed then watch them fly in to roost.
Lapwings
WWT Caerlaverock
The 40,000 barnacle geese that descend each autumn on the Solway Firth from Svalbard represent one of the great success stories of British conservation. Watch the huge flocks feeding in the fields and, as the winter sun goes down early, observe a unique bedtime changing of the guard. The geese move o to roost on the estuary and the wintering whooper swans settle at their night-time spot on the Folly Pond and Whooper Pond. Once you’re settled into a hide, the huge waterbird spectacle will unveil itself to you, ducks and waders foraging in the water with harrier, peregrine and merlin swooping above. High spring tides bring it in closer, o ering impressive views across the saltmarsh towards the Lake District.
WWT Llanelli
Not long ago, spoonbills were an extreme rarity in the UK – a species we’d normally have to travel overseas to see. They first appeared at WWT Llanelli in 1995, attracted by shallow lagoons where feeding opportunities were less dependent on tides than the nearby Cilfach Tywyn or Burry Inlet. By 2022, 17 were overwintering on the reserve – about a fi h of the UK wintering population. These numbers have fallen in recent years, but they are still a thrilling sight. The flock, made up of birds that breed on the continent, begins to assemble in late November, favouring the saline lagoons and best seen from the British Steel Hide. O en visible from the same hide are vast numbers of black-tailed godwit – more than 1,000 in autumn and winter, feeding intently in the shallow lagoons. For a joyous bonus, check the surrounding hedges for flocks of bullfinches.
Barnacle geese
NaturePL, Agami, Alamy
Spoonbills
WWT London
The vast sprawl of the capital seems an unlikely place for one of our most famously elusive birds, even if bitterns have been recovering steadily in range and numbers. But the restored reedbeds of the WWT London Wetland Centre meet with the approval of this supremely awkward heron, and as many as five individuals have been known to take up winter residence here –a spectacular endorsement of the ‘if you build it, they will come’ approach to conservation. These avian celebrities are a big draw – bittern can be easily spotted with the help of our eagle-eyed volunteer guides in the hides – but they always have the option to withdraw into denser areas of reeds. Less celebrated but no less special are the close views to be had of shoveler, gadwall and water pipit, snipe feeding among the muddy edges of the scrapes and, from time to time, otters.
Gadwall
Shoveler
Bittern
Snipe
WWT Martin Mere
If you make it to WWT Martin Mere soon a er dawn on an October morning, you might be grateful for the nip of cold to remind you that you’re not still dreaming, such is the display of abundance as 40,000 pink-footed geese take flight. The rush of great wings and crescendo of wild voices make this a feast for the ears as much as the eyes. Flocks begin arriving in early September and peak in mid October, roosting on the open water at night, departing each morning to feed in nearby farmland and returning in long photogenic skeins as the sun goes down. Many later move on to wintering sites further south, so this really is an autumn spectacle, for which the reserve operates special early and late opening hours. You can also expect excellent views of ru , pintail and shelduck feeding close to the hide, sometimes right under the hide windows.
WWT Washington
WWT Washington is host to one of Britain’s largest inland freshwater flocks of curlew, with between 600 and 700 continental birds arriving each autumn. Water levels on Wader Lake are raised over winter to increase the availability of so , muddy fringes, which curlew and other waders can probe for invertebrate prey. As the birds busy themselves feeding, they constantly keep in touch with a stream of ‘cuur-lee’ calls that occasionally ripple into small bursts of song. On your visit, stop by Hawthorn Wood hide where the bird feeders o er the potential to see willow tits. They’re highly endangered, having declined by 96%, but are thriving here, a key site for this species in the north east. You may see them jostling for treats alongside siskins, redpolls and bullfinches. Listen for the buzzy calls that distinguish them from marsh tits.
Siskin
Willow tit
Curlew
Pink-footed geese
Redpoll
From late October all eyes at WWT Slimbridge will be on the skies, watching for the eagerly anticipated return of the wintering Bewick’s swans from the Russian tundra. They undertake a journey of 3,500km, which the youngest birds will be attempting at just four or five months old, supported by doting parents. While more migrating Bewick’s are now stopping short of Britain as a result of climate change, Slimbridge remains the superlative site for close views of these magnificent birds, each of which is identifiable by its
unique bill markings. The reserve is also one of the best places in the country to see pintail, the handsome duck that was such a favourite of Sir Peter Scott that he gave his daughter, the artist Dafila Scott, their old scientific name.
WWT Castle Espie
The 25,000 light-bellied Brent geese that arrive on Strangford Lough in late September represent 90% of the global population. They have flown 3,000km from the Canadian Arctic and Greenland for the rich feeding to be had here, especially in the eel grass beds. Strangford Lough is Northern Ireland’s most important site for waterbirds, where you can see up to 65,000 individuals, so WWT Castle Espie is also extraordinary for waders including curlew, dunlin, redshanks and godwits, and for eider ducks. Check the tides before you go – the best viewing times are two hours before and a er high tide.
Light-bellied Brent geese
Daubenton’s BAT
WWT’s reserves are a haven for Daubenton’s bats. Expert Magdalena Howitt reveals why our insect-filled wetlands make perfect hunting grounds for the winged mammals
Words by Dominic Couzens
“ALMOST EVERY BAT SPECIES IN Britain can be found on WWT reserves,” says Magdalena Howitt, the Living Collections keeper at WWT London Wetland Centre. “There aren’t many other groups of animals as well represented.”
The figures back this up. Of the 17 species of bat that breed in Britain, only two are missing from WWT’s tick list – the ultra-rare grey longeared and the forest-dwelling Bechstein’s bat. But why are WWT reserves so good for them?
“It’s all about fresh water,” says Magdalena. “People don’t realise how important water is for these nocturnal mammals. They need to drink regularly – in fact, bats brought into care are o en dehydrated. And, of course, the great thing about WWT reserves is that they are thriving wetlands.”
and often being considered to be blind, bats have eyes and they do use them. They are adapted for low light conditions, with much more densely packed rod cells in their eyes than humans have.
echolocation to find food. They use their voice box to create ultrasonic clicks, which reflect back from insects, giving the bat a local sound picture that is detected by the ears. This all happens at incredible speed.
One of the first things you learn when you become intrigued by bats is that water is a great habitat for them. Go to any slow-flowing river, a pond or lake on a summer’s evening and you’re almost certain to see bats zipping around overhead – o en many of them – and there could be several species.
“The other thing that bats love about our wetlands is that they’re fantastic places for the flying insects they eat – midges, mayflies and caddisflies,” Magdalena continues. “Many of these start o as nymphs living underwater then emerge from the water surface as winged adults. The microhabitat just above the water is one of the best places for bats to hunt.”
The hunting method of this bat is remarkable. It detects midges and other insects by using echolocation, as do all bats, but on its low need great slow-flowing pipistrelle can eat 3,000 midges every night.
Of all the bats that reside in Britain, none is so intimately associated with water as the Daubenton’s. “It’s one of the easiest bats to identi ,” says Magdalena. “It flies consistently very close to the surface, usually within 10cm. It tends not to make sharp turns of direction like other bats, but instead makes long, sweeping turns. If you see a bat doing this, you’ve spotted a Daubenton’s.”
Bats have a prodigious appetite – a pipistrelle can eat 3,000 midges every night.
other echolocation, as do all bats, but on its low
Daubenton’s bats need fine motor skills when flying. Much of the bat wing is the digits, so the bat ‘flies with its fingers’. This species has relatively low wing-loading, which aids manoeuvrability.
large and capacious tail membrane, which is held downwards over the water and acts like a net. This can be unfurled forwards to bring captured morsels towards the mouth.
unusually large feet, as long as the tibia, covered with fur or bristles. These enable it to sense and entrap flying insects. They can also use their feet to snatch items from the water’s surface.
in which we can all do our bit for bats, especially in gardens or shared spaces
Create a pond provides a rich source of aquatic insects like dragonflies and midges – key food for bats and birds. Avoid fish, and add shallow edges and native plants.
flights over water it tends to scoop them up using its tail membrane and feet, and then rolls forward to grab whatever it’s caught in its mouth. A ripple is o en visible on the water’s surface where they’ve done this.
“It’s an amazing thing to witness,” says Magdalena. “Under cover of darkness, there’s this flying mammal scooping up food from the water’s surface. Bats really are incredible.”
Shop for bat boxes and other bat gi s at shop.wwt.org.uk.
insect life by providing shelter and breeding areas for moths, beetles and other invertebrates. More bugs at dusk mean more snacks for bats.
Plant night-scented flowers such as honeysuckle, jasmine and tobacco plant attract moths after dark – perfect bat food. Pale blooms work best in low light.
tobacco plant attract moths after dark – perfect bat food. Pale blooms work best in low light.
Turn off outside lights darkness. Artificial lights can disrupt their hunting behaviour – hunting moths around lights makes them easier prey for owls. Use motion-sensor lighting to reduce impact.
Pale tussock
Daubenton’s bat hunting
Even a small pond dusk
Bats prefer
moth
Species
WILD CHILD
PLAY
Unstructured play in nature isn’t just fun, it shapes childhood in profound ways. Author Nicola Chester has brought up her family to have a strong nature connection and has seen how it can make good citizens of us all
CHILD
ONicola Chester is the author of the award-winning On Gallows Down: Place, Protest and Belonging and her new book Ghosts of the Farm was published this September
keeps on giving – to them, myself and wider society. Allowing those natural connections to forge, through wild play, noticing, storytelling and association, has given us so much. They go out into the world happier, healthier, stronger, kinder and more resilient, with an internal compass showing them where to top up, wherever they are.
ur eldest two children have fledged the nest, with the youngest not far behind. Aged 23, 21 and 17, they are negotiating adult life on their own terms and my work of raising them is done. Picture me on our doorstep, listening to a young robin whistle its first, exquisite, slightly melancholic sub-song, knowing wherever they are, they’ll hear one too, smile and think of the coming season that the robin heralds. Its song connects us with a fine, unbreakable thread; a little spot of warmth, meaning and home-cupped singing in our hearts.
Among the parental waymarkers and missteps we made along the way, giving my children a strong sense of nature connection is what I’m most proud of. It’s the gi that
Exploring nature
It’s never too late to grow a nature connection, nor do you need to have experience. Enabling access to nature for young people, and all those with access needs, is starting to be prioritised more than ever before, although there’s more to be done. Nature from the doorstep and free, unstructured play in natural
Generation Wild is working
WWT’s Generation Wild programme is a transformative initiative designed to connect children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, with nature. It goes beyond traditional outdoor education, using storytelling and adventure to foster a deep, lasting relationship between children and the natural world.
At the heart of Generation Wild is the story of Ava the bird girl (right), a character who guides children through a series of nature-based activities to encourage exploration, creativity and emotional engagement, helping participants become ‘Guardians of the Wild’.
than
Generation Wild has had a profound impact on children’s wellbeing. Over its first three years, 45,000 children took part, completing more than 150,000 nature activities in school grounds, gardens and local green spaces. The results are remarkable, with children reporting lower stress levels, greater focus, improved emotional regulation, and a newfound love for nature. One child said, “It felt like it was just me and the world, nobody else.” Scan the QR code to learn more about Generation Wild.
Nicola’s children grew up enjoying the thrill, adventure and freedom the natural world provides
environments are the very best places to start, empowering children with the confidence to be explorers in their own right. Using their bodies in challenging ways to climb trees, jump streams or heave things into place develops confidence and fosters co-operation and problem-solving skills.
Creativity and compassion are boosted, too; there’ll be stricken beetles to rescue, right and rehome, and nests, wreaths and dreamcatchers to make. Play like this puts the child in charge and in direct contact with nature without an interpreter, giving them ‘ownership’ borne out of a burgeoning love: something that, with each passing generation, is increasingly hard to find.
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Play like this puts the child in charge and in direct contact with nature.
The Raising the Nation Play Commission inquiry found the time children spend playing outside has declined 50% in a single generation (20–30 years). That’s my children’s lifetimes, let alone mine. Fewer than one in 10 children regularly plays in wild spaces (rather than parks) compared with half a generation ago. And the distance an eight-year-old child is allowed to roam unsupervised has contracted from around six miles to just 300 yards over four generations.
There are many reasons for this, including access, safety concerns, technology and gaming, and an anti-play culture that discourages unsupervised outdoor play or sees youths gathering as a nuisance, a danger or intimidating – and o en wants nature to be tidied away, too.
Sowing happiness
Yet a 2023 Natural England study found 88% of young people say being in nature makes them very happy,
while 84% are concerned about the environment and take action to care for it. Children need nature, it benefits their mental, emotional and physical health; and nature (that includes a safe and liveable planet, clean water and sustainable food) needs children that grow up into empathetic adults, too.
When I think about my children, and what time in nature has given them, the science is absolutely borne out.
All those times spent grubbing about, getting soaked, climbing, falling over and su ering stings and scratches and natural remedies (o en invented). All those times they’ve dashed out with me (modelling this kind of behaviour because it’s meant so much to me) to watch a golden moonrise, or listen for redwings or cuckoos, whistling through blades of grass held taut between thumbs. They all count. They’re not just passing through this world.
Finding balance
As young adults, they still enjoy testing themselves bodily and muddily, horse riding, mountain biking, playing rugby, sea-swimming, skateboarding or, in my youngest’s case, hanging upside-down from trees – or bars as a gymnastics coach to little ones. They seek natural environments, knowing that this calms any stresses: they might not remember the names of things, but they know how nature makes them feel.
Nature emanates from their rooms, homes and social-media posts, and influences their artistic lives, too: in my son’s music, one daughter’s poetry, the other’s art, because it makes them feel good and connected and loved, too.
We come, then, to realise that we are healthy nature – physically, emotionally, mentally. With nature, I see they are filled with the beauty of the world, fulfilled, excited about life, better able to bounce back from griefs and disappointments, able to connect with new places. It’s made them kind, resilient and active citizens in the process, and it’s redefined and rea rmed that for me, too: nature as a living repository for love and memory. It’s well worth all the nettle stings, mud and glory.
SIX WAYS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE AT OUR SITES
By Laura Smithson, Head of Visitor Experience Delivery
“WHETHER YOU’RE JUMPING IN PUDDLES, watching ducks dabbling in the water or getting up close to an otter, our wetland sites are the perfect places to connect with nature. Bursting with life, they’re safe, accessible spaces where everyone can experience the beauty, diversity and wonder of the natural world. Children have space to explore, play and learn, and it’s a joy to see their happy faces, deep concentration and the sparks of curiosity as they connect with wondrous wetland nature. Here are a few of my favourite ways to connect with nature when you visit one of our sites. Get ready to go wild!”
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MARVELLOUS MUD
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Squishy, squelchy mud is what wetlands are all about! Join us for Mudfest during February half term to explore the wonderful world of mud and the creatures that live in it.
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RAINY ADVENTURES
Listen to the sounds of rain on the water and watch the patterns it makes. Take shelter in one of our cosy hides, or pull on your wellies and splash your way around our sites!
NATURAL MAGIC
BRILLIANT BIRDS
Experience the thrill of huge flocks of birds swooping and diving through the vast winter skies over our sites. Or get up close to the birds from our hides – notice their colours and patterns and listen to their calls.
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NATURE DETECTIVE
Look out for tracks and trails in the mud or snow. What animals might have come
Discover the magic of wetlands during October half term with our super natural activities. Collect natural materials, mix up a potion and create a spell for wetland nature.
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WILD ART
Our WWT sites provide everything you could need for creative masterpieces! Use found natural materials such as sticks, stones, leaves and feathers to produce a pattern, picture or sculpture.
giving DAM A
The home of one of the world’s rarest ducks, the Madagascar pochard, and local communities is thriving again thanks to many supporters
Words by Barney Jeffries
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR makes! This time last year, the future of Lake Sofia in Madagascar looked grim. In January 2024, heavy rains caused the near collapse of the lake. A narrow drainage channel became a breach 100 metres wide, and the water began draining away. By September, about 90% of the lake’s original 300-hectare surface area had disappeared.
The loss of this once-thriving ecosystem would have been a tragedy. The lake, recognised as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, is home to incredible biodiversity – including the critically endangered Madagascar pochard, which we initiated a reintroduction programme
Lake Sofia shimmered with life before storm damage burst its banks and drained away its waters, leaving wildlife and communities in peril
Madagascar pochards are one of the world’s most endangered ducks
The lake is essential for the people who fish in its waters
for in 2018, that is now largely managed by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT).
For local people, too, the situation was dire. Lake Sofia provided food and income for local fishers and a vital source of water for growing food, irrigating rice fields and providing water for farms downstream. Around 10,000 people depended on the lake for their livelihoods.
As water levels dropped, wells began running dry. Community members had to walk four kilometres just to fetch drinking water. We had to act fast, before the lake was lost forever.
“ The ecological collapse of Lake Sofia would have been catastrophic.
Alongside our partners at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, local and national government and community groups, we worked with local and international engineers to design a new dam. And we launched an emergency appeal to raise funds to build it.
WWT and DWCT supporters stepped up brilliantly. Within weeks, thanks to donations and a generous grant, we raised more than £100,000. By the end of February, just 100 days a er the work began, the 140-metre barrier was complete and the lake was already filling up. Now, at the end of the rainy season, water levels are fully replenished – and the Madagascar pochards have returned safely.
Designed and built by local construction company CEDRE, the dam will be owned and operated by the local community. It’s a lo-fi solution – an earth embankment reinforced with riprap (rocks) and a concrete overflow channel to prevent future erosion. Two channels at either end will enable irrigation downstream.
Lake Sofia IN numbers
The dam on Lake Sofia is 140 metres long, 30 metres wide and 3.8 metres tall. These are some of the other facts and figures about the construction and its wildlife
Construction of the dam began on 19 November 2024 and was completed on 26 February 2025 –exactly 100 days! 100
bird species are found on Lake Sofia, including five threatened species and seven that are found only in Madagascar. 36
critically endangered Madagascar pochards have safely returned to the lake. 70
30ha
At its lowest point, the lake had shrunk to just 10% of its original 300hectare extent.
“The ecological collapse of Lake Sofia would have had catastrophic consequences for people and wildlife,” says Harison Andriambelo, WWT’s Country Manager in Madagascar.
“We’re grateful to everyone who made this swi intervention possible – including the community resource management groups, the local government authorities and our generous donors. Thanks to their support, we can look forward to a thriving future for Lake Sofia and the people and wildlife who depend upon it.”
Lake Sofia a er the riverbanks burst in 2024
Lake Sofia filling up a er completion of the dam in 2025
Ahuge, dark shape skims across the waves. The owner of that swi ly moving shadow peers keenly into the water from above. Down it glides, razor-sharp claws extended, then – splash! – it soars skyward once more, a writhing fish clutched in yolk-yellow talons.
Today, watching a white-tailed eagle hunt is one of the most thrilling wildlife encounters the UK has to o er. Yet it was lost to us for over half a century a er the species was driven to extinction in this country following prolonged persecution. Only in 1975 was our largest bird of prey, whose wingspan reaches an astonishing 2.5 metres, successfully reintroduced to Scotland, with tiny populations now being established in Northern Ireland and southern England.
White-tailed eagle
Return of an icon
This magnificent raptor could soon return to the Severn Vale and Estuary thanks to an exciting new project launched in south-east Wales, in which WWT is a partner alongside Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Gwent Wildlife Trust. A er nearly a decade of preparation by Dr SophieLee Williams (White-tailed Eagle O cer for Durrell), approval of a reintroduction licence is pending, and over the next five years it’s hoped up to 60 white-tailed eagles will be released, seeding a population of up to 12 breeding pairs.
This would be good news not just for the eagles and anyone excited by the prospect of seeing the birds in the wild. It’s also a key component of WWT’s ambitious new plans to revive wetland ecosystems across the region.
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The white-tailed eagle is the apex predator in its wetland habitat.
white-tailed eagles will be released, seeding a population of up to 12 breeding pairs.
“The white-tailed eagle is the apex predator in its wetland habitat,” explains William Costa, Project Manager and Lead Aviculturist at WWT. “It hunts abundant marine and freshwater fish and waterbirds. It eats carrion, helping clean up diseased carcasses, and it has an amazing top-down e ect, controlling smaller predators within the ecosystem.”
This could influence the behaviour of small predators, through the creation of a “landscape of fear”,
potentially reducing the impact of species including foxes and crows that target the eggs and young of groundnesting birds such as curlews. The eagle reintroduction should help restore ecological balance across the coasts, rivers and lakes of the Severn Vale and Estuary and wider Welsh landscape.
A holistic vision
Of course, WWT already works in this area: our flagship WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre flanks the Severn’s east bank. But now, recognising that the estuary, the river and the wider valley are all part of one big system, we’re enhancing habitats and connectivity across the region to deliver e ective and sustainable nature recovery.
“The Severn Vale and Estuary is one of the UK’s iconic wetland landscapes, where water has played a vital role in shaping the culture, land use, ecology and more,” says Clare Dinnis, WWT’s Director of Wetland Conservation. “It’s what we call a ‘Waterscape’. WWT believes that working across Waterscapes will help us develop solutions that really work. By restoring
wetlands, strengthening relationships with local communities and building resilience to climate change, we can create bigger, better and joined-up wetlands that maximise their benefits for people and wildlife.”
“We know that, to be ecologically meaningful, habitat restoration can’t be done in isolation,” observes Ellie Jones, Senior Project Manager (Waterscapes). “We have to think about functioning ecosystems. The white-tailed eagle is a prime example of a species that requires a huge area to thrive, so we need to manage landscapes at scale.” She adds, “You can’t have one without the other. Species are fundamental to a highquality ecosystem – but species can’t survive if they don’t have the right habitat. That’s why the Waterscape approach encompasses work with species, habitats and communities, because everything is connected.”
A big vision
The Severn Vale is one of three WWT Waterscapes, along with the Somerset coast and the Cambridgeshire
Steart Marshes stretch west
It’s over a decade since an ambitious coastal realignment scheme converted 460 hectares of intensively farmed arable fields into thriving wetland habitat, still grazed by local farmers, creating WWT Steart Marshes. Now, we’re working with The Bristol Port Company (TBPC) on the design and future management of around 130 hectares of new intertidal habitat on the Steart peninsula, to the west of our existing reserve. Building on lessons learned from earlier work, we’ll help TBPC create a mosaic of intertidal and wetland habitats to support a diverse range of waterbirds and other wildlife, provide enhanced coastal access, and improve protection against flooding for local communities and businesses.
Wildflowers for wetlands
In order to nurture flourishing wetlands, you need the right mix of plants. During WWT’s Flourishing Floodplains project – part of the Severn Waterscape programme – we trained volunteers in plant propagation so they could become ambassadors for floodplain restoration. That’s now evolved into our Wetland Wildflowers plant nursery at WWT Slimbridge, growing locally sourced wildflowers such as betony, black knapweed, cowslip and devil’s-bit scabious from seeds into hardy plug plants. So far 12,533 plug plants have been sold and 9,443 donated to 17 community groups, supporting the creation or restoration of 65 hectares of wetland across the Severn Vale. Find out more at wetlandwildflowers.co.uk
European eel
Artist’s impression of the site
Fens around WWT Welney. “We’re developing a strategy that outlines where these places are at now and where we want them to get to – our long-term vision for each area –and describes the actions needed to realise that vision,” reveals Ellie.
Work is already underway on various projects under the Waterscapes umbrella. One example is Eelscapes, a Landscape Recovery project that aims to deliver wetland restoration at scale to benefit local communities and the critically endangered European eel, a species that has declined catastrophically since the 1980s.
“Over the past two years, we’ve collaborated with 22 land managers to plan the restoration of large areas of floodplain in the Severn Vale,” reveals Ellie. “If approved by Defra, our ambitious plans for the next 20-
“ We’ve collaborated with land managers to restore large areas of floodplains.
Britain holds a quarter of the world’s curlew population, but in our changing landscapes they are increasingly unable to rear chicks. WWT is working with our partners to understand why and reverse the decline.
their insect food, and summer flooding of nests linked to climate change. For over five years, WWT has worked to study curlew nests in order to protect them to increase hatching success and to identi solutions to these threats.
Our ambitious plans for the next 20-plus years will likely involve creating or restoring wetlands over some 780 hectares.
plus years will involve creating and restoring wetlands of 780 hectares, benefitting eels and other species.”
Curlew champions
We’re also working to boost the fortunes of curlews in the Severn Vale. In Britain, breeding pairs of this red-listed wader fell by 50% between 1995 and 2022, hit by the changing management of their grassland nesting areas, predation by animals such as foxes and crows, a reduction in
“Our research shows that putting fences around curlew nests works,” says Ellie. “Last year, the hatching rate for eggs in fenced nests was 50%, while unfenced nests hatched only 19%.
And in 2019, we raised and released (headstarted) 50 curlew chicks in the area, five of which returned and attempted to breed last year. This is really encouraging. Engaging land managers is essential to our e orts to safeguard nesting curlews, and we’re fortunate and grateful to have the support of more than 35 farmers across the project area.”
Curlews, eels and – hopefully soon – eagles are all important elements of our Waterscapes approach. But they represent just three pieces of a vast, intricate puzzle in which healthy habitats are inextricably linked to the recovery of species and nature across the magnificent Severn Vale.
The River Severn
WWT, Alamy
GATHERING GEESE
Every autumn, thousands of geese make their way from their Arctic breeding grounds to winter in the UK, taking advantage of our mild, damp climate. Enjoy them with this handy ID guide
Words by Dominic Couzens
A lively goose almost always seen in winter flocks, it is highly localised these days and quite hard to spot. Flocks commute between feeding and breeding grounds. Often flying high, they drop down by “whiffling”, turning from side to side. Greenland whitefronts have an orange bill, are darker and have more extensive black smudges on the belly. Russian white-fronts have a pink bill.
tend to fly low in undisciplined lines or masses
approachable on the foreshore. The flocks rather than Vs. Light-bellied brents show a sharp, neat contrast between the breast and the ash-grey belly; dark-bellied brents don’t show this and have dark feathering between the legs.
GREATER WHITEFRONTED GOOSE
This is a scarce bird in Britain. Your best chance of seeing one is within a large flock of other geese. It is also highly erratic, so some years are better than others. A short beak with more black than orange on it makes them distinguishable from the taiga bean goose.
This a fairly
Anser albifrons been in East Anglia and Scotland, but this bird is declining. It breeds more the tundra forest head, browner feathers, are distinctive. often against of dusk laughing “ang-angwik-wik” call.
This is a fairly scarce and localised goose in Britain. There have historically been flocks in East Anglia and Scotland, but this bird is declining. It breeds more to the south than the tundra bean goose, in the forest zone. Its dark head, browner feathers, long, slim neck and wedge-shaped head are distinctive.
Large, wild flocks of pink-footed geese move between daytime feeding sites on fields to night-time roosts on water. Spot them flying high and in multiple chevrons and Vs, often against the red sky of dusk or dawn, all the while making a wonderful, laughing “ang-angwik-wik” call.
Anser brachyrhynchus
TUNDRA BEAN
Branta bernicla
Wild Goose Festival calling
Every autumn, thousands of wild geese migrate to Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, inspiring the Wild Goose Festival. This week-long celebration blends nature, art and education, with nature walks, music and creative workshops for all the family at sites across the region. Don’t miss the Dawn Flights and Birdwatching Breakfasts at WWT Caerlaverock. For more information visit wwt.org.uk/wildgoose
This is probably the most familiar goose in Britain, despite not being native. It swims around park lakes and wanders over the grass, is often very tame, and makes a slightly drunken trumpeting that becomes deafening. When flying, it tends only to get to rooftop height but creates attractive V-formations.
can be found anywhere but is often in parks or wetlands. Large, with pale feathers, a heavy orange bill and pink legs, it has a harsh, cackling call, more discordant than other
A small goose that, in flocks, makes communal sounds like a pack of yapping dogs, the barnacle goose doesn’t usually flock much with other geese and tends to form irregular lines or blobs. Wild birds commute each dawn and dusk between fields and lakes. It’s a localised bird, with large flocks in Scotland, but nowadays birds that have escaped from captive collections are quite common on lakes.
cackling call, more discordant than other goose sounds. It is often tame, but wild wintering flocks in Scotland are not at all and they often fly high in fine V-formations.
Branta leucopsis
These beautiful illustrations are taken from the Collins Birds of the World guide (RRP £75).The ultimate reference book for bird lovers, it covers all 10,711 species of the world’s birds.
over the Solway Firth at dawn near WWT Caerlaverock
Why I have faith in the future of wetlands
Clockwise from above: Professor Geo Hilton takes to the water in Glengarry, Scotland, undertaking research on the common scoter; with colleague Hannah Robson taking lake sediment samples; looking for spoonbilled sandpipers in Myanmar.
Professor Geoff Hilton, WWT Head of Conservation Evidence, on how we can create a bright future for wetlands with science, hard work and hope
WETLANDS HAVE BEEN ‘MY THING’ for my entire career. The global Convention on Wetlands – o en called the Ramsar Convention a er the Iranian city where it was signed – was agreed in 1971, just months a er I was born. It’s a pleasing symmetry.
I’m a Gloucestershire native, and my connection with WWT began with a school visit to Slimbridge when I was eight. By my teens, I was a birder and Slimbridge had become my mecca. My first step into conservation came as a volunteer with the Threatened Species team – living in a caravan on-site and working from a portable cabin. That led to other roles, then to a PhD and a decade working internationally with the RSPB.
I returned to WWT 15 years ago. Since then, we’ve built a thriving science team – the Conservation Evidence department – now 25-strong, working across the social, ecological and economic dimensions of conservation. We use evidence to make the case for restoring and creating wetlands.
Of course, it hasn’t always been easy. We’re living through a biodiversity, wellbeing and climate crisis. Facing that daily is tough. But rather than focus on setbacks, I try to notice the quiet positives: since I was born, child mortality has halved and the proportion of people living in extreme poverty has dropped by more than 80%. That, too, is progress.
And wetland biodiversity? The headlines remain stark. WWF’s Living Planet Index – which tracks changes since 1970 – shows an 85% decline in global freshwater species populations. During the same period, the planet has warmed by more than 1°C. Yet I still find hope. If I glance out of the o ce window, I might see an avocet or a marsh harrier. When I began this journey, they were rare poster birds of wetlands – today, they’re regular sights. If I look a little longer, I might even spot cranes flying overhead. These magnificent birds, absent from Slimbridge for 400 years, are now resident again, thanks to our reintroduction project in the 2010s.
I’ve been fortunate to work in some extraordinary wetland landscapes – from the Flow Country of northern Scotland to the Fens of East Anglia, and further afield from Brazil to Russia, Madagascar to Cambodia. Even outside of WWT, wetlands kept finding me – Turkish lakes, New Zealand swamps and Belarusian bogs. I’ve met and been inspired by brilliant, committed scientists and conservationists.
Across Europe, we’re seeing an astonishing rebound in large mammals. In my lifetime, wolves, bears, bison and wetland icons such as otters and beavers have bounced back from the brink. But what about the bigger picture? The wetlands that sustain wildlife and people? The Global Wetland Outlook, produced by the Ramsar Convention with support from WWT, confirms that wetlands continue to disappear. The loss is immense – for nature and for humanity.
Still, there are reasons to be hopeful. Take mangroves. These superpowered wetlands support astonishing biodiversity, provide fish and timber, store vast amounts of carbon and shield coastal communities from floods. And, finally, decision-makers are
starting to take notice: a er years of relentless decline, global mangrove loss has slowed and levelled out. It may sound a modest milestone, but for the first time since the industrial revolution, this vital ecosystem is not in decline. We need to bottle the arguments that secured this win and apply them to other wetlands.
And there’s an even bigger shi underway. Scientists now believe that we’ve reached ‘peak agriculture’. In the past five to 10 years, we’ve reached the point where humanity needs less, not more, land to feed itself – even as the global population grows. That opens up a powerful opportunity: the chance to restore nature, rather than simply defend it from further loss. In the years ahead, we might even see more space being freed up for wetland restoration.
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Conservation is no longer about shielding remnants of wildness; it’s about bringing nature back to health.
Turning today’s small signs of progress into tomorrow’s giant leaps for wetlands is what motivates me and WWT. I truly believe we’ve entered the restoration era. Conservation is no longer about shielding the last remnants of wildness; it’s about bringing nature back to health. With roots in the UK and ambitions that span the globe, WWT is ready to be part of that transformation.
Professor Geo Hilton is Head of the Conservation Evidence department at WWT and Visiting Professor of Conservation Biology at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is a member of the Scientific and Technical Review Panel of the Ramsar Convention and co-author of the latest Global Wetland Outlook report.
Wildness and wet: the art of watery places
What stories might water tell?
After
all, this most mysterious and mundane substance has seen it all.
Water
THE ART OF wetlands touches us from the cradle in songs, stories and visual media. When my son was a baby, I sang Moon River when he was sleepy, and a song about a little green frog to make him laugh. My own childhood was woven with the wonder of Mole’s first encounter with a river and its folk in TheWind in the Willows; with Jeremy Fisher; with Moses in the bulrushes; with the exploits of Swallows and Amazons and their counterparts in Norfolk and Essex (Coot Club, The Big Six and Secret Water); and the grow-upfast shock of Tarka the Otter
is life, so surely all art is – so to speak – water-coloured
Dr Amy-Jane Beer is a biologist, writer, editor, outdoor enthusiast and mum from North Yorkshire
The perception of wetlands as liminal or otherworldly is as old as the recognition of water as sacred. These were places where objects of power, value or artisanship were not so much hidden as o ered to the realm of gods or ancestors. We echo that behaviour even now, with every flip of a coin into a fountain. In art as in actuality, water represents life and death, and everything before, between and a er. Thus, rivers and lakes are o en places to begin again, to be reborn, or transformed through acceptance of destiny – like Tom in Charles Kingsley’s The Water-Babies; like King Arthur accepting Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake; like Robin Hood and Little John meeting for the first time on a river crossing. Equally, wetlands are o en used as literary
Ophelia by John Everett Millais (1851)
shorthand for foreboding, threat and otherness. Marshes, bogs, fens and mires are places where trolls lurk and wisps of sentient vapour seep into your very bones. Who remembers a trippy 1980s TV animation called Willo the Wisp? It took me years to realise the character of Willo was based on much older (but no less weird) folklore.
Being neither fully land nor wholly aquatic, wetlands are spiritually liminal and culturally nonbinary: they are places of lawlessness and resistance (Hereward the Wake), delinquency and thrill (Wuthering Heights); they dissolve boundaries and abolish certainty. We shiver at the jeopardy of Grimpen Mire in The Hound of the Baskervilles and the Thames marshes where Pip first encounters Magwitch in Dickens’ Great Expectations. We understand the threat of Shakespeare’s ‘fen-suck’d fogs’ (King Lear) and dread of Tolkien’s Dead Marshes – where only Gollum, wasted and half-dead from jealousy, could find a way through.
In the oldest surviving written story in (Old) English, the hero Beowulf quests to an underground wetland to face the mother of Grendel – a monster he has already slain. She is arguably stranger and more terri ing for being so little described. Is she troll, giant, serpent, or as the 2007 movie had it, a shapeshi ing entity adopting the form of Angelina Jolie? Just as water can transform into solid and vapour, so the supernatural entities we’ve peopled it with are chimeras or shapeshi ers. Mer-people, selkies, demon-hags such as the Slavic rusalki or Yorkshire’s Jenny Greenteeth are all both beautiful and deadly, changeable as water. In western cultures at least, such stories
“ Water represents life and death, and everything before, between and after.
exploit innate fears of what lies beneath and serve to warn children of the dangers of straying near water.
In The Tempest, Shakespeare rolled many such entities together in the halfling Caliban, whose rage and confusion when his home is invaded echoes that of people and wildlife driven out of wet places ever
Versions of The Wind in the Willows include this 1983 ITV film and the 1908 edition of the book, below
Grendel from the 1908 illustrated Stories of Beowulf
A 19th-century illustration of a scene from The Tempest including the monstrous creature Caliban (below) by Johann Heinrich Ramberg
Alamy/ITV
Vintage engraving of Hereward the Wake
since by capitalists hellbent on drainage and “improvement” for profit. Only now are we beginning to put them back.
Wet places have always been a rich inspiration for poets. I love Alice Oswald’s long-form epics Dart and A Sleepwalk on the Severn, Ted Hughes’ River collection and the bog poems of Seamus Heaney.
On the West Yorkshire moors, six insitu works by Poet Laureate Simon Armitage have been inscribed into the landscape: the reader must walk a 50-mile trail to view Snow, Rain, Mist, Dew, Puddle and Beck carved into a series of outcrops and slabs. Perhaps most pertinent to WWT is Gerard Manley Hopkins’ Inversnaid – the last two lines ring clear as a chalk spring down the generations: O let them be le , wildness and wet / Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet. For the visual artist, water’s alchemical relationship with light is irresistible. Monet and Turner obsessed over it, and three generations of the Heaton Cooper family have been capturing the rinsing clarity of England’s rainiest
landscapes in the Lake District for 120 years. John Constable’s The Hay Wain, depicting carthorses cooling in the Su olk Stour, is arguably the most famous of English paintings, but my favourite is John Everett Millais’ melancholic, melodramatic, botanically opulent Ophelia, set on the Hogsmill River near Ewell.
The wetland muse shows no sign of waning any time soon. I loved Sarah Perry’s gothic saltmarsh romance The Essex Serpent and became a devotee of Roger Deakin a er his death when I first read Waterlog. I felt his influence when writing my own river narrative, The Flow: Rivers, Water and Wildness. The latest epic novel from Elif Shafak, There are Rivers in the Sky, follows the story of a drop of water and has a line from The Flow as its title. Creativity flows like water, and every source is itself fed from somewhere.
Wetlands art
Artists including our founder Sir Peter Scott have been inspired by nature. But could they help protect our planet? Read more at wwt.org.uk/wetlandsandart
Inside the Scott House Museum at WWT Slimbridge
The Hay Wain by John Constable (1821)
Lodore and Derwentwater by A. Heaton Cooper depicts the stunning landscape of the English Lake District
From
le to right, top to bottom: Alamy, The National Gallery
Photographic Department, WWT, Miroslaw Nowaczyk
Bronze Selkie (Kópakonann) statue on the Faroe Islands
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