Waterlife April-June 2013

waterlife april/June 2013

Waterlife

T h e Q U A R T E R LY m a g a z i n e o f t h e w i l d f o w l & w e tla n d s tru s t

ISS U E 1 8 4

184 april/june 2013

springing to life

The wonders of hatching time at WWT

Mike dilger’s grand tour a challenge within China

l l

unlocking The potential of Steart Your local WWT centre round-up

ÂŁ 4 .0 0

wwt.org.uk

inside

in focus

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contents

Waterlife

The quarterly magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Headquarters Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT 01453 891900 membership@wwt.org.uk wwt.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410 Centres For full contact details, please see page 58 WWT Arundel 01903 883355 WWT Caerlaverock 01387 770200 WWT Castle Espie 028 9187 4146 WWT London Wetland Centre 020 8409 4400 WWT Martin Mere 01704 895181 WWT National Wetland Centre Wales 01554 741087 WWT Slimbridge 01453 891900 WWT Washington 0191 416 5454 WWT Welney 01353 860711 Managing editor: Katy Baird waterlife@wwt.org.uk Assistant editor: Emma Stephens Editorial board: Zoe Cameron, Ray Clark, Natasha Cook, Sacha Dench, Baz Hughes, David Salmon, Rob Shore, Mark Simpson Editor: Malcolm Tait malcolm.tait@thinkpublishing.co.uk Senior sub-editor: Marion Thompson Art director: Shelley Varley Designer: Nikki Ackerman Senior sales executive: Sonal Mistry sonal.mistry@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 8962 3020 Publisher: John Innes Think, The Pall Mall Deposit, 124-128 Barlby Road, London W10 6BL 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 2012: 94,296 Cover: Common shelduck ducklings

by Mark Carwardine, Getty images

james lees

WWT is a 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 painter.

The early birds

Later in this issue of Waterlife, you’ll be able to read about the ducklings that are hatching at WWT centres all over the country. Here’s a mallard with her brood at Slimbridge, and as we’ve been able to get it into print for this issue, it was clearly taken very early in the season.

But how early? February? January, even? No, incredibly, this photo of a wild mallard and her offspring was taken on 5 December last year! The ducklings were thought to be around two days old at the time.

‘Occasionally, ducklings do hatch quite far out of season at Slimbridge, but it is certainly a surprising sight to see the young family, especially during such cold weather,’ says warden James Lees, who took the photo. ‘Many visitors are doing double takes when they walk past her. It was pretty challenging for her to bring up her young in those cold conditions, but she did very well, and was helped by being given extra grain by staff and visitors.’

Spring and summer are the usual times of year for this great natural occurrence – but one of the exciting things about wildlife is its sheer unpredictability, as this remarkable event shows.

This issue

4 Front lines Martin Spray on how future generations can be inspired 7 Waterways News and views from the world of WWT 12 Obituary In remembrance of Professor Geoffrey Matthews 14 Wigeon post Your letters answered, plus our caption competition 16 The gallery Follow in the footsteps of TV’s Mike Dilger 22 Flight path How people power is changing Chinese conservation 26 The interview Meet WWT’s man of the moment, Nigel Jarrett 33 How and why Explore the early days and weeks of a duckling 36 The big issue Why the work at Steart is about more than creating habitats 40 Wonderful world Our regular behind-the-scenes look at WWT 42 Kids’ zone Steve Backshall on the mysteries of frogspawn 45 Seasons The sights and sounds of spring are all around 46 Down your way Your chance to catch up with life at a centre near you 58 Events What’s coming up at your local WWT centre 66 Back chat Brent Astley Richards explains why letters are so important april/june 2013

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front lines

CORBIS

Letters to inspire a generation

For me, working for WWT is nothing other than a privilege. Like other jobs, it is not always plain sailing, but when it comes to inspirational experiences, no other job I have been lucky enough to have comes close. And so, when I was asked by colleagues to be a judge for the Scott 100 Letters competition, I said yes without hesitation in anticipation of another special moment. I was not disappointed.

Based on the last letter of Captain Robert Falcon Scott to his wife in 1912, in which he asked her to encourage their very young son, Peter, to take an interest in nature, the competition attracted more than 600 entries. Quite a job for the judges – Falcon Scott, Gordon Buchanan, Kate Humble, Miranda Krestovnikoff, David Lindo, Bill Oddie, Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and me. Our task was to choose the 100 best letters, the top 10 and an overall winner.

Four of us gathered in Peter Scott’s house in Slimbridge with a plentiful supply of coffee, tea and biscuits. The others, working in various places, sent their scores in to us there. I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for the emotional experience we were about to have. There were letters from grandparents to their grandchildren, parents to their children, children to their parents, letters to pop stars and politicians urging them to take action to protect the environment, and many more. The theme for the competition was ‘Inspiring Generations’ and there is no doubt that we were totally inspired and, in some cases, quite overwhelmed, by the letters we read. You can read some of them for yourselves at wwt.org.uk/scott100, and we talk to the winning writer on page 66.

In this fast-moving, serious and sometimes sad world, inspiration is not always easy to find. For me it comes in two ways. The sight of 6,000 whooper swans coming off the fields around Welney as the sun goes down; the sound of thousands of barnacle geese on the Solway; my childhood experience of watching a red admiral hatch and slowly spread its wings: these certainly do it for me. But so do individuals, what they do and what they achieve. Captain Scott and his son are examples of people who inspired a generation. For Peter Scott it started with a letter. My hope is that the letters we were fortunate to receive and judge will do the same one day.

Red admiral

Martin Spray, WWT Chief Executive 4

Waterlife • april/june 2013

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Waterways

News and views from the world of wildfowl and wetlands conservation

a true honour

JAMES LEES

It was with great pride and pleasure that WWT began 2013, when Chief Executive Martin Spray was awarded a CBE for his conservation work.

‘I’m overwhelmed and extremely proud to receive this,’ says Martin, ‘and I’m thrilled to see that the importance of work in wildlife conservation has been recognised in this way.’

Martin’s early career was spent in the government sector in managerial positions, and in 1988 he moved into the conservation world with WWF. Three years later he joined the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, and prior to moving to WWT he was seconded to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts as its acting Chief Executive.

‘In the past nine years, I have been part of a team at WWT ensuring that the organisation goes from strength to strength,’ he says, ‘and that we are always carrying out the vision and work that our founder, Sir Peter Scott, would have wanted.’

All at WWT offer Martin our heartiest congratulations.

Martin Spray and friends at Slimbridge

Young at heart As you read this, the wintering Bewick’s swans are returning to their Russian breeding grounds with an extra boost.

This year, there is a higher percentage of youngsters making the return journey than for more than a decade.

Surveys of the swans’ UK sites this winter, such as Slimbridge and the Ouse Washes, revealed that 17.6% of the flocks were youngsters, comparing to an average of about 10% over the past 10 years.

‘We still need to find out what is driving down Bewick’s swan numbers and reverse this worrying decline, but this year’s good

breeding season is very welcome news,’ says WWT Wildlife Health Research Officer Julia Newth. ‘This is their best breeding season since 2001 and the higher number of cygnets this year will hopefully boost their numbers.

At the same time, WWT is tackling the things we know affect the swans: illegal shooting, flying collisions with pylons and wires, and poisoning from spent lead gunshot.’

Many WWT members have already been extremely generous in providing support for our work in protecting Bewick’s

swans, for which we offer our grateful thanks. There’s still so much more work to be done, however, and if you’d like to donate towards this vital project, please visit wwt.org.uk/swans.

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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Poet’s corner As we say farewell to the swans for another year, we present less of a poem this issue than a memoir, from Barbara Simon of Suffolk. It’s called Face Value...

With ‘Stamp’ the subject for our Writers’ Group this week, I ring a collector and ask: what affects the value of such stamps now? Age? Design?

‘Rarity and condition,’ she tells me. The few I’ve acquired over the years are those connected to wildlife and natural history.

I find one of these now, in my typing drawer. It’s a set of five, commemorating 50 years of WWT, formed by Peter Scott. One at the end catches my eye. It bears the head of a swan shown from three aspects, details of beak and face. It already takes me back...

I’m at Welney on a winter’s evening and looking out on a floodlit lake. It’s already alive with waterbirds, mostly swans (mute). Others, Bewick’s and whoopers, fly in, in little groups.

As they come in to land, I think they must collide, but no, they land safely, one after the other, each one gliding gracefully into its own space, like a dancer on stage. I watch them adjust their beautiful wings, dazzling white against the blue-black water – I’m out of this world.

Further round in the observatory, I can see with some others, Dafila, Peter Scott’s daughter, with her binoculars and charts. She’ll be ticking off regular visitors, birds who’ve flown two to three thousand miles, to overwinter here: Bewick’s and whoopers, recognising named individuals by the markings on their face.

If you’d like to submit your poetry for this section of Waterlife, simply send it to the address on page 14.

barrage of opinion

A proposal to build a barrage across the Severn Estuary ‘will be such a massive change to the estuary that we do need more information’, WWT Chief Executive Martin Spray has told MPs. ‘We have got to get a little more clever about how we address the environment. There is potential for energy generation, but we have to come up with environmentally sustainable, acceptable and sensible solutions.’

WWT, along with the RSPB and Angling Trust, told the House of Commons Energy & Climate Change Committee they all supported tidal energy development in the Severn, but that the current proposal lacks detail, and claims that it would not unacceptably damage wildlife and large areas of habitat are not realistic. As well as doubting claims about the environmental impact of the barrage, all the organisations expressed support for a range of future alternative smaller projects in the Severn Estuary, to test and develop new tidal energy technology, which Britain could export globally.

A report produced by Regen SW, a leading centre of sustainable energy expertise, suggests such a combination of projects could produce as much renewable energy and much less environmental damage than a single barrage.

You can find out more by visiting wwt.org.uk/barrage.

bumper year

renewed interest More support for WWT’s work with school children has come in the form of a further donation of £6,000 from RWE npower renewables (the UK subsidiary of RWE Innogy), one of the UK’s leading renewable energy developers and operators, producing sustainable electricity from wind, rivers, the sea and the land.

The company was one of the first supporters of our Inspiring Generations Appeal, providing free learning sessions outdoors at WWT centres for school children from some of the poorest areas of the country. Their funding provided the initial help to establish the scheme.

Now their second donation has enabled us to buy much-needed binoculars to improve the optical experience of young learners. Many of the children who attend learning sessions at our centres – particularly those from the most deprived backgrounds – have never used binoculars and they are entranced by the experience they provide. Their use adds immeasurably to their contact with nature during their visit.

WWT would like to thank RWE npower renewables for enabling us to supply this equipment and provide an even more magical learning experience for our young visitors.

2012 turned out to be a record year at Martin Mere with no fewer than 170 species of wild bird recorded.

Of all the dates throughout the year that new ticks were added, 9 May was probably the standout, with six firsts for the year being added to the list: osprey, hobby, sanderling, knot, spotted flycatcher and Montagu’s harrier (above), the latter only the third ever record for the reserve. A common crane, already seen earlier in the year, was also spotted on that red-letter May day, making it a memorable experience for all present. Many thanks to all who spent their time birding on the reserve throughout the year – visitors and staff alike – without whom the list would have been considerably smaller.

night vision

NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY, emma brand

Wild otters living on the River Wear have been captured on camera by WWT’s Washington centre for the very first time. Filmed using a motion sensor camera on loan from Durham Wildlife Trust, the night-time footage shows an inquisitive otter exploring its territory and grooming itself, before a noisy spat breaks out between two otters; possibly an adult and a juvenile.

The camera was set up over a period of a few weeks in late autumn, as part of a project to monitor otter populations in the region. ‘We knew we had wild otters living on the River Wear beneath our site,’ says Reserve Manager John Gowland.

‘There have been various sightings over the past three years and, more recently, tracks have been regularly appearing down at our new saline lagoon habitat.

‘Careful monitoring of this habitat as it establishes has revealed it is already attracting an array of new wildlife, including roe deer, oystercatchers, common terns and otters, which are using the site as a thoroughfare between a mature river reedbed and the new lagoon – dubbed the “otter highway” by the wardens.’

Fascinated by otters? You can now adopt one with WWT. For more details, visit wwt.org.uk/otter.

dancing on ice The snow and freezing conditions meant that the swans soon started to take up the local tradition of fen skating back in January, as this great photo out on the Ouse Washes shows.

april/june 2013

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news

endangered

You’ve probably read about WWT’s trips to the Russian Far East to save the spoon-billed sandpiper. In 2011, WWT’s Nigel Jarrett and colleagues collected the eggs that have since hatched to initiate the flock of sandpipers based at Slimbridge’s conservation breeding aviary. Then, in 2012, WWT Director of Conservation Debbie Pain joined that year’s trip to take part in sandpiper surveys, and to help launch the new headstarting programme – hatching sandpipers, then releasing them back into the wild once they’ve got through the first weeks of their life.

This July, she’s going back once more, and you have an opportunity to join her. Heritage Expeditions, which has generously provided space for

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Waterlife • APRIL/JUNE 2013

WWT and other conservationists on its ice-strengthened boat, Spirit of Enderby, includes berths for general customers, too.

The trip, which runs from 11-24 July, not only includes the search for the spoon-billed sandpiper, but intends to search the ice edge for polar bears and walrus. The Beringia Festival and Regatta, one of the most colourful festivals in the local calendar, is also on the itinerary. To find out more, including costs and a detailed itinerary, visit heritage-expeditions. com. Look out for reports from Debbie, too, in a future issue of Waterlife.

You can also, of course, support WWT’s essential work to save the spoon-billed sandpiper simply by donating to the appeal at wwt.org.uk/ sbs – there’s no need to go to Russia to do that!

kane brides, martin McGill

eastern promise

WWT and the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB) have taken the largest ever catch of Endangered red-breasted geese – 91 in all – and fitted satellite tracking devices in a bid to unlock one of the biggest mysteries of the natural world. Just over 10 years ago, more than 50,000 of the small, brightly coloured geese seemingly disappeared from their wintering grounds along the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

‘Almost overnight, we were unable to account for around half the world’s red-breasted geese,’ says Peter Cranswick, Head of Species Recovery at WWT. ‘The reasons are unclear so we are tracking birds to find out more.

‘The data we get will be invaluable to our work with local communities in Bulgaria – the farmers, shooters and landowners – to work out how we support the remaining geese, while still meeting their needs.

‘It is possible that, as the climate has changed, some birds have started to winter further east. We hope our tagged birds will reveal as yet unknown sites, so we can assess importance and ensure protection.’

This work is part of an EU Life project ‘Safe Ground for Redbreasts’.

Professor Geoffrey Matthews 1923-2013

Former WWT Director General Myrfyn Owen celebrates the life of a brilliant and much-loved naturalist, who was a true leading light in the development of wetland conservation Geoffrey Matthews, who died in January aged 89,

first made his name as a scientist working at Cambridge University on aspects of bird migration and navigation.

He had served as an aircraft navigator in the Indian Ocean during World War II and taking an interest in this subject was a natural progression. He went back to Cambridge University, where he received his PhD in 1950, and conducted seminal studies in homing pigeons and Manx shearwaters. He proposed a ‘sun-arc hypothesis’, whereby birds use the angle of the sun as a clue to the direction of movement and an internal clock to judge the time of day, as at least a partial explanation for navigational ability.

He published a classical monograph in 1955 entitled Bird Navigation (with a second edition in 1968).

Peter Scott recruited Geoffrey as head of the burgeoning research department at Slimbridge in 1955. Over the next few years he continued his work on bird navigation, concentrating on mallards caught in WWT’s ringing stations, and published a number of scientific papers on the subject.

In his initial thoughts on the development of the department, he signalled his intention of developing 12

Waterlife • APRIL/JUNE 2013

Opposite: Celebrating a successful catch of Bewick’s swans with Russian scientist Professor Vladimir Flint, at Slimbridge

research as a scientific basis for wildfowl conservation and, in the early years, much of the research effort was supported by the (then) Nature Conservancy.

The basis of this work was the evaluation of wildfowl numbers through a wildfowl counts scheme that continues today. Ringing studies were further developed to monitor movements and migrations, and studies of ecology and habitats underpinned the work of establishing reserves and other conservation areas in the UK and overseas.

During his stewardship, the academic reputation of WWT’s research developed internationally and, as a result, the national and international effectiveness of wetland conservation efforts were much enhanced. Close links were developed with a number of universities and Geoffrey became an Honorary Professorial Fellow of Cardiff University. WWT’s research and conservation efforts were carried out collaboratively with various interest groups, including wildfowlers.

In 1968 Geoffrey became editor of WWT’s 19th Annual Report and renamed it Wildfowl. He continued as editor until 1988, when he had retired from his

Geoffrey leaves a massive legacy – an enormous contribution to the evolution of WWT and to the development of wildfowl and wetland conservation full-time position as Director of Research and Conservation and, over that period, he developed it into the respected international journal that it still is today.

Inevitably, the political aspects of conservation loomed larger and Geoffrey and his team played an instrumental part in the passing into law of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in 1981. This cemented the scientific basis for wildlife conservation and management, protecting some species from shooting and providing the basis for habitat protection through the establishment of Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Geoffrey became more and more active internationally and took a leading role in the creation of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance during the

1960s. The convention was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971 (and thereafter became known as the Ramsar Convention). In 1969 Geoffrey became the Honorary Director of the International Waterfowl Research Bureau (now Wetlands International) and the organisation’s headquarters moved to Slimbridge.

Until – and, to some extent, after – his retirement, Geoffrey remained active internationally. He wrote a book detailing the convention’s development, The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Its History and Development, published in 1993, reissued in his honour by the Ramsar Convention Secretariat in January 2013.

Geoffrey received a number of awards and honours during his professional life, including the RSPB medal and a prestigious Dutch award, becoming an Officer of the Order of the Golden Ark in 1987. On the eve of his retirement, in 1986, he was awarded an OBE for his contribution to wetland conservation. He will be greatly missed by his family and many friends, but he leaves a massive legacy – an enormous contribution to the evolution of WWT and to the development of wildfowl and wetland conservation worldwide.

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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Wigeon Post Send your letters on all things WWT or Waterlife to Wigeon Post, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT,

Dear Waterlife

As a member at Slimbridge and a frequent visitor, I was unable to visit as much as I would wish last year (with my young grandson) due to the very wet weather we experienced. Although there are now some excellent outdoor facilities for children, I wonder if more indoor facilities could be developed, such as a soft play area for all ages... appropriately themed for Slimbridge, of course. I am sure this would attract many more families at all times of the year and not only when the sun is shining!

Linda Nattrass, Gloucestershire Editor’s reply: Thank you for this interesting letter.

We are always keen to find ways to encourage more visitors of all ages to come along and enjoy WWT centres, especially on rainy

14

days.We’d be interested to hear other readers’ thoughts on this. Please email us or write in to the address details at the top of the page.

Dear Waterlife

It is good to hear WWT has now published an analysis of blood lead levels in waterbirds.

Is there any data on lead levels in people who frequently eat waterbirds? If data showed increased levels in humans, this would strengthen the argument against lead considerably.

One further point: readers might like to read WWT’s paper on lead levels themselves, so please add in the reference when you refer to such papers.

Chris Griffiths, Cambridge Editor’s reply: Many thanks for pointing that out, Chris. The European

Waterlife • APRIL/JUNE 2013

Journal of Wildlife Research, of October 2012, carries a study entitled Poisoning from lead gunshot: still a threat to wild waterbirds in Britain, and wwt.org.uk/lead provides links to further material, including human health issues.

Dear Waterlife

I always enjoy reading Waterlife, and I’ve

Birds such as these pink-footed geese can mistakenly eat lead shot while grazing (below)

often noticed that the advertisements you carry are pretty relevant for readers such as myself.

Is it necessary to run quite so many, however?

Claire McCarthy, via email Editor’s reply: We currently run 15 pages of external advertising in each 68-page issue of Waterlife, which represents about 22% of the magazine, a figure which is in fact much lower than for many publications.

Advertising is essential to keeping the costs of production down, as is the inclusion of inserts, which in turn helps to free up more money for our vital conservation work. We work hard to ensure that the advertisements are well designed, so that they don’t detract from your enjoyment of the magazine, and relevant, so that they can provide an extra benefit to readers. Many

Ernest Eaton, FLPA

Fun in the sun, but should WWT provide indoor play areas, too? (left)

letters

or email waterlife@wwt.org.uk. Letters may be edited for length

caption the action

of you have responded to the advertisers over the years. We’re constantly looking at ways of improving the content, editorial and advertising alike, in your quarterly Waterlife magazine.

Dear Waterlife

Many thanks for issue 182 with the wonderfully atmospheric cover photo.

The ‘Study in White’ photo page was also quite magnificent. But when is a Bewick’s swan not a Bewick’s swan? Apparently when it is a tundra swan – a name that I have only recently seen in print and heard muttered in a hide. The latter occasion

waterlife OCTOBER/DECEMBER 2012

Waterlife

I S S U E 18 2

WETL ANDS TRUST T H E Q U A R T E R LY M A G A Z I N E O F T H E W I L D F O W L &

182 OCTOBER/DECEMBER 2012

A STUDY IN WHITE

wwt.org.uk

INSIDE 01_Cover.indd 1

WINNERS SPOON-BILLED SANDPIPER SUPERSTARS ● PHOTO COMPETITION ROUND-UP FRESH THINKING FOR SCHOOLS ● YOUR LOCAL WWT CENTRE

£ 4 .0 0

Working for the future of the nation’s swans

12/09/2012 15:29

was a German birdwatcher in a local wetland hide here in Sweden. Why is the name Bewick’s swan not used when translating from say Swedish, or German, to English?

Helen Eriksson, Nyköping, Sweden Eileen Rees, WWT’s Head of UK Waterbird Conservation, replies: Helen, you are quite right.

Bewick’s swan is sometimes referred to as a tundra swan, which is the collective name given to Cygnus columbianus, which includes both the nominate Cygnus columbianus columbianus (historically known as the whistling swan; now more commonly referred to as tundra swan in its native North America) and Bewick’s swan Cygnus c. bewickii. We think that Bewick’s swan is known as Zwergschwan (‘little swan’) in German, descriptive of its smaller size.

Tundra swan (above)

Two winners this time round.

The first, the real winner of the competition, is James Hitchcock for his caption to the photo of Arundel Centre Manager Olivia Iles looking in at a nest box: ‘Room service!’ But we felt that Dom Cuskin, who went to the trouble of actually illustrating the photo in watercolour, was worthy of a book, too. Congratulations to you both.

This time round, we’ve got a picture from Mike Dilger’s WWT tour, when he stopped off at Washington to meet, among others, the flamingos. We thought it nicely mirrored last issue’s photo, too. Send your entries to the address above for a chance to win a copy of Watching Waterbirds.

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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the gallery

The whole nine yards

As far as records show, no one had ever visited all nine WWT centres in nine days. So, between 25 January and 2 February, Mike Dilger, the famous face of nature on the BBC’s The One Show, decided he’d be the first. He made it, undertaking daily challenges within the overall mission, giving evening talks to packed audiences, and all the while raising money for WWT's spoon-billed sandpiper appeal. He’s not the only person ever to achieve this feat, however. WWT’s Mark Simpson, equipped with camera equipment, recorded every step. Here, he recalls some of the many highlights

Day 1 Arundel

It’s the start of the Big 9 Challenge and Mike’s off to a storming start. He’s been with us in Arundel all day and has seen some proper treats, including an early snipe and a couple of kingfishers. He’s also been mucking in with the staff. Electric boat safari may sound like a long lost Beatles film, but it’s also the best way to get around the backwaters of Arundel. Mike learned the ropes this morning, handling the super stealthy boats like a pro.

Wildlife doesn’t perceive you as such a threat when you approach by water, which is why the boats are a great way to see wetland wildlife up close. Arundel is one of the best places in the country to see water voles, but the voles were sensibly tucked up sheltering from the cold today. Mike also fed the diving ducks at lunchtime. The long-tailed duck, common scoter, harlequin duck and mergansers get a meal of whitebait, for which they dive deep in the gin-clear Arundel water. It’s great to see them scooting through the deep water like penguins.

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Waterlife • april/june 2013

Meeting the team on day one

Day 2 Slimbridge

The following morning, it was into the Prius, kindly loaned to us by Toyota, keeping costs and environmental impacts to a minimum, and on the road to Slimbridge.

Mike got stuck straight in, getting a lesson on feeding the swans from Reserve Warden James Lees, before ringing some teal and demonstrating the principles of duck decoys. But the real treat came about an hour later, when Mike fed the swans. We gathered in the dark of the McNeice Observatory, peering out at the floodlit scene of Bewick’s swans and other wildfowl, and waited for the show to start. Reserve Warden Martin McGill talked us through how the swan feed would unfold. The birds would react to Mike’s presence before we’d notice him.

Sure enough, the birds suddenly aligned themselves towards the door in the wall at the edge of the pond and glided towards the figure that appeared from the shadows.

We all knew it was Mike, but it didn’t look like Mike.

This wasn’t the bundle of energy we’re used to seeing on

our screens, enthusiastically gesticulating. Instead, dressed in a WWT fleece and cap, head bowed in stern concentration, he pushed his barrow full of grain along the edge of the pond and across in front of the observatory. Once at the far end he stopped, and the phalanx of wild birds fanned out behind him. Around he turned, carefully scooped up some grain and the feed started. Once he’d fed the whole lake, he ducked back through the door, changed and popped into the McNeice to tell us about the experience.

Feeding time at Slimbridge (top), Mark Simpson at work (above left) and Mike with a cuddly sandpiper at Llanelli

Under the watchful eye of the grounds manager, and followed by a crowd of visitors, Mike was to feed the 500 (or so) exotic birds in the captive collection… in just one hour

Day 3 National Wetland Centre Wales

Next up was a superb day on the shores of the beautiful Loughor Estuary near Llanelli. The sun was shining and Centre Manager Nigel Williams took Mike on a tour of the centre in the afternoon, picking up gadwall, pochard, shoveler, shelduck, lapwing, little egret, a kestrel and more, before Mike was given his challenge for the day.

Today Mike was also to feed the birds, but quite different ones from yesterday. Under the watchful eye of the grounds manager, and followed by a crowd of visitors, Mike was to feed the 500 (or so) exotic birds in the captive collection… in just one hour. There has been some question as to whether Mike did actually achieve this.

Certainly, there was a lot of chatting and many photo stops, but from flamingos to ferruginous ducks, a lot of birds got their tea. Sadly, the Guinness adjudicators could not be there, but WWT’s learning assistant, Pam, assures me that there were definitely more than 500 birds fed. april/june 2013

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Gallery

Day 4 Martin Mere

Day 5 Castle Espie

We spooked a barn owl as we arrived at our Lancashire hotel at 2.30am. It wheeled up under the streetlight and disappeared into the trees. Once we checked in, it was heads down for a welcome few hours’ sleep, before completing the final couple of miles to Martin Mere, where a simply amazing breakfast was waiting for us in the café.

After breakfast, Reserve Warden Tom Clare took Mike round the site. Mike got a full briefing on feeding the whooper swans, which he’d be doing solo later, in front of a full crowd of volunteers and visitors. The whoopers may look similar to the Bewick’s swans, but they’re a bit bigger, as is the barrow of grain used to feed them from. It looked like it was taking all Mike’s strength to stop it from tipping over in the strong winds.

After a quick tour of the reedbed, it was off to see the beavers. It was incredible to see how they have modified their enclosure, felling the trees and constructing their vast and complex lodge. It was a real privilege to have a close look at their work.

Mike gave a talk at each of the centres he visited, and still found time to feed the birds 18

Waterlife • april/june 2013

We arrived at Castle Espie before dawn and were greeted with another slap-up breakfast and the chance to watch the gorgeous view of Strangford Lough unfold as the sun came up. You cannot help but feel at home at Castle Espie. Besides the wonderful wildlife and the gorgeous views, the welcome is incredibly warm.

John McCullough, Learning Manager, had set Mike his challenge for the day, and he had roped in Anthony McGeehan, one of Northern Ireland’s foremost birders.

Anthony and John have been trying to help a University of East Anglia (UEA) research project to monitor black-tailed godwits, and Mike was to track down one of the birds that had been previously caught and ringed with coloured leg bands.

The tour took us to some fascinating spots round Belfast Harbour and we saw a lot of godwits, both black- and bartailed. However, after visiting several spots, still no colour-banded birds. There was one last chance: the former municipal landfill site.

What we saw there was incredible – huge mixed flocks of waders along the shore that were largely unperturbed by the presence of the Land Rover just yards away.

Because the site had been used for landfill for so long, the birds were accustomed to the vehicles, and because it is closed to the public, they are never disturbed by anyone on foot. Then a cry went up from the back of the Land Rover. Anthony had seen a red band on one leg of a ‘blackwit’ among the nearest flock. Then, as the bird took to the air, Mike called out yellow for the other leg.

We’d found one! Yellow and red. The sighting will be reported to the researchers, tied to the UEA, but based all over Europe, to track and understand the godwits.

the gallery Day 6 Caerlaverock

This morning we sailed into Scotland – the fourth country in four days! Over the past couple of days, we’ve realised that this nine centres in nine days malarkey is a bit tougher than we first thought. It is a lot of fun, but, as we hare around the country, there just aren’t the hours in the day to fit in enough sleep. It probably hasn’t helped Mike battle the lurgy he has had since day two either.

But enough moaning; it was an early start again this morning, but now we’re in Caerlaverock, on the beautiful Costa Del Solway Firth, and tonight we’re sleeping in actual beds for a proper full night’s sleep!

Mike’s challenge was to read the Darvic rings on nine of the barnacle geese (one for each WWT centre). For those unfamiliar with Darvic rings, they are large, brightly coloured plastic leg rings marked with bold lettering that can be picked out at a distance using binoculars or a scope.

Now, we have to fess up. Mike failed this challenge. It may have been that the geese were too far away or that the lurgy was blurring his vision, but he didn’t manage to read a single ring. The guys at Caerlaverock haven’t held it against him though, and still let him have some cake with his tea.

Wildfowl, otters, flamingos – and human beings – were all out in force during Mike’s journey

Day 7 Washington

Of all the centres, there was just one that neither Mike nor I had visited prior to the Big 9 Challenge: Washington.

Today we’ve been asking ourselves why we’ve missed out for so long – what a wonderful place!

Mike was particularly taken by the bullfinches, for which Washington is famous. Bullfinches get a special mention in Mike’s evening talks, and in his book – you’ll have to read it to find out why, but they are obviously a favourite.

Besides the bullfinches, two proper treats today have been spending time with the young Chilean flamingos – dubbed flamingilinas here – and the Asian short-clawed otters, Musa and his as-yet-unnamed belle. Mike got nose to beak with the five flamingilinas as their ‘dad’, Owen Joiner, talked us through their first months. Mike joined Owen in feeding the otters, and managed to keep all his fingers – just!

we’ve realised that this nine centres in nine days malarkey is a bit tougher than we first thought

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the gallery Day 9 London Wetland Centre

It had been a bad night for Mike. Sleeping over in the visitor centre, his cold had gone to his chest and, having struggled through the previous night’s talk, he’d suffered the last in a long line of sleepless nights.

So, the first stop we made on our way to London was at the doctor’s surgery. Remedies on board, we set course for the London Wetland Centre. Mike’s challenge for the day would not normally be terribly challenging: open the new Headley Discovery Hide – specially designed to be as welcoming as possible to those new to wildlife-watching. But, with his vocal chords hanging on by a thread and his last talk of the tour to do in the evening, speaking to a crowd became a Herculean task.

A large crowd gathered to see the new hide. As Mike declared it open, we were asked to raise our thumbs silently in the air, not to clap, so as not to startle and flush all the wildfowl away from in front of the hide. Once inside, the hide is a glorious, light and inviting space, with large picture windows, tastefully painted walls, binoculars and scopes provided, and a high-definition remote camera. The crowd squeezed in to spend some time with Mike, birdwatching and chatting about the wetlands. The highlight was seeing a kestrel being mobbed by crows towards the back of the lagoon, with the backdrop of the London skyline.

Mike was back in front of a crowd at 6pm as he kicked off the last of his series of evening talks to another sell-out audience. It was a really fun evening and Mike’s voice held out – just – till the end of the evening. Mission accomplished!

Mike’s challenge for our day in the east was to feed the swans. But he’s already done that, I hear you say. Well, at Welney it is a swan feed with a difference. The Ouse Washes is a man-made, contained floodplain that stores rainwater that would otherwise flood local towns and farmland. The Washes flood to save everywhere else and, right now, they are flooded. This means that the area outside Welney’s observatory, where the swans gather for their daily ration of grain, is several feet deep in water, and that requires some special equipment. The usual grain barrow is adapted with an inflated inner tube so that it floats on the water. And the person doing the feed needs to wear a drysuit. The effect for the person doing the feed – Mike, today – is quite extraordinary. The swans are floating by you at shoulder level and coming in for grain over your head.

Whether being chest-deep in cold water does anything for Mike’s health, remains to be seen. He’s still battling to keep the lurgy at bay, but we’re now on day eight of the Big 9 Challenge and the end is in sight.

Meeting the public at London (top) and wading through the Welney floods

Mike Dilger’s new book, My Garden and Other Animals, has now been published. You can order your copy at wwt.org.uk/shop, and it’s also available in our centre shops.

Raising smiles

Mike’s incredible journey wasn’t just for fun, it was in support of WWT’s spoon-billed sandpiper work.

WWT, and the sandpipers themselves, are grateful to you, Mike, as we are to the many people who turned up to be a part of the epic journey. Don’t fret if you missed out – you can still donate to the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Appeal at wwt.org.uk/sbs. april/june 2013

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Mark Simpson, Stephen Williams

Day 8 Welney

21

Egrets fly over the treetops at Poyang Lake

flight path

People power The Yangtze floodplain of China is one of the most important wintering grounds for waterbirds in all Asia. We know so little about how birds really use this mighty area of land, but thanks to a cultural revolution in China, all that could change A couple of years ago, Waterlife reported on WWT’s work in China. As the article pointed out, the sheer scale of this vast nation has long made research and monitoring of wildlife extremely difficult to do effectively, yet its importance to a host of wetland species cannot be denied.

We must know more about these mighty stretches of wetlands, however long it takes.

Well, two years on, China is no smaller. Yet

there’s been a fascinating development that, if handled well, could really make a huge difference to the overall understanding of the nation’s wetlands and its inhabitants.

And it all comes down to the changing face of the Chinese leisure industry.

But before that, why exactly is WWT in China in the first place? Richard Hearn, WWT’s Head of Species Monitoring, takes up the story.

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NHPA, DAVID FYLES

The Baer facts

A few years ago, Baer’s pochard (left), was listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Named after the 19th-century Estonian naturalist Karl Ernst von Baer, it breeds in south-eastern Russia and north-eastern China, and winters in southern China and countries to the south-west including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. Or it did. In 2008, research showed that numbers of the pochard had crashed, and the bird was reclassified as Endangered. Last year new evidence showed that numbers have continued to plummet, and its status was amended once more, this time to Critically Endangered. A census of the Yangtze floodplain in January 2011 by WWF China found just 194 individuals – 131 at one lake and a few dozen more scattered around at other sites. Its global population is now estimated at fewer than 1,000 individuals. WWF China and WWT have received funding to monitor what seems to be the main lake where the pochard is found, in partnership with the local birdwatching society, and we’ll be monitoring other waterbirds at the same time. Look out for more in a future issue.

‘Since 2008, we’ve been supporting WWF China’s efforts to develop a coordinated and efficient waterbird monitoring programme in the Yangtze floodplain, one of the most important of its kind in the world,’ he explains. ‘Its sheer, staggering size quite takes the breath away. Across the floodplain there are thousands of lakes, including nearly 30 different Ramsar sites – ie they’ve been designated as wetlands of international importance – just one of which, Poyang Hu, covers over 3,500km2. That’s larger than all of Gloucestershire.

‘The floodplain in general, and some of the Ramsar sites in particular, are absolutely vital wintering areas for many types of birds, particularly wildfowl and cranes. At Poyang Hu, for example, we know that some 4,000 Siberian cranes spend their winter there – that’s 98% of the entire world’s population. There’s a similar number of Oriental storks here, as well as the vast majority of the world’s swan geese.

And the floodplain is extremely important for one of the world’s rarest birds, the Baer’s pochard.’

These clearly signify huge global importance for waterbirds, but the detail on how individual species are faring is limited. One of the things about waterbirds is that most are highly migratory, flying to and from breeding and wintering grounds, criss-crossing continents so that there’s an ever-changing pattern, depending upon the time of year, and no permanent status quo. Some 45 years ago, Wetlands International set up the International Waterbird Census (IWC), an aggregation of data from individual national monitoring schemes. Today, the

Above: Whitefronted geese fly over Poyang Lake.

Below left: Swan goose

IWC collates data from more than 100 countries, and by blending it together, it is able to monitor population trends.

Until a few years ago, however, China had no significant national monitoring scheme, leaving a mighty hole in the IWC’s data and, therefore, ability to understand fully the status of the world’s waterbirds.

Then, in 2004, Gang Lei of WWF China initiated the first coordinated survey of waterbirds in the Yangtze floodplain and, slowly, a picture began to take shape.

A network of provincial, national and international organisations is steadily being formed, helping to build the collaborative and coordinated monitoring that is urgently needed. When WWT became involved five years ago, the key needs were to continue with the coordinated counts, and also develop a training programme to improve survey standards and coverage.

‘We held our first workshop in 2009,’ says Richard, ‘and then, in 2011, we employed a project coordinator, Xudong Tao, to give us extra reach. Xudong is going round each reserve, one by one, providing staff with the training that they need.’

This training varies according to the needs of the individual reserve. At some it is a matter of developing identification and counting skills, whereas at others with more experienced staff, Xudong helps them set up and use the technology they need to record their sightings. ‘Some reserve teams know a lot about counting and monitoring, but are lacking in equipment so we help them obtain what

flight path

A network of provincial, national and international organisations is being formed they need, such as more telescopes, or even simply tallycounters. At others they have had much less opportunity to get involved and so it is as much about teaching them how to birdwatch as anything else,’ says Richard.

Many reserves in the Yangtze floodplain are relatively well funded by the Chinese government, which gives them the opportunity to take part in waterbird counts and other monitoring. However, there are many other important wetlands with no protected areas and reserve team, so this is where that Chinese social revolution comes in.

In recent years, the leisure industry has grown significantly in the country, as the average wage, particularly in urban areas, rises. Many Chinese people now have a level of affluence never before experienced, and they’re using some of that money to enjoy themselves. Sports of various kinds have seen meteoric rises in interest and participation, but they’re not alone. One of the fastest-growing hobbies in China has been birdwatching.

‘The rise in the numbers of birdwatchers in the nation, particularly around the Yangtze floodplain, couldn’t have been better timed for what we’re trying to do,’ says Richard.

‘In fact, Xudong himself is the chair of the local Wuhan Birdwatching Society. We’ve been able to tap into their enthusiasm, and their input into our growing databanks

is proving just as important as that provided by the reserve wardens. While the reserve managers tend to have excellent knowledge of the area and experience of counting large numbers of birds, they often cannot identify difficult species like ducks and waders, whereas the birdwatchers are the other way round. They know the reserves less well as they have less access to them, and are less experienced in counting, but they’re more skilled at bird ID and so can help with counts of hard-to-identify species. By encouraging wardens and birders to explore together, we’re already seeing each group’s qualities rub off on the other.’

In fact, the birdwatchers are providing more muscle power than just monitoring work. In some parts of China, poison is still used illegally to kill waterbirds, often for human consumption. Recently, a report came through of the poisoning of some 40 Oriental storks near Beijing.

There was an outcry from the birdwatchers, and so loud was their voice that the government has started to ensure the laws concerning the illegality of bird poisoning are better enforced.

‘It’s been a real example of people power,’ says Richard, ‘and one of the exciting things about encouraging societies to get involved in the long-term building of national bird monitoring and conservation is that they’re becoming more and more aware of the many issues that still affect wildlife in the floodplain. And the more aware they become, the more they’ll want to see change.’

There certainly is still a lot to change.

Despite being reserves, many of the important sites around the Yangtze floodplain are very minimally protected, if at all.

A growing human population is increasingly making use of many of the lakes; fishing, often illegal electro-fishing, is very widespread, and Richard has seen huge truckloads of fish being caught every day, at a rate that cannot be sustainable.

At many other lakes there are increasing levels of ecological change happening as a result of dam construction and other water management projects, as well as pollution and other damaging activities.

In order to assist with the clean-up, the data first needs to be gathered. It’s only by finding out exactly how many birds from exactly how many species use the floodplain, then by comparing the data year upon year, that the trends will be discovered, and the Get involved precise needs can start to It’s not just in China that volunteer birdwatchers be worked out. WWT and are helping build a WWF China desperately picture of waterbird want to achieve that. And populations. In the UK, it’s beginning to appear WWT coordinates a that so do many of this number of waterbird surveys that populous nation’s growing birdwatchers such as number of bird lovers. you play a major role in There’s a new cultural undertaking. To revolution in China, and find out more, visit monitoring.wwt.org.uk. it’s looking like a good one. april/june 2013

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Making plans with

When it comes to raising some of the world’s most endangered waterbirds, Nigel Jarrett is the man to trust. But how does one man get to the stage where he can literally be holding the future of an entire species in his hands? Waterlife tracked him down to find out If you’ve ever tried to photograph

a kingfisher, you’ll understand. You know where they’re likely to be, and you position yourself, ready with your camera.

You wait and you wait. Suddenly, you hear a high-pitched ‘beep’, and a flash of turquoise and orange hurtles past while you’re still raising your camera to your eye. You wait some more then, suddenly, one’s there, sitting by the far bank. You zoom in and frame your image, but, just as you’re about to press the shutter, it’s out of shot. You spot it once more, then it’s gone. Again, you wait. The energy and opportunism of this brilliant bird keep it frequently just out of reach, but if you just stay patient, you know the rewards will be there.

And that is what it’s like trying to interview Nigel Jarrett. As readers of these pages will know, he is WWT’s man on a mission – busy, energetic and brilliant.

As Head of Conservation Breeding, he has scoured the tundra of Russia for spoonbilled sandpiper eggs, dashed across Europe with hatching crane eggs in the back of his car, rigged up emergency hatching pens in distant lands and raced against time to save the last of the Madagascar pochards. Even when he’s back in Britain, he’s hard to find, spending much of his time monitoring, studying and generally doting over the spoon-billed sandpipers at Slimbridge that could well be the safety net for their entire species.

the interview

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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When nigel was eight or nine, WWT opened its Washington centre Yet persistence brings about rewards, and when Waterlife finally caught up with Nigel, it was because he was briefly standing still. We’d agreed to meet outside Slimbridge’s sandpiper aviary, where he was waiting for his colleague, Nicky Hiscock, who was carefully weighing the 28 tiny birds. ‘They’ve been feeding a little more than usual,’ he muttered, never once averting his gaze from the aviary. ‘We want to make sure they’re not putting on any weight, because some of them are now approaching their first breeding season, and we want to make sure they’re in prime condition.’ early ambitions

There are few people who know as much about the condition of birds as Nigel. Born in the mid-1960s and brought up in Boldon Colliery, a mining village near Newcastle, he was introduced to birds at an early age.

‘Dad was a miner,’ he explains, ‘and in those days virtually every miner kept livestock on their allotments. As a bairn, I spent as much time there as I could, and animal husbandry was part of my growing up. It was the birds that really fascinated me, and the miners and their families used to bring injured wild birds to me to look after. Experience counts for so much and, even as a young lad, I already had a good grasp of bird husbandry.’

It was at that time that a little bit of history was made and, not for the first time in his life, it would affect Nigel’s future. When he was around eight or nine years old, WWT opened its Washington centre just five miles from Nigel’s home.

‘Fortunately, one of my teachers was interested in birds, and would take me along. I spent as much time there as possible, and as soon as I could, I became a voluntary warden.’

He was just 11 years old. ‘I suppose it couldn’t really happen now, but those were different times.

Sweeping goose poo off the pathways isn’t the most glamorous way a kid can pass his time, but I’d just do anything to get close to the birds.’ He wasn’t alone in this – it was around this time that he met Baz Hughes, WWT’s Head of Species Conservation, and their friendship and careers have run alongside each other ever since.

He got close to Peter Scott, too, meeting him several times, and taking as many trips to Slimbridge as he could manage. His adventurous nature kicked in even further during that time, as at the age of 16, he put together, with a friend, a trip to Mexico to try to collect masked ducks for Slimbridge. They were unsuccessful, but the trip gave Nigel a taste of how to plan, organise and execute trips in the name of aviculture. Then, in 1984, history struck again.

‘I was preparing to take my A-levels when the miners’ strike

Above: Nigel at Slimbridge Below: Nigel aged 12 with a mandarin duck

kicked off,’ he says. ‘Dad was out of work for a long, long time so I postponed the thought of further education and applied for jobs at WWT.’ Given his background and enthusiasm, it’s not surprising that he succeeded. ‘My first day as an assistant warden at Slimbridge was 29 February,’ he recalls. ‘The date was memorable for two other reasons.

One, it occurs only once every four years; and two, it was the last time that red-breasted geese were sighted at the reserve. What a day to start.’

A few years later, during his holidays, Nigel inter-railed to Romania and Hungary, following the route that Peter Scott had taken several years previously, to see more rare geese. While there, he saw huge numbers of Eurasian cranes and became gripped by the idea that, one day, the crane might become widespread across the UK. ‘Those magnificent birds really made a big impression on me.

When I came back, I told Peter what I’d seen, and as there were a few cranes in Norfolk at the time, Peter went to look at them. We april/june 2013

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the interview

nick cottrell, sacha dench, james lees, gerrit vyn

in safe hands

talked further, and Peter agreed with me: it would be great to have cranes back across our own wetlands.’

The early seeds of what would one day become the Great Crane Project had been sown.

All this time, the Mexican experience was tugging at his soul and, despite loving being at Slimbridge, Nigel longed to find out more about birds further afield. So, at the age of 27, he took himself off to Abu Dhabi for three years’ study of the houbara bustard. He knew he’d return, and WWT had made it quite clear he’d be welcome back, so when his Middle East project drew to a close, he took the opportunity to finally get that studying under his belt. He returned to Slimbridge, aged 33, with a first class degree in biology.

Since then, Nigel has been one of the true driving forces of WWT’s expanding understanding of all things avicultural. Never afraid to try something new, he attempted artificial insemination with

endangered blue ducks, he assisted with the successful release of the critically endangered Laysan duck on the Midway Atoll in Hawaii, and he’s one of the only people who could have made such a success of the conservation breeding unit.

‘I think that confidence comes from trying things in the past,’ he says.

‘I’m really not afraid of criticism, but I hate the idea of failure. For me, I want a 100% success rate in breeding. The conservation world would jump up and down if it could manage 99% of anything, but I’d still feel I’d failed.’

This drive for perfection was ready to be unlocked even further when, first, Chief Executive Martin Spray and, then, Director of Conservation Debbie Pain arrived at WWT. ‘Martin’s ambition and Debbie’s drive and determination really unlocked all the enthusiasm at WWT,’ Nigel says. ‘The kind of work we’re doing out in the field these days – we had the enthusiasm and skill, but we couldn’t have done it without them.’

Above: Nigel handles delicate crane eggs Left: Nene

It’s a fair point. Today’s conservation world is completely different to that of Peter Scott’s times. Some decades ago, if Peter thought it would be a good idea to collect endangered nenes and bring them to Slimbridge to breed their numbers back up, then, a few conversations and correspondence with the right people later, off he’d go. Today, international conservation is more complicated, with proposals, reports and global cooperation all required before the first plans can be made.

‘WWT has become very good indeed at making sure that all conservation protocol is met before such revolutionary projects as the conservation breeding of the Madagascar pochard and spoonbilled sandpiper can begin,’ says Nigel. ‘Yet, I tell you what. When you’re out on the Russian tundra, knowing that everyone who’s anyone in wetland conservation fully supports your work, there’s a moment when that all means nothing. The minute, the very second, that you remove that first egg from that first sandpiper’s nest, your stomach goes pop.

‘Everything, the entire project, possibly the future of the species, is quite literally in your hands.

For me, it was the most frightening yet exciting time of my working life, and I suddenly realised that everything I’d ever done, without me quite realising it, had been leading me up to that very moment.

My WWT and Birds Russia colleagues all felt the same way, as if we’d been training all our lives for that single, simple act.’

Suddenly, Nigel breaks off. The door to the sandpiper aviary has opened, and Nicky has emerged with a handful of notes. He raises his eyebrows at her, and she smiles back and nods. The weights are just what Nigel had been hoping for.

He turns back to us. ‘You’ll have to excuse me a moment,’ he mutters.

‘I’ve just got to find out a bit more detail. Back in a sec.’

And in a flash, he’s gone. april/june 2013

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Saving wetlands for wildlife & people

Adopt an animal with WWT for just £27 For yourself or a loved one, a gift that shows you care

PLUS

a free ticket to visit any WWT centre!

Why adopt?

Adopters receive: a cuddly toy an adoption pack, including a fact booklet and certificate a twice-yearly Adoption News magazine

alamy

help save threatened species and their habitats be inspired – or inspire others – to learn more about wildlife support our work to protect and create wetlands in the UK and around the world

Adopt an animal today at wwt.org.uk/adopt or call 01453 891195

how and why

baby boom Cute, curious, energetic bundles of fluff are about to descend on WWT centres across the country. Yes, it’s time for the ducklings The arrival of spring, with its

lengthening days and its brighter colours, provides the perfect trigger for renewal and refreshment. We humans in the Western world tend to think of the new year as the time for a fresh start, but our resolutions might be much easier to stick to if we made them during the burgeoning days of March or April, rather than the dark, cold days of January. Yes, spring is the time for fresh starts, and it’s a concept that nature takes literally.

With just a few exceptions (pigeons, for example, can breed all year round), birds time their egg-laying and hatching to coincide

with the emergent life of spring.

Young great and blue tits, all balls of yellowy fluff, chase their parents round our gardens as they slowly learn to increase their diet beyond aphids. Mighty raptors, such as the ospreys, start to feed their young up to give them as much chance of making the autumnal return to Africa as possible. Yet of all the bird groups, there’s one that has come to represent the fresh, young days of spring and new hope like no other: the duckling.

From Easter cards to chocolate figures, the duckling is represented wherever we look during the weeks of spring, while at WWT centres,

the little creatures themselves are appearing en masse.

Making a visit to one of the centres where ducks are bred is particularly exciting as you can watch them at every stage of their development. You can also find out how WWT staff care for the many and various species and their differing needs.

Do come along and see these glories of nature for yourself.

Duckery tours run from mid-spring until around July, depending upon the species, and you’ll be able to experience the whole egg to duckling process, some of which is shown over the page.

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1 Holding a

candle to it How can you tell how

an embryo is doing while it’s still in the egg? The answer is a process called candling. As the name suggests, it was created long before electricity came along, and involved shining a candle flame on one side of the egg to illuminate its contents from the other side. The process does not affect the precious embryo and, these days, at WWT centres, we use a bright bulb to achieve the same effect.

6 Calling time

By the time a duckling enters its second month, its voice is beginning to break. The high-pitched little peeps start to give way to a more adult-sounding quack, particularly in females, which, in many species, tend to be a bit louder than their male siblings.

GETTY IMAGES, ILLUSTRATIONS BY LIZZIE HARPER

5 Weather the feather

Depending upon the species, ducklings tend to develop their first pin feathers, the forerunners of the adult feathers, at around three weeks of age. By the time they’re around six weeks old, this new set of feathers is fully developed, the young down has gone and they’re now confident enough to immerse themselves fully in the water. Around two months later, they moult these first feathers and develop their adult feathers, enabling them to swim and fly as strongly as their parents.

34

Waterlife • APRIL/JUNE 2013

2 Just pipping out

how and why

While inside the egg, an embryo is able to gain the oxygen it needs from the outside thanks to the porous nature of the shell. After a while, however, the duckling grows, and the amount of oxygen it’s able to obtain in this way is no longer enough. By this stage, however, it has developed a special muscle, known as a pipping muscle, on the back of its neck and a protuberance near the end of its beak, known as an egg-tooth. Then pipping begins. Using this muscle, it drives its egg-tooth into an air sac at one end of the egg, which provides it with enough oxygen to give it the strength, after several hours or even days, to break through the shell of the egg itself.

3 You can lead aBornduck to water with soft downy feathers, tiny

ducklings would become waterlogged if they were immersed at too young an age.

In their first days, therefore, once they’ve dried out from the egg and their bodies have used up the last of their digested egg yolk, they’re introduced to water so that they become familiar with it, and are able to wash themselves, but they stick to the shallows. At WWT, some ducklings are introduced to water through marbles, which act rather like pebbles at the edge of a waterbody. The marbles give them something to stand on while they drink.

It’s important to warm them afterwards, however, so that they don’t get chills.

4 Food for thought

In the wild, ducklings will follow their mother around the edge of a waterbody, picking at tiny insects or pulling on grass for nourishment. We don’t have bags of insects to hand, so to ensure our youngsters in the duckeries receive the right level of protein and nutrients at a young age, we feed them with what are known as starter crumbles – high-quality protein rations in crumb form.

This feed is given to the ducklings for around seven weeks after hatching.

Get involved

We’re approaching the main hatching season and, if your local WWT centre houses a collection of wildfowl, you’ll soon be able to visit the duckery to watch these processes and more take place.

To find out when’s best to turn up, check the events on page 58 or see wwt.org.uk/ducklings.

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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Steart right direction in the

WWT’s work in Somerset is showing how ecologists and economists can come together in the name of conservation If you’ve been following

progress at the Steart Peninsula, the spur between the Bristol Channel and the River Parrett that WWT and the Environment Agency are working on, you’ll know that, by the time the habitat creation scheme is finished, it’s going to be a great place for birds.

Conversion of some 350ha of dry land to Atlantic saltmarsh and a mosaic of other habitats will be wonderful for dunlin, lapwing, curlew and many more,

Redshank

36

Waterlife • APRIL/JUNE 2013

while several fish species, such as sea bass, will also benefit from the natural nurseries that the new habitat will provide. Yet there’s more to Steart – much more – and it all centres on ecosystem services.

Don’t stop reading! Yes, it’s true – ‘ecosystem services’ is indeed one of those dry, dusty buzz phrases that leave most people shrugging their shoulders and stifling a yawn. But break it down and it actually defines

one of the most important conservation movements of our times. And Steart is in the vanguard of that movement.

Let’s go back to March 2011, when a group of experts from various areas were convened by WWT to assess the ecosystem services potential at Steart. The experts were pulled together to analyse what services the landscape was already providing and to work out how this could potentially change as the scheme

the big issue

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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The Grant Arms Hotel

Guest Comments “ Excellent hotel, wonderful bird watching. ” Mr & Mrs Hales “ Our third stay and it just keeps getting better. ” Mr & Mrs Elliott “ I love Scotland but that love affair got just a tiny bit deeper after

Grantown-on-Spey

I stayed at the Grant Arms Hotel. The hospitality was great, the guests and staff were lovely...

David Lindo – The Urban Birder

”

THE WILDLIFE HOTEL

Wildlife Breaks in the Highlands The Scottish Highlands are home to an abundance of wildlife throughout the year.

A wander in the hills could result in sightings of Golden Eagle, Ptarmigan, Mountain Hare, Snow Bunting and Red Deer. Through ancient Scots Pine forests you might spot Red Squirrel, Scottish Crossbill and Crested Tit. Spring and summer offer close-up views of fishing Osprey, as well Red-throated and Black-throated Divers and Slavonian Grebe at local lochs. You could also explore the Moray Firth, looking for the likes of Eider, Gannet and Bottlenose Dolphin.

A stay at the historic Grant Arms Hotel in the charming country town of Grantown-on-Spey provides access to the Bird Watching & Wildlife Club - established to help you make the most of your wildlife break.

The local knowledge of the BWWC Team ensures that you can make the most of your holiday whilst remaining free to create your own itinerary. Guests receive free maps and guides beforehand so they can plan their stay. For Guests who want escorted trips, the BWWC Team can recommend local guides, whether you are after a half-day wildlife safari or want to hire a guide for your entire stay.

For Guests who prefer to explore on their own, the BWWC Team can provide information about local wildlife and where’s best to see it, as well as giving you suggestions for great days out.

All Guests have access to the Club Room (our wildlife information centre), our Natural History Library, the Osprey Suite (our lecture theatre) and can take advantage of the BWWC’s free programme of Guided Walks, Talks, Wildlife Briefings, Quizzes and Film screenings.

Magnificently situated for a wildlife break in the Highlands, the Grant Arms Hotel offers high quality comfortable accommodation, wonderful food and friendly staff.

What’s included: O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

Extensive Breakfast Menu (Early Birder breakfasts for those heading out first-thing!)

Afternoon Tea & Coffee Fine Scottish Dining After Dinner Tea & Coffee BWWC Programme of Events WiFi/use of Guest Computer Complimentary Daily Newspaper All Rooms en-suite with Tea and Coffee making facilities, TV, Hair Dryer and Toiletries.

SPECIAL EVENTS

WILDLIFE & WALKING Thu 29th August – Mon 2nd September 2013

4 nights

£340pp DB&B

RED DEER RUT Fri 27th September – Fri 4th October 2013

£340pp DB&B 7 nights £525pp DB&B

4 nights

Facilities include: O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

O

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Extensive Public Areas Bar Club Room Lounge Library Information Centre 80 Seat Lecture Theatre Boot Wash Drying Room Laundry Room Dogs welcome.

HOW TO GET HERE

TARIFF 2013

By Road: Grantown is situated just off the A9 Edinburgh-Inverness road.

By Train: The nearest station is Aviemore (14 miles) on the First ScotRail Edinburgh - Inverness line.

By Plane: Inverness Airport (30 miles) Flights from most major UK airports. Other destinations available from Aberdeen Airport (75 miles).

DB&B

To make the most of the wildlife watching opportunities available we recommend you have a car.

www. bwwc.co.uk

DOG FRIENDLY

PRICES PER PERSON DB&B

Jan-Mar

Apr-Oct

Nov-Dec

4 NIGHTS

£220

£340

£195

7 NIGHTS

£365

£525

£325

Price per person. Excludes Christmas, New Year and other Special Events.

Other lengths of stay are also available - please contact us for prices.

Single, Twin, Double, Family & Wheelchair Accessible Rooms available.

Room supplements £pppn: Club Room £10, Superior Room £20, Four Poster Room £30.

Special Rates for Clubs, Tours and Conferences. Terms and conditions apply.

TO BOOK CALL 01479 872526 www.bwwc.co.uk or email bookings@bwwc.co.uk GRANT ARMS HOTEL, 25 THE SQUARE, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HF

developed. Virtually everything was looked at, from the obvious changes to wildlife and agricultural productivity, to the less visible, but equally important, changes such as carbon storage, reconnection with cultural heritage and better management of coastal flooding.

Nothing was overlooked.

Then the hard work began. Each of the changes, both positive and negative, was looked at individually to see how significant it was. Then, wherever possible, actual economic values were attached to the changes to gain a better understanding of what the cumulative impact of the scheme would be and if it would provide genuine value to the human and natural community, not just a benefit to a few to the disadvantage of the many. Through this process, the design of the scheme itself could also potentially be modified to make sure opportunities to enhance its benefits were maximised.

Of course, it is impossible to maximise all benefits, and the process also served to discount options to increase one benefit that might be outweighed by impacts on another. The harvesting of sea buckthorn is a small but perfect example of this. The plant, which could thrive in the new landscape, is high in vitamin C, and its fruit can be used to make jams, lotions and drinks, but it is not native to the area and has the potential to negatively impact on some of the species the site could attract, as well as put an additional burden on staff managing the site to prevent it getting out of control. Other types of plant such as glasswort, sometimes referred to as samphire, which has a number of culinary uses, would work much more in harmony with other benefits.

It is all about making sure

that the full range of impacts is considered. This ensures decisions are made with an understanding of the real consequences, with the intention being that a development is designed in a way that makes sure it outweighs the overall value of what it replaces. Increasing the expanse of

NHPA, NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

the big issue

Steart shows that ecology and economy can be bedfellows, and can become a benchmark for future habitat creation schemes saltmarsh, for example, reduces the amount of agricultural land on Steart and as a result could incur a loss of almost £40,000 per year. However, opportunities provided by the new habitats, including new agricultural practices and the enhancement of fisheries in the surrounding area, together with uncertainties over the future cost of traditional farming at Steart, could bring benefits of up to £80,000 a year, and so have the potential to outweigh the loss of the agricultural land.

The list continues. The audit has shown that the annual benefit of the CO2-efficient saltmarshes will be worth between £15,000 and £46,000.

Water purification, educational opportunities, recreation and tourism, increased photosynthesis to support food production, improved cycling of important nutrients – all these and many more have been factored into the analysis. Tot up the figures, and the overall habitat creation scheme at Steart will provide an estimated annual benefit of between £491,000 and £913,000 in

The Steart Peninsula will become even richer in wildlife

comparison to the current landscape.

Some of these benefits will be enjoyed by local communities, but the overall effect will be good for the wider society and future generations.

What’s exciting is that Steart is a new demonstration of conservation.

There’s often a perception that environmental protection and enhancement measures are for wildlife alone, and can come at a net cost, a sacrifice, to communities.

What the work shows is that habitats provide hidden benefits… and, just as importantly, their loss brings about hidden costs. Of course, there are many environmental and aesthetic reasons for protecting environments. Yet Steart shows that ecology and economy can be bedfellows, too, and can become a benchmark for future habitat creation schemes.

Plus, of course, it’s going to be a great place for birds.

Get involved

To find out more about Steart, visit wwt.org.uk/atlantic-marshes.

APRIL/JUNE 2013

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world

Wonderful

Ten things you (probably) didn’t know about life at WWT

Ticked off!

Each year, on New Year’s Day, National Wetland Centre Wales holds its annual Tick and Twitch event, at which visitors aim to see as many birds as possible on the first day of the year. In 2012, visitors ticked a total of 64 species, but that figure was absolutely eclipsed this year with an amazing 73 logged, including peregrine, brent goose, Cetti’s warbler and snipe. All in all, a pretty good haul, which bodes well for the year ahead, during which time the centre is hoping to add to its current grand total of 213 species ever seen.

1

Tawny tale Steve backs all our centres TV favourite and Kids’ Zone frontman Steve Backshall can now be seen presenting WWT’s new learning video, in which teachers and school children who have spent time on educational trips to the centres enthuse about their experiences.

‘I think if more children came down here, they’d just get a different feeling of what life can be,’ says one youngster. To watch the video, simply visit wwt.org.uk/learn.

2

From time to time, WWT wardens use artificial figures of birds to encourage wild birds to drop in. At Slimbridge a few years ago, for example, a couple of plastic egrets were planted in the grounds for just that reason. So this winter, when Caerlaverock visitors saw a tawny owl sitting day after day alongside an owl nest box, clearly visible from the Peter Scott Hide, some thought it might have been placed there. Not at all. The bird has been simply sitting, unmoving, and presumably waiting for a mate.

5

Authority online Wildfowl, WWT’s annual scientific journal, can now be downloaded from our website. The publication, renowned for its papers on waterbirds, is an authoritative voice on scientific research into species and habitats. Download issue 62 at wwt.org.uk/ journal – or if you prefer the paper version, UK members can subscribe at the special price of £17 (£23 if outside the UK) by calling 01453 891257.

FLPA, ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES, NHPA, Graham Maples

3

Best of British There’s a new collection of bird figurines out there, and each sale will help support WWT’s work. Atlas Editions, which makes a range of popular collectible items, is launching its new British Birds collection, and has pledged to donate at least £5,000 to WWT, and even more should the series sell well. The kingfisher shown here is one of the first birds to be released in the collection, and if you’d like to see more, visit atlaseditions.co.uk.

4

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Waterlife • april/june 2013

top ten A refreshing brew What’s one of the best ways of rearing a poison dart frog?

How about with a nice cup of tea?

That’s exactly the pick-me-up that Jay Redbond, Slimbridge’s amphibian keeper, has used in the past to rear these exotic frogs – and not just with any old tea, either. The brew of choice is actually Redbush, a caffeine-free tea from South Africa that helps keep the tadpoles free of fungal disease as they swim around in it.

7

Saddle up As you probably know, ringing in the UK involves rings being gently attached to birds’ legs so that they can be identified wherever they’re later seen. On parts of the Continent, however, they sometimes use ‘saddles’ – metal strips that are attached to ducks’ bills.

A saddle on a pochard seen at Welney this winter, for example, revealed that it had been tagged in France, and since spotted in Poland, as well as more recently in Derby.

8

Still in the pink Every time you come to see the flamingos at Slimbridge, you’re watching a little bit of history. The majority of the older Andean flock at the centre, and its last remaining James’s flamingo, were caught in the wild in the 1960s before being acquired by Peter Scott for the collection. The James’s flamingo – the only one of his kind in the UK – arrived in 1961, and he was an adult even then, so he’s probably at least 60 years old. He’s not the world’s oldest, however: there’s a greater flamingo in Australia that’s known to be at least 80 years old.

6

Northern star

9

Congratulations to Washington, which has won the Best Small Visitor Attraction in the 2012 North East England Tourism Awards, going through to the national finals in May, hosted

by Visit England. ‘To be recognised as being up there with the best is a real honour and reflection of all the hard work and commitment shown by our dedicated staff and volunteers,’ says Centre Manager Doug Tuck.

Viewing figures It appears that London wildlife prefers ITV to the BBC. Late last year, when the Beeb arrived at London Wetland Centre to film its daily weather report, a bittern made an appearance immediately after the cameras stopped rolling. When ITV turned up in January for the same reason, however, the animals showed up en masse to perform before the cameras. Amphibians and reptiles, beguiled by a spell of warm weather, suddenly emerged, giving the reporter a bit of wildlife to film along with the scudding clouds.

10

april/june 2013

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explore with BBC’s Steve Backshall

Sick as a frog

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BECCY BLAKE

Hello again After the many wet months of last year, and with winter now behind us, spring is most welcome this year. And one of the first things to look out for as new life begins to grow is that amazing white cloud you find in ponds – frogspawn.

In fact, it’s possible that there’s some out there already. Frogs usually lay their eggs, protected by a special jelly, around February or March, but in milder winters it can be seen as early as January, or even before Christmas.

Frogs are amphibians, which means that at different times in their lives they can live on water or land. Once the eggs hatch, the next stage in the frog’s life cycle is entirely water-based, and is known as the larval stage, when they’re more commonly called tadpoles.

Over a period of weeks, the tadpoles slowly grow limbs and the tail disappears. Finally, the tiny froglets are able to crawl out of the water and eventually start jumping around on land.

It’s amazing to see all these stages take place, and you can watch the whole process happen at many of WWT’s centres. Don’t miss it – it’s nature at its best.

Until next time…

42

Waterlife • april/june 2013

Amphibians all around the world are having a terrible time. In some places they’re losing large areas of the habitat in which they live, and in others the change in global temperatures is affecting their sensitive life cycles.

If all that wasn’t enough, there’s a disease they now have to face that’s killing some of them off. It’s called chytridiomycosis – we tend to call the fungus that causes it chytrid for short – and in some parts of the world it has wiped out entire populations.

WWT is part of an ongoing project across the UK to test the frogs, toads and newts we have here to see how the chytrid disease is affecting them. We know that chytrid is here, and we’re trying to find out how far it’s spread.

Is there anything you can do to help? Yes, there is. If you come across any frogspawn in a pond, and think ‘ah, I’ll have some of that in my pond so that I can get tadpoles’, then please think again. The disease is spread by the movement of amphibians, so it’s best to leave it where it is.

Hop, skip and jump Freda the frog is ready to lay some more frogspawn in the middle of the pond and she needs to hop her way across a series of lily pads to get there. But which route should she take?

The answer’s on page 63.

Send your letters to Explore, Waterlife, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, or waterlife@wwt.org.uk.

I’d love to hear from you

kids’ zone

Spot the difference Here you can see the various stages of a frog’s life in a pond, all taking place at the same time: spawn, tadpoles, froglets and the adult frog itself. And below that is the exact same picture again – or is it? There are, in fact, five differences between the two illustrations. Can you find them? Answers on page 63.

Family homes If you’ve had frogspawn in your pond for several years, it’s likely that it’s all from the same family. Although frogs leave the water they were born in, and often travel some distances to find somewhere to hibernate once winter comes, once they reach adulthood, they’ll usually return to the exact same place where they hatched, to spawn once more.

The hibernation itself is also very interesting. Frogs can remain covered by old leaves underwater, or mud, for several months during the winter. You or I could not breathe in those places, but frogs are able to breathe through their skin, getting the oxygen they need from the water.

Isn’t that amazing?

Spawn again Have you ever seen frogspawn that doesn’t look like frogspawn? Then it’s probably actually the spawn of one of the UK’s other amphibians – the toads and the newts.

Frogspawn is laid in those familiar, large clumps of jelly that appear to float at the surface of still water. Toads, however, lay their spawn in long chains, looking rather like a string of pearls that’s draped around water plants beneath the surface. Newt eggs are much harder to see: in the UK, female newts fold a leaf of an aquatic plant with their back legs and deposit a single egg inside the fold to protect the egg from predators such as fish. april/june 2013

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adventure

The journey is just the start of the

GREAT RAIL JOURNEYS

Marat vthee lsights

Day 5: The Glacier Express

Traditional Glacier Express 8 DAY HOLIDAY

Stunning scenery and spectacular views are enough to take your breath away as we travel by rail through the heart of the Swiss Alps on the world-famous Glacier Express. Explore the region at leisure with an included GRJ Swiss Travel Card.

Day 1: By train to Germany. Depart from St Pancras International by Eurostar to Brussels and change onto the high-speed service to Cologne for an overnight stay.

Day 2: Rhine Gorge into Switzerland. Travel by train through the Rhine Gorge, with fairytale castles amongst lush vineyards. We journey into Switzerland, past lakes and Alpine meadows, to Chur for three nights.

Day 3: At leisure in Chur. Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland, with medieval cobbled streets and squares, a 12th century cathedral and Gothic and Romanesque architecture. With your GRJ Swiss Travel Card, explore the dramatic Graubünden region, travel on the Arosa Express or perhaps visit Lucerne for a steamer cruise on the lake.

Day 4: The Bernina Pass. Travel on the narrow-gauge Bernina Express, over viaducts and bridges, past waterfalls and spiralling upwards to the Albula Pass. We continue into the Engadine Valley and climb to more than 7,000 feet over the Bernina Pass. Enjoy the views of snow-capped peaks continuing to Poschiavo, where you have time to explore, before returning to Chur.

Day 5: The Glacier Express. Travel on the Glacier Express through pastures and woodlands, spiralling to the Oberalp Pass before descending to the Rhône Valley to Brig, where we transfer to Kandersteg for a three-night stay.

Day 6: To Zermatt. Travel through splendid Swiss scenery taking the mountain railway to Zermatt, a pretty alpine town overlooked by the Matterhorn and perhaps continue up to Gornergrat, by funicular railway.

Day 7: A day at leisure. Today is free for exploring with your GRJ Swiss Travel Card, which gives you 50% fares, perhaps travelling along the Rhône Valley to Montreux. From here you can enjoy the GoldenPass Line, the Centovalli Railway to Locarno on Lake Maggiore or visit Interlaken to take the spectacular train to the highest station in Europe, Jungfraujoch.

Day 8: To London. Leave for Lake Geneva to join the TGV service to Paris, transferring to the Eurostar to St Pancras International.

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Interlaken & the Jungfrau Express

Walking in the Swiss Alps

The William Tell Express

Exhilarating scenery and mountain vistas make the Bernese Oberland one of the most beautiful regions.

Enjoy scenic mountain railways and surround yourself with unspoilt scenery, ideal for walking.

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Springing forth

seasons

The snows have come and gone, and new life is emerging. In fact, at WWT centres, wherever you look there’s something fascinating to see

Clocking the cuckoo

There’s usually an annual race to hear the first cuckoo, and even the novice birdwatcher is familiar with its call, from which the bird is onomatopoeically named. But when does this lover of open land and wetland arrive, and when does it leave? The precise dates can vary from year to year, but there’s an old rhyme that pinpoints the timings pretty well: ‘In April the cuckoo comes.

In May she’ll stay. In June she changes her tune. In July she prepares to fly.

Come August, go she must. But if the cuckoo stays until September, it’s as much as the oldest man can remember.’ So now you know.

Warden’s pick

Mellow yellow

Few native flowers say ‘early spring’ like primroses – the name derives from the Latin for ‘first rose’ – and now’s the time to be looking for them. The county flower of Devon, it can be found across most of the country, particularly where there’s not too much disturbance from human activity. There are several hybrids now available from shops, but the true English primrose is the familiar flower of verge and embankment, with the scientific name Primula vulgaris. ‘Vulgaris’ means ‘common’, which the flower truly was until keen gardeners over-collected it. It’s now fully protected by law.

Legless in the sun

It looks like a snake, it feels like a snake – but it’s actually a legless lizard. This is the time of year when slow-worms start appearing from their winter hibernation, where they’ve spent the colder months hiding under rocks or logs, often specially piled together for them at some centres. On sunny days, you can sometimes see them basking in the heat, and if you get a close look, you might be able to see them blink like a lizard, which snakes don’t do. They live for around 30 years in the wild, and can grow up to 50cm in length. april/june 2013

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NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

One of the less well-known warblers, the marsh warbler has suffered a serious decline in recent years, and now only a few pairs breed in this country each year. It’s a great pity, because it has a beautiful voice, which helps to distinguish it from the similar and much commoner reed warbler. It has slightly whiter underparts than its cousin, and arrives later in the year, normally around May, and is best looked for in the eastern counties, where males hold various territories each year at random.

down your way

Centrepoints Among the great joys about watching wildlife

are the tales of the unexpected. Every time you visit a WWT reserve, there will always be something you didn’t anticipate. It might be bird behaviour you’ve never seen before, or the early emergence of a butterfly, or occasionally a sight so rare that you can hardly lift your jaw from the ground. The latter was just the type of incident that visitors to Welney experienced in January – and they will never forget it.

They’d arrived to watch the swans and, as they were doing so, they noticed the birds becoming agitated.

Suddenly, almost as one, the birds took to the air, calling to each other as they fled. What on earth could spook so many swans in that way? The answer was soon seen slinking along a bank. An otter had emerged and, for a brief while, it wove its way through the reserve, providing breathtaking views. The visitors who had braved the floods that day, were treated to only the second ever otter sighting at Welney, and it was a cracker.

Even the experienced wildlife watcher can be stunned into silence. As National Wetland Centre Wales Manager Nigel Williams was talking to Waterlife for these very pages, he suddenly muttered a ‘wow’, then went silent. Three buzzards had flown straight past his

Hares (below)

Winter at WWT has been filled with great wildlife moments, and spring is already promising to offer even more

window, mere feet away, followed by a red kite. And right behind them, a sparrowhawk shot past, too, being mobbed by jackdaws.

These are the moments that keep us all coming back to wildlife, and this winter WWT’s reserves were full of them. Green-winged teals, for example, are normally seen at one reserve or another each winter, but this year three of these American birds were sighted. At

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1 4

5 6

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Key to map 1 Castle Espie 2 Caerlaverock 3 Washington 4 Martin Mere 5 Welney 6 National Wetland Centre Wales 7 Slimbridge 8 London Wetland Centre 9 Arundel

8 9

As February got under way, hares were boxing

FLPA, ALAMY, NHPA

Green-winged teals normally make an appearance at one reserve each winter, but this year three of these American birds were sighted

Caerlaverock one stayed throughout the winter, while the Ron Barker Hide at Martin Mere provided great views of another in early February. At Slimbridge, meanwhile, there had been an early Christmas present when a third dropped in on Christmas Eve. Over at London Wetland Centre, the unexpectedly sunny start to the year brought forth a similarly unexpected emergence of lizards and frogs from hibernation, only to see them retreat once more when the snows came in late January. Those snows brought no fewer than six bitterns to the reserve, a new London record. During the same period, hen harriers were regularly being seen quartering the reserve at Caerlaverock, while a barn owl twice provided great photographic opportunities as it glided over the reedbeds at Arundel.

Little egrets are becoming a staple at many reserves these days. A couple have been regularly roosting at Arundel during the evenings, Castle Espie often gets them on the saline lagoon and five have now been sighted at WWT’s most northerly centre, Caerlaverock.

Greenwinged teal (above); otter (below)

Jays are always good to see in their attractive plumage, and when they get together in groups of five or six, they make quite a sight. Visitors to Washington in late January, however, were amazed to see no fewer than 47 of them around Wader Lake.

As February got under way, signs of spring were beginning to emerge. Oystercatchers were already calling at Slimbridge by the first of the month, and hares were boxing on Welney’s Lady Fen around the same time.

Welney has only just started offering visitors the opportunity to tour the fen, so the 20 active hares that greeted them were a real treat. Meanwhile, at National Wetland Centre Wales, the nenes took the advent of February as their cue to start their seasonal territorial squabbling and flirting.

With so many things to see in the months ahead, WWT has produced a series of day planners that you can pick up at each centre.

Including maps, guides to regular events, ideal wildlife-watching spots, advice on photography and much more, these free planners are now available, and will help you make even more of your day the next time you visit a WWT centre down your way. april/june 2013

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Saving wetlands for wildlife & people

For information and to book your stay, visit wwt.org.uk/ accommodation

come for the wildlife

stay for the night enjoy overnight accommodation at the Farmhouse at Caerlaverock All year round the open coastal landscape and wide skies surrounding this unique farmhouse are full of the sights and sounds of nature – and very little else In summer…

Set within the 1,400-acre nature reserve on the North Solway coast, you can explore rolling wildflower meadows, watch ospreys hunt and even spot barn owls and badgers from the private observatory.

In winter…

Witness the spectacular flocks of overwintering waterbirds this WWT centre is famous for – including up to 40,000 barnacle geese, pink-footed geese and whooper swans.

After exploring the best nature has to offer, relax at the farmhouse with all the comforts of home.

Five bedrooms sleeping up to 14 (two twin, two family and one double) – three with en-suite bathrooms Lounge with TV Kitchen Laundry Private observatory with badger feeding station Sheltered garden The farmhouse is let on a room basis from September to April, with whole house lets from May to October.

From just £30 per person per night

down your way

Arundel

When the ground staff at Arundel realised that heavy rains were coming in January, they took precautions. As water levels rose rapidly following the rains, the grounds team took action to preserve the black-necked swan nest.

Using pallets and sandbags, the nest was raised about two feet off the ground and the protective mother quickly adapted to her new penthouse suite. Other birds, such as the nenes that would usually be laying early in the year, held on to their eggs until the rains subsided.

Plus

During the cold weather, around 30 Bewick’s swans were regulars on the reserve – and they weren’t alone. European whitefronted geese were mixed in with them, and the occasional feral Egyptian and bar-headed geese, have sometimes been spotted among them, too.

A bittern that stayed on site for the majority of the winter rapidly became an Arundel mainstay, emerging from reedbeds regularly, and providing sightings for more people than ever before. In fact, when TV’s Mike Dilger arrived during his round-UK tour of WWT,

the bird obligingly took to the wing.

Kingfishers showed well during winter, and in February their courtship display was heard near the sand martin hide, so hopes are high that they might nest there. Around 80 snipe, encouraged by the ground staff’s cutting back of the foliage outside the scrape hide, provided great views for visitors on a daily basis. There were fine views of water rail, too, particularly along the reedbed boardwalk.

Firecrests were another highlight, with up to five spotted around the long path and the Ramsar hide.

Caerlaverock

An unusual sight brought the twitchers flocking into the reserve in January: it was a Todd’s Canada goose in among the barnacle geese. Todd’s Canada goose?

Yes, the whole Canada goose family has become rather complicated over the years. Canada geese have already been split into two species – Canada and cackling – each of which has several subspecies in its own right, and some ornithologists believe they should be split even further. Todd’s is a subspecies of the larger Canada goose, slightly darker in colour and a bit smaller. Just to add to the confusion, it’s also called the interior Canada goose.

Plus

Blacknecked swan (left); Canada geese (above)

The barn owls have been making the roof of the visitor centre their own in recent years, but they’ve often had to tussle with jackdaws for the space, throwing out sticks as fast as the jackdaws bring them in. This year, they took no chances, and installed themselves before January was out.

Talking of owls, a tawny has been regularly sighted from the Peter Scott Hide, sitting alongside a nest box that was put up for it.

As you read this, a new camera is being installed near the nesting area where the centre hopes the ospreys will return this year.

It’s not just any old camera,

either: it’s high definition, so if the ospreys breed, you’ll be able to get clearer views than ever before.

If all the surveys pan out well, you should be seeing work starting on the new Sir Peter Scott Observatory some time after Easter.

Watch this space for details.

If you’re planning to come to Caerlaverock during or after Easter, then why not stay for a while? You can base yourself at the centre’s farmhouse accommodation, and enjoy a host of events going on around Dumfries and Galloway during the 10th annual Wild Spring Festival from 29 March to the end of May. For details, visit wildseasons.co.uk. april/june 2013

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down your way

Castle Espie

Shelduck were quite a feature on the estuary in January, often outnumbering the brent geese that still remained.

In the middle of the month, a total of 546 of them were recorded, with brent goose numbers standing at 212.

Closer to home, the feeder outside the centre restaurant proved very popular through the month, with flocks of tree sparrows joining the chaffinches and tits that frequented the area.

Plus

Earlier in the winter, particularly in November, twite were seen across various parts of the reserve.

Another highlight of the month was a Slavonian grebe, seen from the Limekiln Hide.

Hooded crows were sometimes spotted across the peninsula saltmarsh.

Recognised as a species in its own right only a decade or so ago, the hooded crow was previously classed as a subspecies of the carrion crow. The two birds’ ranges barely overlap, with the ‘hoodie’ covering Ireland and

northern Scotland, while the carrion crow is found in the rest of the UK. There was an excellent and exclusive Scott of the Antarctic exhibition held at the centre during much of November, at which visitors were able to find out about the famous polar explorer and father of Peter Scott, and even try on real polar exploration equipment.

Another special exhibition followed in February, when The Gallery hosted artwork and writings by Peter Scott, including sketches, letters and extracts from his childhood diaries.

London Wetland Centre

To round off his tour of all nine WWT centres (see page 16), The One Show’s Mike Dilger spent World Wetlands Day at London, opening the new Headley Discovery Hide in the process. The many visitors who attended were the first to be able to marvel at this great hide. It’s fully equipped with binoculars, ID books and plenty of tips on watching wildlife, as well as a comfortable seating area. It offers great views across the waters through large windows, and a close-up view of a feeding station for smaller birds, plus a viewing camera that can be operated from within the hide. It’s an unmissable treat for experienced and novice birders alike.

ALAMY, mark simpson

Plus

Mike Dilger in the new Headley Hide (above); shelduck (left)

A red-headed smew – either a female or a juvenile (or both) – was regularly seen throughout December and January. During the same month, a woodcock, several ruff and skylarks, plus up to 500 fieldfares, were additional highlights.

The bearded tits that settled in Hyde Park this winter made the local news, but you didn’t have to travel so far into London to see these great birds. Two of them took up residence at London Wetland Centre, making themselves very visible, being seen near the tops of reeds, and flying

back and forth. WWT’s own John Arbon was invited onto Vanessa Feltz’s London Radio show to talk about them.

Waxwings continued to show up from time to time, and, on one occasion, one was spotted in the staff car park – emptying the office in a blink!

There’s a special event on 20 and 21 April when the Wildlife Sound Recording Society will demonstrate its equipment, giving you a great opportunity to get a different sense of wildlife, as you listen to the sounds of underwater life. april/june 2013

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51

The Old Stables

Overlooking Ynys Hir RSPB Reserve

Luxury Holiday Accommodation *****

Full board, en-suite rooms from ÂŁ60ppn Spring and Autumn Discounts available.

Also booking 2014 from April 1st The Old Stables apartments and Panteidal Farm are beautifully furnished and situated in a tranquil location just a few minutes drive from Aberdovey with its sandy beaches excellent restaurants, watersport facilities and fishing, as well as scenic walking within the Snowdonia National Park. Each apartment sleeps four and has a large south-facing terrace with outstanding views over the Dovey estuary, and the Ynys Hir RSPB reserve. Three of the apartments have spa baths and all have a luxury shower room. Panteidal Farm and gate house are newly converted and can sleep up to 12. The estuary is a designated Unesco Biosphere, the only one in Wales. Temporary membership of The Plas Talgarth Health & Leisure Club is included.

Prices from ÂŁ295 per apartment Weekend and midweek rates are also available.

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down your way Peregrine falcon (left); fieldfare (below)

National Wetland Centre Wales

After a sunny start to the year, the snow fell hard in midJanuary, and even settled on the saltmarsh, for one of the few times in living memory. Winter thrushes – redwings and fieldfares – were particularly abundant during this time, and bramblings moved closer to the centre, two of them even being seen among the chaffinches on the feeders outside the café window. Jays and nuthatches were other frequenters of the feeding station, and even a treecreeper was seen in the vicinity, which is most unusual for the centre.

Plus

Martin Mere

There’s always something exciting about seeing raptors at work, and an event in early February on the reserve provided visitors with plenty of drama. Three peregrines were showing well all day, as they patrolled the skies, and at one point a young male made a dash for a teal. He was successful, but as he started to pull away with his prize, a female sparrowhawk moved in, trying to rob the falcon of his prey. Who was the winner? The answer: the teal, which, during the melee, managed to escape.

Other birds of prey seen during the winter months have included merlin, sparrowhawk and kestrel.

Meanwhile, keen watchers have been keeping an eye out for the marsh harriers that tried to breed last year, but were washed out. Hopes are high that they’ll try again this year.

The early part of the year was excellent for barn owl watchers, with excellent views from as early as 2pm from the Ron Barker Hide.

The nenes, black swans and black-necked swans were all preparing themselves for the breeding season by early February,

There’s a host of exciting events to enjoy in the months ahead.

There’ll be Nordic walking during the spring, while Monday Munchkins, a new playgroup for toddlers, from 11am to 12 noon every Monday, is a great way for parents and their youngsters to start the week.

Check the website for more details about June’s Bioblitz, an exciting new approach to wildlife discovery, and look out for the regular canoe and bike experiences that will be starting in time for the summer holidays, too.

suggesting that May’s Downy Duckling Week could be one of the best yet.

Common cranes aren’t often associated with the north-west, but this winter one was sighted flying around the reserve a couple of times.

Work is under way on Martin Mere’s exciting new redevelopment, due to open in time for the summer holidays. Weird Or Wonderful, or WOW as it will be known, will provide plenty of fascinating information about the many birds at the centre and their lives. Look out for more on this in a future issue.

ALAMY

Plus

A bittern stayed on site throughout the winter, too, providing great views for visitors. Then, once the snow cleared, kingfishers started to show particularly well, and were frequently seen from the hides.

Otter tracks and spraints – the name for the mammal’s droppings – have been seen regularly, and have shown that the otters use the many paths to get around the reserve.

Mike Dilger’s evening talk at the Llanelli centre in late January, part of his nationwide tour of WWT’s centres, was a great highlight.

april/june 2013

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Waterlife 122x180 Sept 2011_Layout 1 24/08/2011 16:44 Page 1

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Please send mail-order brochures for Blinds and Picture Tiles.

Mr/Mrs/Miss ...............................................................................(Callers welcome) Address...................................................................................................................... ................................................................................Postcode ...................................

COUNTRYMAN JOHN, Dept. WWT, Unit 5e, North Lonsdale Road Industrial Estate, Ulverston, Cumbria LA12 9EB

Leading specialist in high quality Binoculars & Telescopes

We carry one of the largest displays of optical instruments in the UK, available for you to test in our very own nature reserve, this includes a large pool in front of the optical showroom with feeding stations to attract a wide variety of birds.

Great New Deals!

Swarovski EL Swarovision 8 x 32 £1385 8.5 x 42 £1690 10 x 42 £1770

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Also visit our Clothing & Accessory Showroom

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For more information and special offers please visit our website www.focusoptics.eu Phone or email now for our latest price list or visit our showrooms e-mail: enquiries@focusoptics.eu Church Lane, Corley, Coventry CV7 8BA Tel: 01676 540501/542476 Fax: 01676 540930 Export Facilities Personal and postal orders welcomed Package Deals Attractive discounts. Phone for quotation

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down your way

Slimbridge

As the year drew to a close, there were still several treats in store for birdwatchers at Slimbridge. There’s usually a sighting of a Lapland bunting on the reserve each year, and in early November one duly appeared. A brent goose was another welcome arrival around the same time, while the long-billed dowitcher that had been on the reserve continued to show well, finally leaving in December when the cold kicked in. December also recorded a peak count of 7,400 lapwings, and a couple of goldeneyes rounded the year off very nicely.

CORBIS

Plus

The total of Bewick’s swans topped 270 by January, and among them was the largest family ever recorded at Slimbridge.

Everton and Rovers had with them no fewer than six youngsters. In addition, three whooper swans visited during the winter.

Three bean geese arrived during January, the first record of this bird since 2009. The trio included two adults and one juvenile.

Just as they did earlier in the year, four of the cranes that had been reared at Slimbridge and released on

Lapwing

the Somerset Levels decided to revisit the old family home, popping back for several days.

The annual Festival of Birds at the end of January was a great success, with thousands of visitors enjoying the many events on offer, such as the special talks by TV favourites Johnny Kingdom, Mike Dilger and Iolo Williams.

The bittern that made Slimbridge its winter home was very active, providing visitors with many opportunities to see this normally elusive bird.

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down your way Bullfinch (left); whooper swans (below)

Welney

Flooding afflicted much of the nation last year, and Welney was no exception. In fact, the peak of 3.9m was close to the all-time water height record of 4.2m. Yet wildlife is remarkably flexible, and many of the 6,000 wild swans roosting on the Welney washes decamped to the shallower waters of Lady Fen and Bank Farm, both created to provide relief for wildlife when the Washes flood. Once the big freeze arrived in January, the swans were back on the Washes.

Plus

After conducting an age count of the Bewick’s swans wintering on the Ouse washes, it became apparent that productivity had increased compared to recent years.

Waxwings were still a fixture in December, and when a brief hoar frost kicked in they were seen for two days by many visitors right in front of the visitor centre.

During the same month, seven cranes spent a couple of days on

the reserve, and on 22 January three were seen flying through.

Two female smew – known as redheads – were seen in front of the main observatory in late January, a week after a greater scaup had been wowing visitors.

Some 20 years ago, red kites were reintroduced to parts of Britain, and they’ve been steadily increasing their range.

One of these graceful raptors was seen at Welney in January.

Washington

There was a time when bullfinches were reasonably easy to see, particularly during the winter when they edge closer to gardens in search of food. Their numbers have declined in recent years, yet this winter, Washington seemed at times to have been full of them. When Mike Dilger, confessed bullfinchaholic, visited the centre on his grand tour of WWT in January, he was delighted to see five of them on the feeders at Hawthorn Wood. He was even more amazed to discover that the site record is a staggering 50, all at the same time.

The snows of early December gave visitors and wardens alike a great opportunity to brush up on their tracking skills, with foxes, hares and stoats all leaving their prints behind.

Despite the conditions, more than 300 curlew and 100 redshank continued to roost on Wader Lake – even though it had frozen over!

By February, the bird life was becoming excitingly diverse, with siskin, grey partridge and long-eared owl all spotted.

The commentated otter feeds, which began in

November, are proving a great success. Twice a day, at 11.30am and 3pm, visitors can watch Musa and Mimi being fed their favourite fish diet, while a warden explains fascinating facts about the popular pair, and about Asian short-clawed otters in general. There’s no need to book – just turn up and enjoy the event.

The February half-term holiday events for families proved highly popular, too, with opportunities for bug hotel and birdbox building, and much more.

BRIAN GADSBY

Plus

april/june 2013

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down your way

Centre events Your round-up of what’s on, where and when at WWT centres around the country BE – Booking Essential, RI – Refreshments Included, IA – price Includes Admission cost, WA – included With Admission cost, UAA – Usual Admission Rates Apply, WP – Weather Permitting, OAA – Overnight Accommodation Available, PC/PP – Per Child/ Person, M/F – Member/Friend. 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

Arundel Mill Road, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9PB 01903 881530 info.arundel@wwt.org.uk Daily Activities Wetland Discovery Boat Safari Guided boat trip through different wetland habitats, great for spotting water voles and kingfishers. First boat 11am, last boat 3.30pm (4.30pm April to October).

Suggested donation of £1. WA Guide in the Hide On Saturdays and Sundays, a guide is available in one of the hides to help you spot and identify wildlife. 11am-1pm, 1.30-3.30pm. WA Diving Duck Feed See some of the world’s rarest waterfowl show off their fishing skills in the clear chalk-fed waters! 2pm. WA

ANDRINA LAIDLER

Hand-feed Wildfowl Hand-feed exotic wildfowl such as nene and Australian wood ducks in our World Wetlands area. Until closing.

Feeding grain costs £1.20 a bag, three bags for £3. WA Fri 29 March to Sun 14 April New Life!

Celebrate spring by seeing rare cygnets and goslings during the Easter holidays.

Families can also go on the Easter Bunny Hunt, pond dip or create a craft in the visitor centre each afternoon. The Wetland Discovery Boat Safari runs every day. Daily crafts and family activities.

10am-4.30pm. WA Sat 20 April Dawn Chorus An early morning walk with wildlife guide Derrick 58

Edge Café. 8am, breakfast at 9.30am. £15pp includes bacon butty and hot drink. BE

farmhouse. Details to be confirmed. Call 01387 770200. BE OAA

Sat 15 to Sun 16 June Frogs and Toads Weekend Hop around the reserve to discover crafts and activities about our favourite amphibians. 9.30am-5pm. WA

Sun 5 May In Focus Try before you buy the latest binoculars and telescopes from the huge range available.

In Focus experts on hand to give advice. WWT Caerlaverock benefits from every sale. 10am-5pm.

WA

Caerlaverock Arundel choice Wednesdays 3 and 10 April The Wind in the Willows with Arundel Youth Theatre The Arundel Youth Theatre will perform selections from The Wind in the Willows in the Outlook In building. The actors will interact with visitors around the grounds in character from 12 noon-4pm. Show at 2.30pm. WA Robinson of Viewpoint Optics.

5.30am in the car park, breakfast at 7.30am. £15pp includes a bacon butty and a hot drink. BE Wednesdays 24 April and 23 May Evening Bat Walk Join us for a guided bat walk to visit bat hotspots on the reserve. Watch pipistrelles emerge at dusk and track up to five species with bat detectors to learn their calls.

Watch the bats feeding over Swan Lake. Viewpoint Optics joins us with night vision equipment to enhance your viewing experience. 6.30pm. £12pp. Call 01903 881530.

Mon 6 May Insect Festival We focus on the small things in life, with activities, crafts and trails about bees and insects. 9.30am-5pm. WA Sat 11 May Warbler Walk Learn how to identify the warblers and birds of summer, then walk the

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reserve with a guide to spot them. Bring binoculars to the one-hour classroom session, followed by an hour on the reserve with the instructor.

10am-12 noon or 1-3pm. £5pp. BE Call 01903 881530.

Sat 18 to Sun 19 May Core Skills in Wildlife Photography An intensive two-day workshop covering the key skills required to master wildlife photography, with professional photographer David Plummer. For users of digital SLR cameras at all levels. 10am-4pm. £165pp. IA Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Downy Duckling Days Find wild ducklings wandering the reserve. Daily ducky activities and pond dipping.

Children’s crafts run Mon-Fri afternoons. 9.30am-5pm. WA Sat 15 June Early Boat and Butty Glide with a wildlife guide on an early morning trip on Wetland Discovery, then enjoy a bacon butty in the Water’s

Eastpark Farm, Caerlaverock, Dumfriesshire DG1 4RS 01387 770200 info.caerlaverock@wwt.org.uk Wednesdays 3 and 10, and Sundays 7 and 14 April Guide in the Hide An expert will be in the Sir Peter Scott Observatory to point out the different birds on display. 11am-3pm. WA Sun 7 April Birding for Beginners Learn from the experts, with tips to get the most out of your birdwatching. Bring binoculars if you have them and a notebook and pencil.

1-4pm. WA BE OAA

Sat 11 May Natterjack Night A walk on the reserve to find the rarest amphibian in Britain – the natterjack toad. At dusk, if we are very lucky, we may hear the toad chorus as the males come down to the shallow pools to sing to the females to encourage them to spawn. Bring warm clothing suitable for the evening and a torch. 8.30pm till late. Adults £7.50, conc. £5, children £2.50. Tickets must be paid for in advance.

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Sun 14 April Morning Rounds with the Warden Join the reserve warden for a behind-the-scenes look at his daily routine, checking the reserve to see what’s around, and feeding the birds. 8-10am. WA BE OAA Sun 28 April What’s that Warbler?

Join WWT experts to find and identify the newly arrived spring migrants. Learn to identify those difficult warblers by song. 1-4pm.

WA BE OAA Sat 4 and Sun 5 May Birds of the Solway Spring Residential birdwatching weekend based in the

Caerlaverock choice Mon 1 to Sun 14 April Stars and Stripes Badger Watching Watch wild badgers feeding just outside our comfortable observatory. 8pm. Adults £7.50, conc. £5, children £2.50. Tickets must be paid for in advance. BE OAA RI

variety of ingredients. Simon will be doing 10-15-minute drop-in sessions starting at 2pm and running to 4pm.

Spaces are allocated on a first come, first served basis. WA

Castle Espie choice Fri 22 March to Sun 7 April Giant Easter Bunny Hunt Get on a roll this Easter with lots of events and activities.

Search for the large coloured bunnies hidden around the site. Map and clues provided. Prizes for all children upon completion of the trail, and that’s just for starters. 10am4.30pm. WA Sat 25 and Sun 26 May: Geese/Whooper swans/ Waterfowl/General; Sat 22 and Sun 23 June: Macro/General Wildlife Photography Weekend Courses Two-day wildlife photography courses for beginner to intermediate level combining short tutorials with one-toone assistance photographing the reserve’s birds. £170pp for the weekend. WWT has accommodation in the farmhouse available on a first come, first served basis.

Accommodation is also available in the wider community. The cost of accommodation is not included in the course fee.

For info and to book a place, contact Pam Mundy at info. caerlaverock@wwt.org.uk or call 01387 770200. BE OAA RI Sun 26 May Wildflower Walk Join the warden for a wander round the wildflower meadow to identify the flora. 2-4pm.

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Castle Espie Ballydrain Road, Comber, Co Down BT23 6EA 028 9187 4146 info.castleespie@wwt.org.uk Daily Activities Meet the Quackers Every weekend except in

October. Find out more about the fascinating birds in our captive collection.12 noon and 2pm. WA The Wee Birdie Birdwatch The first three Sundays of April, May and June. A series of birdwatching tours for the kids with Dot, our resident bird expert, and her team.

Walks start 2pm and every half hour till 4pm. WA Birdwatch Morning Last Thursday of every month. Join Dot, our resident bird expert, and find out more about all types of birds in and around the grounds.

All welcome. 10.30am. WA Sundays 31 March and 21 April Dawn Chorus Join our resident expert to explore the reserve at one of the most productive times of the year. Learn how to identify the birds by their songs and calls. Followed by a hot breakfast in the Loughshore Café. 6am. Adults £12.50, under 10s £5. BE Sat 20 April Cookery Demonstration An afternoon of cookery demonstrations with chef Simon Shaw from OrangeTree House Cookery School. Sample his worldclass cuisine while he shows how to get the best out of a

Sat 4, Sun 5 and Mon 6 May Behind-the-scenes Reserve Tours Join our resident expert as he takes you behind the scenes managing a busy wetland reserve, and discover more about seasonal changes.

2pm. WA Sat 25 and Sun 26 May Research Rangers Join us for a day in the life of a warden; help with our bird counts, butterfly and baseline moth counts. 11am-1pm and 2-4pm. WA BE Mon 27 May Amazing Mr Noah Ards Puppet Festival will reveal the story of a man, an ark and a lot of animals! This imaginative re-telling of an old favourite is a delightful introduction to theatre, suitable for three to eight years and families.

1pm and 3pm. WA BE Every Weekend and Wednesday in June Downy Duckling Tours Get up close to nature’s little wonders. Cute ducklings and goslings abound in our duckery. Enjoy a very special behind-the-scenes experience. 12 noon, 2pm and 3pm (3pm only on Wednesdays). WA BE Sat 8 and Sun 9 June Behind-the-scenes Reserve Tours Join our resident expert as he takes you behind the scenes managing a busy wetland reserve, and discover more about seasonal changes.

2.30pm. WA BE Sat 15 June Fathers Go Feral Special father and son/ daughter camping and bushcraft event. Chance for dads and their kids to spend an evening camping in the woods at Castle Espie,

learning bushcraft skills.

7pm. Adults £30, children £20. BE IA WP Sat 15 June Ducklings and Dabblers This workshop is for anyone who enjoys sketching and using watercolours.

Illustrating the new arrivals and feathered residents on the reserve with artist Bernice Anderson. Price includes lunch and Downy Duckling Tour. 10am-1pm.

Adults £15, children £10. BE

London Wetland Centre Queen Elizabeth’s Walk London SW13 9WT 020 8409 4400 info.london@wwt.org.uk Every Day Guided Tours Learn how the centre was created and gain an insight into the wildlife that lives here.

11.30am and 2.30pm. WA Feed the Birds Join a warden as they feed the beautiful and endangered birds in World Wetlands.

3pm. WA Otter Feed Watch our playful family of otters enjoying their meals and find out more about them from one of our wardens. 11am and 2pm. WA Guide in the Hide (in the Peacock Tower) Join one of our experienced birdwatchers who will be on hand to point out unusual species and answer your questions. 11am-1pm. WA Tuesdays and Thursdays Pushbabies Fitness for new mums looking to get back into shape in a fun and sociable environment with a qualified instructor (bring your baby in the buggy). £6 per session (£4 for members). 9.30-10.30am.

Weekends and School Holidays (daily) Children’s Activities Discover the centre’s

amazing wildlife and learn weird and wonderful facts with the education team’s regular pond dips, wildlife walks and trails.

By Appointment Personal Birding Tour Book a one-to-one birdwatching experience with one of our experts. These make ideal gifts for wildlife lovers! Packages tailored to your requirements. £70 for two hours. Call 020 8409 4400 for details.

Children’s Birthday Parties For children aged five to 12 years. Please call 020 8409 4400 for information.

Wed 3 to Fri 5 April Life Under the Surface Would you like to explore life in a pond from a frog’s point of view? Then come and join us for a craft workshop to learn all about the animals and plants found in ponds, get crafty creating giant pond animals and take part in games and quizzes. Family friendly (suitable for three years+). In association with Froglife, a national wildlife charity committed to the conservation of frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards, and saving their habitats.

11.30am-12.15pm, 1.452.30pm and 4.15-5pm. WA Sat 6 April Pond Day Get to know some of our aquatic wildlife and dabble in a little pond science. We’re launching the Life Under the Surface exhibition with Froglife today, so head down to the Pond Zone to see our display of giant underwater plants and animals. You’ll also be able to pond dip, see what’s under the surface of our ponds with underwater cameras and meet our giant newt! WA Saturdays 6 April, 4 May and 1 June Wildlife Walk for Members Our monthly wildlife walks for members are not just a great chance to hear from one of our experts and spot

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try building your own nest.

Meet colourful butterflies close up in a fascinating display by Butterfly Jungles.

There may be a small charge for crafts. WA

seasonal wildlife – you’ll also meet other WWT members!

Please bring binoculars if you have them. WWT members only. 1pm. £2. BE Sat 20 April What Has Nature Ever Done For Us? Talk and Book Signing with Tony Juniper Former executive director of Friends of the Earth Tony Juniper has spent decades working for conservation and sustainability. In this talk he will reveal some of the services nature provides and the problems that occur when we take them for granted. This talk will contain warnings, but also positive news – and encouragement for those of us working to conserve our planet’s natural systems and wildlife. 2pm. £5. Tony will also be signing copies of his new book What has nature ever done for us?, which will be on sale. BE UAA Sat 20 to Sun 21 April The Sound of Wildlife An often overlooked aspect of natural history is the sound that animals make in our noisy, human-dominated world. Listening to wildlife is just as fascinating as watching it and can really sharpen your ID skills. The Wildlife Sound Recording Society will be demonstrating the sounds of the natural world at the centre. With the use of hydrophones, special underwater microphones, you’ll be able to listen to the sounds of life under water.

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ian taylor, FLPA

Mon 22 and Fri 26 April, and Thurs 9 May Introduction to Birdsong The centre is a marvellous location for birdwatching and, at this time of year, for ‘bird listening’, too! In this one-and-a-half-hour session you’ll learn how to identify birds through song, guided by one of our experts through tips, notes and fieldwork.

10-11.30am. £10. BE UAA Sat 27 April Introduction to Wildlife Photography Photographer and author Iain Green will guide you through 60

London Wetland Centre choice Fri 29 March to Sun 14 April Easter With Easter egg-tivities, singing birds and springtime flowers, you can’t beat London Wetland Centre during the Easter holidays. On our egg hunt you’ll discover the nesting and spawning secrets of wetland wildlife as you follow our springtime trail. Crack the clues and you’ll get a prize. And why shell out your entire nest egg for a Fabergé ornament when you can hatch your own design? Get creative with our egg-painting team and take home your own ornament. For fledgling egg-gineers, there’s our ‘Scrap Cheep Challenge’!

Can you create a vehicle to safely transport an egg or chick?

Then there are games: a life cycle relay race, egg and spoon race and egg rolling. If the weather isn’t ‘sunny side up’, we’ll move our egg-tivities indoors. So bring your brood ova and join in the fun. There may be a small charge for crafts. WA your camera’s various automatic settings – and then show you how to turn off the ‘automatic‘ mode, but still get fantastic photos.

Suitable for users of all types of camera and the content will be tailored to the needs of attendees. 10am-4pm. £55pp. BE UAA Sun 28 April Dawn Chorus This is a unique opportunity to enjoy our reserve before daybreak as we celebrate international Dawn Chorus Day. Book your tickets for a guided tour. Afterwards, enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with a bacon roll (or vegetarian option) before you head off again for a day of self-guided birdwatching. Gates open at 4.30am, but only ticket holders will be admitted.

Please bring binoculars and wrap up warm. 5am and 5.15am. £20pp. Limited tickets available. BE UAA RI Sat 11 May Wildlife Photography: Intermediate Skills If you already understand how your camera works and the basics of photography, but want to fine-tune your

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pictures of the natural world, then this is the ideal course.

Suitable for users of SLR cameras only. 10am-4pm. £55pp. BE UAA Sat 18 May Fascination of Plants Day Walks Join us on international Fascination of Plants Day and celebrate the diversity of wetland plants. Meet in courtyard. Noon and 3pm. WA Sun 19 May Drawing Workshop Learn some basic sketching techniques with artist Judith Gordon – materials provided.

For adults aged 16 and over.

10am-4pm. £40pp. BE UAA Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Half-term Family Activities Meet our friendly ducklings and watch them take their first swim. Our team will explain how the ducklings have developed and about their behaviour and habitats.

Join in our daily duckling activities and games. You’ll also be able to try egg tempera painting: create beautiful artworks with egg yolk. Join us on a walk looking for bird families and

Mondays 3, 10, 17 and 24 June Pond Dipping for Adults Why should children have all the fun? This is a chance for adults to enjoy pond dipping.

Meet in the Pond Zone. No need to book – just turn up!

12 noon and 3pm. WA Sat 8 June Wild Orchid Walks Join us on a short walk exploring the reserve in search of exquisite gems that bejewel our grasslands and meadows. 12 noon and 3pm.

IA, but a donation would be appreciated. BE Sat 15 June Wetland Plant Walk Join plant enthusiast Peter Day for a stroll around our wetlands to hear about the gorgeous plants that inhabit the margins of our pools and lakes. The walk will last 1.5 to two hours. 1.30-3pm. £6pp. BE UAA Sat 15 June to Sun 4 August Perfect Pond Season Ponds are fantastic places to get close to nature. Our Perfect Pond storytelling sessions will focus on underwater animals and you can create them using recycled materials. See how easy it is to make your own pond. We’ll create a pond to show how they are colonised by plants and animals to form ecological communities.

Froglife, experts in amphibian and reptile conservation, will join us on 28 July, and will answer questions on creating the perfect habitat for these animals in your garden. Funded by the British Ecological Society as part of its centenary Festival of Ecology. See website for details and timings. WA Sun 23 June Introduction to Mosaic Discover your artistic flair with this workshop run by mosaic artist Rosanna

Henderson. Please wear an apron or old shirt to protect your clothes. Closed shoes must be worn. 10am-4pm. £65pp includes all materials.

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Martin Mere Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 0TA 01704 895181 info.martinmere@wwt.org.uk Dates to be confirmed: please call centre to enquire Dawn Chorus walks Be prepared for a very early start in these new events to allow you exclusive access to the reserve to see and hear the dawn chorus. You will be guided round by a local expert and the event finishes with a cooked breakfast in Mere Side Café at 9am. Event begins at 5.30am. £18. AI Daily Activities Canoe Safari Have a close encounter with nature as you paddle a canoe through reedbed, open water, wet woodland and grassland.

Up to three people in a canoe; at least one must be over 18. 10.30am-3.30pm. £5 per canoe.

Boat Tours Enjoy a relaxing boat trip while a volunteer provides you with an informative talk.

The trip lasts 25 minutes.

1-3pm. £2 per seat.

Daily Talks and Tours Watch our otter family play and feed at 11.30am and 2.30pm, listen to a flamingo talk at 12.45pm, take a guided tour around our waterfowl gardens at 1pm and drop in to a beaver talk between 2pm and 2.30pm. WA During Term Time Behind-the-scenes Wednesdays Every Wednesday meet a member of our team to see what happens behind the scenes at Martin Mere. Each week will be different from learning about reserve management to beaver talks.

A great day for adults to learn about our work. Times will vary – see website. WA

Toddler Thursdays A great day for toddlers, with story time and crafts as well as a special offer in Mere Side Café and toddle boat tours.

10.30am and 1.30pm.

WA Thurs 28 March to Sun 14 April Easter Holidays The canoe safari and electric boat tours allow you to explore Martin Mere on the water.

There will also be plastic duck hunts, egg rolling, den building and our water play will reopen in our brand new adventure area. All day.

WA Fri 12 April Evening Talk: Friends of Martin Mere Join Chris Tynan as he talks about garden birds. 8pm. £2 for members of Friends (£2.50 non-members).

Fridays 19 April and 14 June Bird Identification Workshop One-day workshop for those who have started to watch birds and would like to develop their skills in identification. 8.30am. £20.

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Saturdays 20 April and 15 June Wildlife Photography One-day workshop to help you take the first steps away from automatic to more advanced techniques. Taught by a previous winner of WWT’s national photography competition, it is suitable for beginners and all types of camera. 10am. £60. BE Sundays 21 April and 16 June Drawing and Painting Birds One-day class exploring the process from drawing through to a finished painting. 9.30am. £45. BE Friday 10 May Evening Talk: Friends of Martin Mere Join Lancashire Wildlife Trust for an entertaining talk. £2 for members of Friends (£2.50 non-members).

Sat 8 June to Sun 21 July Duckling Nursery Open Weekends Wander through the nursery to see the cute sight of rare birds as they grow. Learn about the hatching process and talk to volunteers about the birds. 12 noon-3pm. WA

Thurs 13 June A Day for Toddlers: A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party A charity event to raise money for the Meningitis Trust. Net a duck, face painting, learn a flamingo dance, croquet and a sponsored toddle waddle to our duckling nursery. Come in fancy dress to take part in lots of activities for toddlers and mum. 11am. Price tbc. BE Sunday 16 June Moth morning Join In Focus as they open the moth traps to see a variety of species. A great event to get photographs of moths up close. 9.30am. IA Sat 22 and Sun 23 June Science is Fun Weekend Come along to do fun science activities. Pond dip, dissect owl pellets, hunt for bugs, see birds of prey, reptiles and more. A great day out for the whole family. All day. WA

National Wetland Centre Wales Llwynhendy, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire SA14 9SH 01554 741087 info.llanelli@wwt.org.uk Every Monday to Friday Guided Walks Topics will include breeding and baby birds, flamingos, dragonflies and butterflies.

Aimed at adults, but children are welcome. 1pm. WA Every Sunday until 31 March Follow the Feed Join our wardens on the afternoon bird feed. Watch hundreds of ducks waddle alongside the wheelbarrow, and excitedly swim and splash in anticipation of their tea! Follow us to the flamingo house where the flamingos will often feed right in front of you! Suitable for all the family. 3.30pm. WA

Martin Mere choice Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Downy Duckling Week See the whole egg to duckling experience at this awardwinning event. See the development of a duckling inside an egg, be amazed by watching it hatch, and wander through the duckling nursery. A great family day out. All day. WA

Every Friday up to 26 July Creative Digital Photography Courses Andy Davies will provide expert tuition to small groups, on a number of subjects, and catering for all skill levels.

Groups are taken back to the

achievement at your own level. A little basic knowledge is preferable. Bring your own materials – acrylic, pastel or oil. 10am-4.30pm. £30 includes expert tuition. £5 deposit in advance. BE IA

National Wetland Centre Wales choice Sat 15 June Bat Walk An exclusive opportunity to join WWT staff and expert naturalists on a late-night search for bats on our reserve! At this time of year bats tend to be very active in high numbers so it should be a great opportunity to see them, and hear them on our bat detectors. 9-11pm. £5pp/£2.50pc. BE IA RI fundamentals of photography, progressing to having full creative control of either digital compact cameras with manual capability or digital single lens reflex cameras.

Meet for an introductory talk, then photograph on the reserve, periodically returning to the centre to review the shots. 10am. £95pp. UAA BE Fri 29 March to Sun 14 April Easter Holiday Fun Family fun includes Easter egg hunting, den building, breeding and baby birds walks, pond dipping and crafts. Some crafts carry a small charge. 11am-5pm. WA Sun 31 March Easter Willow Sculpture Workshop Create your own big, bright Easter bunny or another creature from willow and tissue paper. 10am-12 noon and 1-3pm. £2 per sculpture.

Sat 13 April Painting Days with Jan Bligh, Watercolour Society of Wales Study the life and painting methods of Augustus John, then use his inspiration and techniques in your own work.

For all adult artists, with an emphasis on enjoyment, encouragement and personal

Weekends 20 and 21, and 27 and 28 April Weekend Activities 11am: den building; 1pm: breeding and baby birds walk; 2.30pm: pond dipping. Also craft workshops. Some crafts carry a small charge. WA Sat 4 May Dawn Chorus Walk and Breakfast Join our birding expert on a walk and listen to the bird world wake up as dawn breaks over the Burry Inlet.

Wear warm clothing and bring binoculars. Includes a cooked breakfast in our Estuary Café. 6-9.30am. £15pp/£10pc. BE RI IA Sat 4 May Pom-pom Birds Workshop Learn techniques to make basic and elaborate pom-pom birds! Create garden birds including tits, swallows and robins to take home. 11am1pm. £1-£1.50 per bird.

Weekends 4 and 5, 11 and 12, 18 and 19 May, plus early bank holiday Weekend Activities 11am: den building; 1pm: breeding and baby birds walk; 2.30pm: pond dipping. Also craft workshops. Some crafts carry a small charge.

Sat 11 May Painting Days with Jan Bligh, Watercolour Society of Wales Study the life and methods of John Yardley, then use his inspiration and techniques in your own work. For all adult artists, with an emphasis on enjoyment, encouragement and personal achievement at your own level. A little basic knowledge is preferable.

Bring your own materials – watercolour. 10am-4.30pm. £30 includes expert tuition. £5 deposit in advance. BE IA Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Duckery Tours Exclusive behind-the-scenes

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tours of our duckling nursery to see the incubators and tiny chicks. For all ages. Tours at 12pm, 2pm and 3pm. WA Sat 8 June Painting Days with Jan Bligh, Watercolour Society of Wales Study the life and painting methods of Gauguin and then use his inspiration and techniques in your own work.

For all adult artists, with an emphasis on enjoyment, encouragement and personal achievement at your own level. A little basic knowledge is preferable. Please bring your own materials – acrylic, pastel or oil. 10am-4.30pm. £30 includes expert tuition. £5 deposit in advance. BE IA Sat 15 and Sun 16 June BioBlitz A fantastic opportunity to find and identify wildlife alongside expert naturalists – including the small mammals you never normally see, and an exclusive guided walk on the saltmarsh. 10am-4pm.

WA All other June and July Weekends Weekend Activities 11am: minibeast hunt; 1pm: dragonfly walk; 2.30pm: pond dipping. Insect-themed craft workshops. Some crafts carry a small charge.

Slimbridge

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

Daily Activities Guided Walk Join a volunteer on a walk in the grounds telling you about the history of the centre, the birds that you can see and the other things you might like to see or do. Identify some of the collection birds and learn about the visitors.

You will also get an insight into WWT’s work. Lasts about an hour; you are free to head off should something catch your eye. 10.30am.

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Slimbridge choice Fri 29 March to Mon 1 April Great Easter Hunt Take part in the great Easter hunt through our grounds where you will find special Easter symbols. Enjoy a chocolate treat on your return to the centre where there will be lots of art and craft activities. 9.30am-5pm. WA Otter Talk Back from the Brink: Meet our friendly family of otters – Flo, Minnie and Ha Ha – and hear a talk as they tuck into a tasty fish supper. 11.30am and 3.30pm. WA Toad Hall Talk Come to Toad Hall and hear expert Jay Redmond give an insight into the world of amphibians and their habitats. You will have the opportunity to hold frogs, toads and newts, and ask questions. 2.15pm. WA Wader Shore Talk Come and hear about one of our newest exhibits, the Wader Shore exhibit, where you will see three different types of wader – the redshank, avocet and blackwinged stilt. 11.30am. WA Crane Talk Come to our talk on the cranes, which have been extinct in the UK for more than 300 years, and hear how staff are working to breed them and release them back into the wild. 12 noon.

WA Sat 23 March to Sun 14 April Easter Holidays – Art and Photography Celebrate our long history of art at Slimbridge with a series of activities for adults and children. We will have a trail of wetland-inspired art and photography. Learn more about Peter Scott’s work and try and sketch a Bewick’s swan bill.

9.30am-5pm. WA

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Thurs 4 April Parent and Child Wildlife Photography Workshop A day for budding wildlife photographers (aged eight or above) and their parents to learn how to get great shots of wildlife. For all skill levels and camera types. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Starting with an illustrated introductory session looking at technique, composition, fieldcraft and equipment, you will then head outside for a session of photography. Small course numbers mean there will be plenty of time for one-to-one tuition. 10am-4pm. £50 for one parent and child. BE Fri 12 April Photography for Beginners Starting with an illustrated introductory session looking at composition, technique and equipment, you will then head outside for a session of nature photography. There will be plenty of time for one-to-one tuition with photographer Iain Green who will guide you through key camera techniques and skills. Suitable for users of all types of camera and the content will be tailored to the needs of attendees.

10am-4pm. £60. BE RI Sat 13 and Sun 14 April Trevor Smith Art course – Sketching Birds in Flight A weekend workshop for those with some sketching experience. This is aimed at those seeking a sketching challenge: some experience of working from life is

advisable, as this is not an easy subject for a beginner to tackle. 10am-5pm. £70. BE RI Fri 19 April Talk by Win Quinney – Bats: Flying Mammals There are more than 1,100 bat species and they range from as large as a small dog to as small as a bee. Whether you are a bat beginner or an expert, you are sure to find this talk fascinating. 7.30pm. £6 (F £5). BE Sun 21 April Creatures and Creations Drawing Workshop A fun drop-in workshop led by graphic novelists Nimue and Tom Brown (authors of Hopeless Maine). They will be helping visitors to create pictures and captions using a few provided art materials and lots of imagination.

This event is for all ages, so please drop in and browse their work and put pencil to paper! 10am-4pm. WA Every Weekend from Sat 4 May until end of September Land Rover Safari Go out onto the reserve with an expert warden and enjoy views of the wild birds that live on the banks of the Severn, from the comfort of a seat in the covered trailer.

Book tours on arrival at the admissions area. 11am and 2pm. Every day during school holidays at 2pm. Adults £5, children £3. WP Thurs 9 May Nature Photography on Tour Warden and photographer

James Lees will take groups out onto our wild nature reserve in a Land Rover. His knowledge of the best wildlife spots provides numerous opportunities for taking unique photographs and you’ll learn about the best ways to approach wildlife without disturbance. 7.30am2pm. £60. BE RI Fri 10 May Become an Advanced Birder These sessions are designed to improve your birding skills.

Learn about fine details such as plumage, songs and calls.

Develop an understanding of weather conditions and habitats to take your skills to a new level. 8am-12 noon. £25. BE RI Sat 11 May Lazy Man’s Dawn Chorus Join our wardens to explore the reserve at one of the most productive times of the year. Learn how to identify these birds by sound as each one has a most beautiful call and song. 7.30am. £15. BE RI Sat 11 and Sun 12 May Dawn Chorus Join our wardens to explore the reserve at one of the most productive times of the year. Learn how to identify these birds by sound as each one has a most beautiful call and song. 4.30am. £18. BE RI Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Downy Duckling Days Go behind the scenes at our duckery to learn how we rear thousands of young birds and to see the fluffy chicks. Learn about eggs, incubation and hatching. Downy Duckling tours run through the week.

For younger visitors there is a duckling crèche so they can see the ducklings without the tour. Paper activities, too.

Also one duckery tour a day at 12.30pm until Sunday 16 June. 9.30am-5pm. WA Sun 26 May Birdwatch Morning Spring is a magical time here, with birds settling down to raise a family. Join our wardens as they aim to show you special species such as redshank, songbirds such

Centre for seasonal crafts for all the family, whatever the weather. 1-3.30pm. Small costs apply.

Washington choice Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Downy Duckling Days and half-term crafts Meet fluffy chicks at our specialist duckery and see ducklings taking their first wobbly steps. Learn more about WWT’s conservation breeding programmes, which have saved some of the world’s most endangered waterbirds. Duckery talks are held every day during half-term week (Saturday 25 May to Sunday 2 June, 1-2pm). Plus crafts in the Discovery Centre every afternoon (small costs apply). No need to book. WA as warblers, kingfishers and maybe the elusive cuckoo.

7.30am. £15. BE RI Saturdays 8 and 22 June Wildflower and Orchid Walk Join our reserve manager for a magical behind-thescenes walk looking for the wetland’s finest wildflowers and orchids. 10.30am. £12. BE

Washington Pattinson, Washington, Tyne and Wear NE38 8LE 0191 416 5454 info.washington@wwt.org.uk Sat 23 March to Sun 7 April Easter Holidays Join us for family-friendly fun! Discover new life and nature blooming, including chicks that have hatched from real Easter eggs. Take part in seasonal crafts in the Discovery Centre every day from 1-3.30pm (small costs apply) and join in the Easter Sunday rubber duck hunt (11am-3pm, free with admission). Plus, bring a hard-boiled egg to decorate and create a creature, with a prize for the craziest (every day, 1-3.30pm, £1), and go pond dipping in our Pondzone area (11am-12 noon and 1-2pm every day, free with admission). All day. Costs vary. Some activities included in admission (see above).

Saturdays 6 April, 4 May and 1 June Guide in a Hide Learn about our wild bird species with the help of our guide. Fledglings can play

games that teach beginners about bird identification in a fun way. 10am-12 noon and 2-4pm. Check on arrival for which hide they’re in. WA Sundays 7 April, 5 May and 2 June Sunday Gang Volunteering Day Create and maintain habitats such as ponds and woodlands.

Come dressed for working outdoors, and possibly getting messy! If it’s your first time, call 0191 416 5454 or email info.washington@wwt.org.uk first. 10am-4pm (age 16+).

Mon 8 April Hawk’s Head Photography Wetlands Wildlife Photography Workshops Ideal for those who want to learn or develop their skills in photographing wildlife, in an environment where they can work with a variety of native and non-native wetland species. 10am-4pm. £79pp.

For details, visit hawkshead photography.com. IA RI

Saturdays 20 April, 18 May and 15 June Walk with a Warden Join our reserve manager as he leads a themed tour around our site, taking in the sights, sounds and seasonal wildlife. No need to book.

Meet in the picture window at reception at 2pm.

WA Saturdays 27 April, 25 May and 22 June Ducks in Depth Join our expert warden on a seasonal tour of our exotic and endangered wildfowl collection. No need to book.

Meet in the picture window at reception at 2pm.

WA Sundays 28 April, 26 May and 23 June In Focus Visit Check out the latest in optical equipment and chat to the In Focus experts. Test, select and buy binoculars and telescopes under field conditions. Part exchanges are considered and used stock is available. A percentage of every sale goes to WWT. Throughout the day.

For details, contact In Focus on 01484 864 729 or visit at-infocus.co.uk.

Saturdays 13 April, 11 May and 15 June Junior Members Club Join Junior Members for monthly sessions to discover the natural world in a fun way. For members aged eight to 12. Call Joanne Newbury on 0191 419 5933 or email joanne.newbury@wwt.org.uk for details. 10am-12 noon. WA

Tues 7 May Hawk’s Head Photography ‘Camera to Computer’ Workshops Ideal for those who want to learn or develop their skills in photographing wildlife, these workshops are designed to help participants make the most of their digital photography by looking at simple processing techniques using computer software to help get the best results. For more details and booking, visit hawksheadphotography. com. 10am-4pm. £79pp.

IA RI

Saturdays and Sundays from 13 April to 14 July ‘Spring into Summer’ Family Crafts Join us in the Discovery

Sun 16 June Father’s Day Lunches Treat your loved one to a delicious meal in the Waterside Café, overlooking

our spectacular barnacle geese, wigeon, Eurasian cranes and other waterbirds.

12 noon-2pm. Call 0191 416 5454 ext 235 for menu and prices. BE Sat 29 June Day Trip to Martin Mere Join us as we visit WWT’s Lancashire centre, with highlights including canoe safaris, pond dipping and guided boat tours*. Bring a change of clean footwear for the coach. *Canoe safaris £5, boat tours £2. The bus leaves Washington’s car park at 7am, returning for 6pm. £22pp /£11pc (not including admission to the centre, which is free for WWT members). BE Call 0191 416 5454 or email info. washington@wwt.org.uk.

Welney Hundred Foot Bank, Welney, Nr Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE14 9TN 01353 860711 info.welney@wwt.org.uk Thurs 28 March to Sun 14 April Easter Family Fun Join us as we start the ponddipping season and witness the first signs of spring. Look

Welney choice Sat 25 May to Sun 2 June Half-term Family Fun Visit while we are in full swing of spring with pond dipping, breeding birds and wetland insects. Learn about our fascinating wetlands with the Spring in the Air discovery trail, keep busy with activity stations in the pond room, or get out and about with the activity clipboards (suggested donation of 50p). WA

out for swooping swallows, wary water voles and the first underwater insects emerging at the pond-dipping stations.

Learn about our fascinating wetlands with the Easter Arts discovery trail, keep busy with activity stations in the pond room, or get out and about with the activity clipboards (suggested donation of 50p). WA Saturdays 11 May, 8 June and 6 July Bats and Barn Owls Explore the reserve by night with a Welney warden. Using bat detectors, listen to bats hunting around the reserve and watch them on the infrared cameras. Explore the night-time visitors to the moth traps. Look for nocturnal wildlife and dissect barn owl pellets to discover the favourite snacks of these silent hunters. 9.30pmmidnight. £12pp. BE WP Fri 17 May Evening Safari at Welney Visit Welney after closing to see what wildlife takes advantage of cool spring evenings. Tour around several led activities including, birdwatching with a guide, pond dipping, dragonfly identification, minibeast hunt and bat detecting. 6-8pm. WA WP Fri 21 June Pimms and Poetry Join us for our second Pimms and Poetry event to celebrate how wetland habitats can inspire the arts on a beautiful summer’s evening. This is a free event to raise funds for Welney.

A free glass of Pimms for everyone attending. 5.307.30pm. UAA Answers Kids’ zone: The differences are: one missing item of spawn; first tadpole is missing; top diving beetle has been added; water lily added; missing leg on second frog from right.

Freda the frog needs to take route 4.

april/june 2013

• Waterlife

63

classified directory ACCOMMODATION SLIMBRIDGE TUDOR ARMS Real Ale, Real Food Pub with 12 well appointed ensuite bedrooms ETB4* and 2 apartments. Adjacent to WWT CAMRA Awards from 20072013 Tel 01453 890306 Email enquiries@thetudorarms.co.uk www.thetudorarms.co.uk

SLIMBRIDGE FORESTERS B&B OFFERS!

18th-century former village Inn five minutes from Slimbridge. ETC 3 star. Laura Ashley beamed spacious ensuite bedrooms (1 four poster). Stay any 3 nights. Sunday-Friday £28pppn (stay 4 nights get 5th FREE).

Excellent discounted meals locally!

Tel (Vicky Jennings) 01453 549996 Email: foresters@freeuk.com www.forestersbandb.co.uk

SLIMBRIDGE SLIMBRIDGE Foresters_WWT_AprJun_13.indd 1 11/02/2013 CYPRESS HOUSE B&B MAY COTTAGE B&B Comfortable, spacious, Twin bedded annexe, ensuite double ensuite, idyllic setting, bedroom. Peaceful location between adjacent to canal, Slimbridge village and walking distance from the W.W.T. the WWT centre.

TudorArms_WWT_APRJUN_13.indd 118/02/2013 15:39

Sue and Peter Gibson.

Email: elise_bpc@hotmail.com

Tel: 01453 890820

LONDON

Tel: Jan Hunt 01453 890634 web: www.cypresshousebed andbreakfast.co.uk

PEMBROKESHIRE ROSEMOOR COUNTRY COTTAGES In a lovely valley in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Victorianbuilt Rosemoor offers characterful accommodation in spacious grounds.

Unpolluted beaches, Skomer and tidal wetlands nearby (2 miles).

Our own 30-acre Nature Reserve is home to badgers, otters and a great variety of birds and plants.

John M and Jacqui Janssen Rosemoor Country Cottages & Nature Reserve Walwyn’s Castle Haverfordwest SA62 3ED

BURPHAM COUNTRY HOUSE Guesthouse and Restaurant

13:03

Ideally placed, in the heart of the Arun Valley, close to Arundel WWT, Pulborough Brooks, and Pagham.

9 en-suite rooms from £80 per room. ETB 4* Gold Award Great short break deals.

Tel 01903 882160 www. burphamcountryhouse.com

Pembrokeshire

CypressHouse_WWT_JulAug2011.indd 07/12/2012 1 16:44 Home from home cottage

AT HOME IN LONDON

Bed & breakfast in London homes within easy reach of the London Wetlands Centre. Also in Mayfair, Knightsbridge, Kensington and Notting Hill. 4 star homes independently assessed by VisitEngland including the only Gold Award B&B in London. Established in 1986. Minimum stay two consecutive nights.

www.athomeinlondon.co.uk Tel: 020 8748 1943 Fax: 020 8748 2701 At Home in London

PEMBROKESHIRE SALEM, IanWestley_WWT_APRJUN_13.indd 06/02/2013 1 04/12/2012 09:28 STRUMBLE HEAD

SOMERSET

AtHomeInLondon_WWT_JanMar_2013 1

Treat yourself to a break on the Somerset Levels and Moors, and join us for B & B in a comfortable farmhouse overlooking West Sedgmoor RSPB. 500 yards from the Great Crane Project.

Meg Corrick

www.oath-hill-farm.co.uk 01458-251320

CARMARTHENSHIRE TAN Y LAN FACH COTTAGE Two warm cosy cottages each superb for two set in a five acre wildlife oasis for ground mammals and birds.

Overlooking tidal marsh and estuary surrounded by rural agricultural land. Spectacular views in any weather.

Telephone Sharon and Jim on: 01267 241 579 www.tanylanwelshcottage.co.uk

POWYS, WALES MACHYNLLETH

WelshCottage_WWT_JanMar13.indd 05/12/2012 1 11:04

in estuary village location, conveniently placed for access to the wider County. 1 double bedroom, 1 twin bedroom with double sofa bed in the lounge.

Kitchen/diner, shower/W.C. Central heating. Free WiFi. Available for long weekends, Friday to Monday from £150.

For further details contact 07714 644761 or email llangwmcottagerental@hotmail. co.uk

@AtHomeInLondon

Tel: 01437 781326 Fax: 01437 781080 Email: rosemoor@walwynscastle.com www.rosemoor.com

Self-catering slate cottage, 1 bedroom, woodburning stove, fully modernised.

Ceinws/Esgairgeiliog village, near Centre for Alternative Technology, south of Cader Idris. £175-£260 per week.

Tel 020 8572 5571 Mob 0774 051 9080 www.dulascottages.co.uk

10:39

Cosy old cottage with stunning sea views from every room, on unspoiled Pencaer peninsula.

All mod cons but No TV (deliberately!).

Perfect for wildlife, esp. sea birds, porpoises and seals.

Magnificent coastal walks from the door.

Sleeps 4, pets welcome. £330 - £350 pw. £650 for 2 weeks www.which-cottage.co.uk Email:bcsbs@hotmail.co.uk

classified directory

To advertise please contact Daniel Haynes on 0208 962 1257 or daniel.haynes@thinkpublishing.co.uk

ACCOMMODATION

equipment

WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS

PRIDING ON RIVER SEVERN 3* Cottage sleeps 2 Grade II listed cottage, one double bedroom, all on one level. Paradise for walkers and birdwatchers, in a tranquil location on the Severn Way, watch the Severn Bore, picnic or BBQ in the riverside Orchard. In the evening listen to the Owls and see the stars, walk along the river-bank to the Pub. Fantastic sunsets over the river.

Wales, puffins, red kites and thousands of starlings, seals, otters, dolphins sights and sounds to remember forever From single days out to week-long holidays throughout the year, contact: 0845 052 3533 info@welshwildlifebreaks.co.uk www.welshwildlifebreaks.co.uk

http://www.pridingfarm.com/ or call 07814 276529

SOFTWARE

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OldCiderHouse_WWT_AprJun_13.indd 19/02/2013 1 14:09

WWB_WWT_JulAug12.indd 1

25/05/2012 12:35 Corryvreckan_WWT_175.indd 1

23/11/2010 15:32

Still keeping your records on paper?

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DAYs OUT

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back chat

Think of a letter

Sacha Dench

Brent Astley Richards, winner of the Scott 100 Inspiring Generations competition, explains what he hopes his letter will achieve

When I was 11, my best friend and

I put together a bird book. There was nothing special about it, but we were pleased with ourselves. Unbeknown to us, our teacher sent the book to Peter Scott at Slimbridge, and he invited the two of us down there for the day. We had a wonderful time, including spending an hour or so having tea with him in his living room, in front of his huge window overlooking the wildfowl on the lake.

It’s a memory that I’ve carried with me all my life.

When, a few months ago, my wife and I were watching The One Show, I heard this item about Captain Scott.

It’s a familiar story, and one that inspires people. The item mentioned the last letter that Captain Scott had written to his wife, telling her to encourage the young Peter’s interest in wildlife, and now there was to be a nationwide appeal for people to do the same thing – write a letter to inspire others. I remembered my wonderful day at Slimbridge and immediately went to my computer, and wrote a letter to school children everywhere.

There is a magic in primary school children. They have such a joy about 66

Waterlife • APRIL/JUNE 2013

If we can develop a love for wildlife in children, they will carry that love through their lives them. I am totally convinced that, if we can develop a love for wildlife in those children, they will then carry that love all the way through their lives.

It’s very difficult to change an adult’s thinking, because their whole prospect on life has already been formed.

But you can change a youngster’s ideas. Children soak up knowledge, and are inspired by it.

Children have vivid imaginations, which they don’t need to use so much when they’re watching TV, or on their computers. But give them a book, and they look at it and imagine all sorts of things.

They will generate pictures in their minds, and if you can do that with a book, or a letter, you can instil so much into their psyche for the future.

Even to this day, I think the written word is immensely powerful.

You can find out more about the Scott 100 Inspiring Generations competition and read a selection of the winning letters, including Brent’s, by visiting our website wwt.org.uk/scott100.

Stockists of

Visionary

Binoculars and telescopes

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Visionary Wetland 8x42 binoculars

Our top selling birdwatching binocular.

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We also stock the full range of Visionary Wetland 8x25, 10x25, 8x32, 10x32, 12x32, 8x42, 10x42, 12x42

Visionary Freebird 8x42 binoculars

Tough, rugged, a fabulous binocular.

£149.99

10x42 model £159.99

Visionary FieldTracker EmeralD 8x42 binoculars Top level performance with naturephaseTM coating.

£279.99

10x42 model £289.99 Fieldtracker Graphite 8x42 £109.99 Fieldtracker Graphite 10x42 £119.99

T84 EDO T84EDO OPTIONS & ACCESSORIES Olivon T84EDo + SHR 20-60x .......................£999 Olivon T84EDo + STD 20-60x .......................£899 Olivon T84EDo body only ...............................£799 Olivon T84EDo + 27x .......................................£879 Olivon T84EDo + 40x .......................................£879 Olivon T84 + 96x ...............................................£879 OlivonUV filter ................................................£79.99 Olivon SLR digital camera adaptor..............£64.99 OlivonSLR photolens .................................. £189.99 T2 mounts and filters step rings in stock Olivon UDCH-C84, digital compact camera adaptor...................£99.99 Olivon TR150-10 tripod ................................£79.99 Olivon TR154-11 tripod ............................. £139.99 Olivon TR189-11 tripod ............................. £179.99 Olivon cleaning and care kit ...........................£9.99 Olivon Smart phone adaptor .........................£9.99

Visionary MONOCULARS

Very high quality monoculars, high grade prisms, multicoated lenses and full waterproofing.

Includes case, mini tripod.

M-10 10x50 .........£50.00 M-12 12x50 .........£55.00 M-15 15x50 .........£60.00 M-20 20x50 .........£65.00 M-Z 10-30x50 zoom ...£75.00

Visionary

U SERIES

High definition optics. Compact porro prism style binoculars featuring BAK4 prisms. Multicoated lenses for superb definition and natural colour. Long eye relief, large multicoated eyepiece lenses, rubber armour body.

8x22............................£55 8x30............................£75 10x30 .........................£85 We think this is simply the best spotting scope available - come and see it!

Olivon T84EDO with stay on case and S-HR 20-60x zoom eyepiece

£999.00

HUGE RANGE of binoculars, telescopes, tripods & accessories in stock

Far-Sighted

Your Far Sighted Binocular and Telescope Centre : CALLERS VERY WELCOME CLEARVIEW BINOCULARS, 1a, FOUR SQUARE CHAPEL, MAPPLEWELL, S75 6GG.

TEL 01226 383736 | www.clearviewbinoculars.co.uk sales@clearviewbinoculars.co.uk

Please check website for showroom opening times and special late nights and for details of any upcoming shows and exhibitions. All offers are subject to availability. All prices are subject to change without notice.

Binoculars & Telescopes Discovery WP PC

Savanna WP

Using an ultra-compact optical design, the Discovery WP PC series are among the smallest waterproof roof prism binoculars available on the market today.

Handy, lightweight and very compact, the Savanna WP delivers bright sharp images for all types of nature observation.

Waterproof, rubber armoured and featuring long eyerelief for spectacle wearers, both models fold-in to just 50mm making them suitable for children of 7 years. 10 year guarantee.

With a host of features including WA eyepieces; 7.5˚ (8x32), 7.5˚ (8x42), 6.0˚ (10x42) plus excellent close focus ability, each model offers the value conscious user a stylish and user friendly field glass.

8x32 £169, 8x42 £179, 10x42 £189, 8x50 £199, 10x50 £199

6x30 £99, 8x30 £109

IS 60 WP Fieldscopes 260mm long and weighing under 700g, the IS 60 WP is the perfect choice for the space and weight conscious birdwatcher looking for an affordable, flexible and upgradeable waterproof spottingscope to compliment their binoculars.

Available in standard glass or ED versions with a wide choice of eyepieces and accessories. Prices start from just £149 and include a 10 year warranty.

Bodies (Straight through or 45˚ angled): IS 60 WP £149, IS 60 ED WP £249 16 eyepieces including: IS zoom 15-45x £99, HR2 16-48x £149, HDF T 12-36x £199 IS 60 & ED Kits (Straight through or 45˚ angled) IS 60 WP + IS 18-54x + WP Case £249 IS 60 ED WP + HR2 16-48x + WP Case £409 IS 60 WP + IS 18-54x + WP Case + Velbon Sherpa 200R tripod £349 IS 60 ED WP + HR2 16-48x + WP Case + Velbon Sherpa 200R tripod £499 Available from stockists nationwide. Phone for details.

Opticron equipment can be tried, tested and purchased at the following WWT centres; Martin Mere, Slimbridge and the London Wetland Centre as well as good optical retailers nationwide.

To find your nearest stockist or to order a copy of our latest Product Guide please phone us on 01582 726522. Alternatively visit us online at www.opticron.co.uk PO Box 370, Unit 21, Titan Court, Laporte Way, Luton, Beds, LU4 8YR UK Fax: 01582 723559 Email: sales@opticron.co.uk