Waterlife January/March 2018

waterlife 203 JANUARY/MARCH 2018

The magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust | 203 January/March 2018 | £4.25 | wwt.org.uk

OSPREYS IN FOCUS INSIDE THIS ISSUE

GIVING THESE STUNNING BIRDS A BRIGHT FUTURE

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WINTER GEESE

PHOTO COMPETITION

NEW: SPOTTER’S GUIDE

HOW WE’RE HELPING THREE VERY SPECIAL VISITORS

OUR WINNERS ARE REVEALED

WATCH OUT FOR OUR WHISTLING WIGEON

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DUSTY’S PUDDLE JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS PAGE 47

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CONTENTS

WINTER WONDERS

Barnacle geese are fond of potatoes, so our researchers have no trouble studying them

Brrr! It’s winter, and for some people that might

mean staying indoors, but we know you’re made of stronger stuff. Who would want to miss those deliciously crisp mornings, beautiful light and all the amazing birds that fly in on the winter wind?

Many of our centres are justifiably famous for the spectacle of wild birds on display from January through to March: the barnacle geese at Caerlaverock, pink-feet at Martin Mere, white-fronted geese at Slimbridge… In recent winters, however, fewer of these special birds have returned from their breeding grounds in the north. So WWT’s experts are using every cunning trick in the book (and a few not in any book!) to find out why and do something to help (page 34).

One bird that keeps coming back is the osprey.

Right now, these awe-inspiring raptors will be preparing for their long journey to the UK, and the team at WWT Caerlaverock will be making sure everything is in place to welcome them back.

Watch the trials and tribulations of osprey family life unfold on a nest-cam and find out how you can see these incredible birds for yourself on page 22.

We were so impressed by the incredible skills displayed in this year’s photo competition images – thanks so much if you entered. Turn to page 28 to see our favourite shots and the overall winner.

If you’re undaunted by a little rain, you’ll find our round-up of the perfect winter weather gear handy (page 46). And if your little ones positively relish the prospect of getting wet, you won’t want to miss the return of Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships, taking place at a WWT centre near you this February half-term (page 47).

In this issue...

4 7 18 20 22 28 34 43 44 47 66

Front lines Martin Spray on the importance of valuing nature Waterways The latest WWT conservation news from around the world Wigeon post Your letters and the best photo entries to Your Wild Photos Spotter’s guide It’s wigeon season – these plucky ducks are worth watching Return of the osprey! Meet one of Caerlaverock’s star attractions Photo competition winners Our fabulous contest winners are revealed Winter geese How we’re protecting some very special winter visitors Photo tips Expert advice for taking wonderful wildlife images in winter Kids’ zone Steve Backshall and Dusty Duck meet some special migrants Down your way Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships are back!

Back chat Meet a member of WWT’s team and find out what they do

WWT is the leading global conservation organisation committed to the protection of wetlands and all that live in and around them. WWT is the only UK charity with a national network of specialist wetland centres that people can visit. It was founded in 1946 by the late Sir Peter Scott, the renowned naturalist and artist.

On the cover: Andy Rouse/naturepl.com

HEADQUARTERS Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT 01453 891900 wwt.org.uk membership@wwt.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1030884 and SC039410 CENTRES For full contact details, please see page 47 WWT Arundel 01903 883355 WWT Caerlaverock 01387 770200 WWT Castle Espie 028 9187 4146 WWT Llanelli 01554 741087 WWT London 020 8409 4400 WWT Martin Mere 01704 895181 WWT Slimbridge 01453 891900 WWT Washington 0191 416 5454 WWT Welney 01353 860711

WATERLIFE The quarterly magazine of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust Managing editor: Sarah Maddrell waterlife@wwt.org.uk Editorial board: Ray Clark, Andrew Foot, Baz Hughes, David Salmon, Rob Shore, Mark Simpson Editor: Sophie Stafford sophie.stafford@thinkpublishing.co.uk Deputy chief sub-editor: Marion Thompson Designer: Felipe Perez Contributors: Dominic Couzens, Derek Niemann, Mike Unwin (text); Chris Gomersall (text and images) Group advertising manager: Sonal Mistry sonal.mistry@thinkpublishing.co.uk 020 3771 7247 Account director: Helen Cassidy, Think, Capital House, 25 Chapel Street, London NW1 5DH; thinkpublishing.co.uk

Waterlife is published four times a year, and is printed

by Wyndeham Southernprint, 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 2016: 93,824

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FRONT LINES

NATURE’S WAY – OUR FUTURE Martin Spray CBE, WWT Chief Executive Last October, we launched Nature’s Way

– The Environment for Success. This report contains our practical proposals for the government’s 25-year Environment Plan.

An underlying theme of the report is the recognition that our environment is a common good that belongs to us all.

This reflects the philosophy of our founder, Sir Peter Scott, which inspires and motivates WWT – that if we don’t make nature relevant to people’s lives and aspirations, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances, no amount of conservation science or action will ever succeed. We seek to achieve this aim through our wetland centres, which connect people with nature, and in our 4

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practical conservation work in the UK and around the world.

The creation of Steart Marshes in Somerset is a good example. It was a key part of a focused wetlands programme for our work in the UK, based on the principles of natural capital. It’s all about wetlands providing multiple benefits for both people and wildlife.

Another example is our SuDS for Schools project in north London. This is the creation of natural sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in schools, which reduce surface water flooding problems. It has proved a great success in creating a better flood-free environment for the schools.

But it has also led to students, teachers,

It’s important to involve local communities in conservation to make sure everyone can appreciate the value of our natural systems governors and parents directly seeing and experiencing the benefits that natural wetland habitats can bring. This is surely the most powerful outcome.

It’s important to engage and involve local communities in conservation to make sure everyone can appreciate the

WWT Steart Marshes is a shining example – to the UK and the rest of the world – of how working wetlands can provide benefits for everyone

value of our natural systems and the benefits they bring. Our project in Slough is another example of where we’re working with a very diverse community to improve the Salt Hill stream and surrounding area.

The Steart Marshes wetland has not only had a great influence on WWT’s direction internally, it has also started to have far-reaching effects.

Last August, soon after his appointment as environment secretary, Michael Gove visited Steart Marshes. He spent several hours discussing the practical creation of

the wetland and the benefits it provides.

In addition to being a haven for wildlife, it offers mitigation for potential sea-level rises and increased storm events from climate change, reduction in flood risk for hundreds of homes, and recreation for thousands of visitors with potential benefits for their health and wellbeing.

It has also attracted interest from abroad. Last September, I was invited to speak in Panjin, north-east China, at a conference on coastal wetland restoration and management. WWT was the only non-Chinese organisation represented, and the focus of

my presentation was Steart Marshes. One great outcome is that the director general responsible for all wetland conservation and management across China will visit us next year to see our work at Steart and other projects.

The environmental challenges facing the world are increasing in scale and impact. Demonstrating and valuing the benefits nature brings to us and our future success, indeed our very survival, is the only way we will meet these challenges.

Let’s hope that governments here, and around the world, embrace this, too.

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WWT NEWS

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

The Princess Royal enjoys feeding a pochard

ROYAL OPENING OF NEW POCHARD CENTRE Last October, we celebrated the opening of our new Pochard Interpretation Centre in Madagascar with the help of some very special guests.

For the past 10 years, WWT and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have been working together, along with the Peregrine Fund, Asity Madagascar, Aga Khan and the government of Madagascar, and supported

by MCFEA and the HSBC Anniversary Fund, to protect the Madagascar pochard.

This rare duck was believed to be extinct when a small population was rediscovered on a remote lake hundreds of kilometres from where the species was last seen. So we began scouring northern Madagascar in the hope of finding more birds.

Since then, we’ve brought the pochards into captivity, built a specialist breeding centre for them, increased the captive population to 100 birds, and identified a new lake where the ducks can be released into the wild. We’re also helping local communities to manage this lake in a way that benefits both villagers and wildlife.

On 25 October 2017, eight years to the day since we hatched our first Madagascar

Our new Pochard Interpretation Centre in Madagascar

pochard ducklings, the Pochard Interpretation Centre was formally opened by HRH The Princess Royal and the president of Madagascar, Hery Rajaonarimampianina. The centre is located at Antsohihy – the main town in Sofia, the region that’s home to the surviving wild pochards – and will enable us to engage the public with these special birds. Town people, villagers, school children and tourists are all welcome to visit the interpretation centre to learn more

about Madagascar pochards and their reintroduction to the wild.

WWT’s Nigel Jarrett and Durrell’s Floriot Randrianarimangason had the pleasure of showing the president and Princess Anne around the new centre and introducing them to our star attractions.

Both enjoyed their visit – they fed and even stroked a pochard!

The team of Malagasy bird keepers can be justifiably proud of their role as managers of this unique centre for the world’s rarest bird, especially given that, just five years ago, no one in Madagascar had more than fledgling avicultural skills.

The public were then welcomed inside.

Though several hundred people flooding into the centre was a bit alarming at first, it was wonderful to see them all engrossed by the pochards. While initially a little nervous, the ducks soon got used to all the attention – some even settled down to sleep just a metre from the crowds. We now hope this remarkable education centre will help us to spread the story of the duck, its wetland home and the people who are helping to bring it back from the brink.

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WWT NEWS

SLIMBRIDGE 2020 GETS GO-AHEAD

An artist’s impression of how the Living Wetland Theatre will look

WWT Slimbridge is celebrating a £4.1m grant from the National Lottery. The funding will support a three-year project that pays tribute to our founder, Sir Peter Scott, by creating inspirational wildlife experiences for visitors to the centre.

Scott was keen to give everyone the opportunity to get close to nature in the hope this would inspire them to protect it. Now, the team at Slimbridge will continue Scott’s legacy through a variety of groundbreaking visitor experiences that show how his work continues to influence modern conservation around the world.

Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have also secured funding from other organisations, including the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust and the Olive Herbert Charitable Trust. Slimbridge 2020 will include the sympathetic renovation of Scott’s home, giving visitors a glimpse into the history of Slimbridge and how these wetlands inspired the charity’s founder.

WWT’s Kevin Peberdy said: ‘We’re thrilled to be able to open Scott House to the public. Many of the rooms remain exactly as they were when Scott lived in this simple home near the River Severn. His last

The Scott House has been lovingly preserved exactly as Sir Peter left it

Sir Peter Scott loved watching wildlife on the Rushy Pen through this large window in his study

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painting sits on the easel, his original sketches of the WWT logo hang on the wall, and books full of his amazing drawings of the bill pattern of every Bewick’s swan observed from this window lie on the table. The view over the Rushy Pen – the lake that inspired so much of his artwork – is spectacular. This is a very special place.’

We’re also planning a groundbreaking multi-level, wheelchair-accessible bird hide with an open rooftop terrace. The Estuary Tower Hide will offer visitors spectacular views of thousands of waders and geese, as well as the breathtaking scenery of the River Severn. Seasonal walkways, viewing platforms and hides will allow access right out to the edge of the estuary itself.

At the heart of the centre, a walkthrough aviary will enable visitors to experience a range of British wetlands and get up-close to wetland species normally too secretive to spot. Attached to the aviary, an open-air Living Wetland Theatre will run live demonstrations and conservation activities, all designed to be fun and informative. Elsewhere, interactive exhibits will celebrate the relationship between people and wetlands and tell the story of WWT’s pioneering conservation work.

Keep up to date with the developments at slimbridge2020.wwt.org.uk.

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WWT NEWS

Farming futures

By Richard Benwell, WWT’s Head of Government Affairs

The way we farm has a huge impact on our environment.

So last year, I visited some of WWT’s tenant farmers around the country to talk about their hopes and fears for British farming. I also wanted to discuss their concerns about the future in the year we’re expecting a major Agriculture Bill in Parliament.

There are three big Brexit challenges for farmers. First, there’s money. Today, farm-gate produce prices are so squeezed that many farms simply aren’t profitable without subsidies. Many farmers rely heavily on the £3.4bn paid by the EU. Will the UK Treasury be able and willing to match that figure in future?

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Then there’s market access. EU countries buy a huge proportion of the UK’s agricultural exports. If we don’t strike a good trade deal with the EU, will farmers still be able to sell their goods?

Third, there’s quality. In the UK, we’re rightly proud of our environmental and animal welfare standards. If we leave the EU and negotiate trade deals with other countries where standards are lower, will the UK’s farmers be undercut?

Of course, wherever there’s risk, there’s opportunity. If we direct public support to Britain’s farmers more efficiently, we can help clean up our waterways, enrich soils, support wildlife and reduce flooding as part of a thriving, sustainable farming sector.

In fact, if we get this right, the Agriculture Bill could be one of the most important environmental reforms in a long time.

Think of a future with a simpler system, ensuring a fair price for produce and paying properly for environmental benefits such as wetland creation – not just the token amounts available now.

We’ll be working with MPs across Parliament to make sure farming standards are maintained at home and in trade deals, that the government commits the public money farmers deserve, and that there’s a simple system to spend that money on the most sustainable choices.

This is a really complex subject with people’s livelihoods at stake as well as our environment, so I’d like to thank our partners, and especially the farmers we work with, for lots of thoughtful work together. The Agriculture Bill is our chance to bring the ideas to life.

Find out more: wwt.org.uk/wcl.

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WWT NEWS

Come and relax in our new urban wetland courtyard, which demonstrates how to use rainwater in a wildlife-friendly way

VISIT OUR NEW LONDON COURTYARD A new urban wetland feature at WWT London Wetland Centre is showing visitors how to use rainwater to help wildlife in towns and cities.

A series of ponds and planters in the courtyard capture rainfall from the visitor centre’s roofs. They use the water to create mini wetlands, which are great for wildlife and a lovely place for people to visit.

The rain runs down copper pipes into raised ponds. Here, nearly threequarters of the water evaporates or is taken up by plants. But after heavy rain, the ponds overspill into small wetland gardens, which are full of plants that thrive in mostly dry, but occasionally inundated, conditions.

After the heaviest rain, the planters overspill into the courtyard. This has permeable paving and channels for water to drain into the surrounding wetland reserve, so that every drop is used positively for nature.

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The raised ponds attract wildlife such as butterflies, water boatmen and dragonflies. So we’ve surrounded them with chairs and tables, so that visitors can get as close to the waterlife as possible, while enjoying a refreshing drink from the courtyard café.

The courtyard aims to inspire people to think about how they can use rainwater at home to improve our environment, instead of just letting it wash away.

If everyone who lives in a town or city captured rainwater and released it

slowly, it would greatly reduce the risk of flash floods. The soil in wetland gardens also acts like a filter bed, cleaning the rainwater before it runs into our streams and rivers.

The WWT London courtyard garden has been kindly funded by Royal Bank of Canada, the IHG Foundation and other generous grants funders, and complements WWT’s new education building, the Thames H20, which is funded by Thames Water.

Crossword solution

Here are the answers to last issue’s crossword Across: 1. Wild 3. Redshank 9. Lapwing 10. Romeo 11. Apple-bobbing 12. Easing 14. Tricks 18. Golden plover 22. Elton 23. Whitman 24. Gadgetry 25. Isle Down: 1. Welfare 2. Lap up 4. Eggnog 5. Scrub 6. Almanac 7. Knot 8. Wigeon 13. Spotted 15. Relaid 16. Syringe 17. Answer 19. Donne 20. Vamps 21. Peng

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WWT NEWS

Community wetland in Enfield As you know, WWT is all about connecting people with wetlands – and sometimes that means creating wild spaces in the heart of the city. In the north London borough of Enfield, we’re working with Enfield Council and Thames Water to build a new community wetland area – for people and wildlife.

The Prince of Wales community wetland project is converting uninteresting amenity grasslands that nestle alongside the Turkey Brook into a mosaic of rich wetlands. The wetlands will help improve local water quality and mitigate the risk of flooding, and make the area more attractive for local people who walk in the park.

Work on the project has already begun. Last autumn, we finished landscaping two hectares of public open space and now it’s on to the fun bit – working with the local community to plant new wet woodland, wet grassland and reed-fringed pools. Though the new habitats will take a while to mature, they will soon be full of dragonflies, bees, butterflies and

your wild

designs, identify local needs and encourage participation in volunteer projects ranging from picking up litter and bashing the invasive alien weed Himalayan balsam to looking after the wetlands in the future.

These new wetlands will bring beauty and benefits to local people and wildlife.

And they show how amazing it can be when WWT works in partnership with local communities to bring wetlands back to our towns and cities.

Find out more: wwt.org.uk/ ourwork/enfield.

The Prince of Wales community wetland will be a beautiful place for people and wildlife

birds. One day, maybe even an otter will grace the area.

People will be able to enjoy the wetlands through the creation of new paths, boardwalks and a brook-side viewing area.

Over the past year, Rita Serra, our community engagement officer, has worked closely with local people and community groups to finalise the wetland

OTO

The winner of this issue’s reader photo competition is Roger Byng, whose charming shot of a curious robin shows us that wildlife encounters are all around, if we just have the patience to wait for them.

Roger Byng (@photogramps) says: ‘This was a fun shot I took in the Knott Hide at Slimbridge. In the early morning, you can always count on a robin to sing to you as you sit, waiting for action. But on this occasion, this little robin joined me. He looked straight out of the window as though wondering, “What are you looking at?”’

WIN A COPY OF WADERS OF EUROPE Roger wins a copy of Waders of Europe: A Photographic Guide, published by Bloomsbury and worth £40.

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Children learn about our work

Throughout 2018, we’re looking for your best photos taken at a WWT centre. Simply send them in to waterlife@wwt. org.uk along with a brief description, including where they were taken, and you could be in with a chance of being published in this spot and winning our great prize.

In the meantime, turn to page 19 to see more entries.

WWT NEWS

MICHAEL GOVE VISITS STEART MARSHES Last August, WWT Steart Marshes was delighted to welcome UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove MP, who visited to find out how wetlands can help people and wildlife.

Mr Gove was given a guided tour of the site by WWT’s Chief Executive, Martin Spray, and the Chair of the Environment Agency, Emma Howard Boyd. He also met staff who work with local residents and volunteers to look after the reserve.

Steart Marshes is the nation’s newest and biggest coastal realignment project.

It boasts nearly 500 hectares of channels and wildlife habitat. The land was previously low-lying farmland under threat from rising sea levels. But by creating a breach in the flood barrier, a saltmarsh has been created instead.

The saltmarsh now protects a higher flood barrier set further back, which will last longer. It protects homes on the peninsula from tidal and freshwater

Michael Gove admired the impressive achievements of WWT Steart Marshes

flooding. It also cleans freshwater draining out to sea and could store more carbon per hectare than many rainforests.

Mr Gove said: ‘Steart Marshes is an inspiring project, which has had tremendous success creating new habitat for wildlife, while also providing

increased flood protection for thousands of people living around the Severn Estuary. This is a great example of how fresh thinking can create outstanding benefits for the environment. I was delighted to have the opportunity to see it in action.’

Sacha takes the Bewick’s tale to Taiwan

Last September, WWT’s very own ‘human swan’, Sacha Dench, flew to the other side of the world to discuss wetland conservation with political leaders.

As regular readers of Waterlife will remember, during the Flight of the Swans expedition, Sacha flew 7,000km by paramotor from Russia to the UK, to raise awareness of the plight of the declining north-west European Bewick’s swan.

Her amazing journey attracted incredible coverage in European media, but little did we realise just how far it had spread. Until, that is, we received a message from Taiwan.

Sacha’s story had been seen by a Taiwanese charity, the Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, 16

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Sacha proudly receives her award

who wished to present her with an award.

They invited her to the country to meet its president, education minister and former president of Taiwan. So Sacha flew to Taiwan where she told politicians about

the pressures the Bewick’s swan faces along its migration route. She asked them to help protect the East AsianAustralasian migration route, which runs through Taiwan. Along that flyway, birds such as spoon-billed sandpipers face similar challenges – illegal hunting and habitat destruction – to those faced by Bewick’s swans in Europe.

At a press conference, Sacha said, ‘It’s easy to forget that birds, which look so at home in the air, also need a safe place on the ground to stop, rest and refuel. It’s as important to protect them here in Taiwan, as it is on the flyway between Russia and the UK.’ We will continue to work to protect birds along all their most vital flyways.

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Our Freedom Day gives us an opportunity to tour the famous wine region of the Barossa Valley, or possibly visit Kangaroo Island, with its unique native wildlife and unspoilt wilderness.

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Journey along the scenic Stuart and Lasseter Highways to the icon of Australia’s outback - Uluru.

We enjoy a refreshing glass of sparkling wine and witness the changing

INCLUDED WITH DISTANT JOURNEYS

colours as the sun sets. There is a further chance to explore the rock in the morning, before visiting the impressive Olgas.

Days 14-17: Cairns & The Great Barrier Reef Snorkel in the sheltered coral lagoon and view the reef from the semi-submersible reef viewer or underwater observatory.

Lunch is included. Optional tours on our Freedom Days in Cairns include a scenic railway journey to Kuranda, and a day trip to the nearby World Heritage listed Daintree Rainforest.

Days 18-21: Sydney A morning’s tour includes the beautiful waterside suburbs of Bondi Beach, Double Bay and Rushcutters Bay. We continue to the city centre and Hyde Park, Parliament House and the Royal Botanical Gardens. The tour finale is a fabulous luncheon cruise with amazing views of the Opera House

DEPARTURE DATES

STOPOVER OFFER

PRICE PER PERSON

16 Mar 2018

-

£4,745

27 Apr 2018

-

£4,495

10 Aug 2018

-

£5,095

07 Sep 2018

£49

PP

£5,195

05 Oct 2018

£49PP

£5,295

02 Nov 2018

£49PP

£5,195

+ All scheduled flights

+ Five city sightseeing tours

11 Jan 2019

£49PP

£5,195

+ A choice of UK airports

+ Tour of Uluru

25 Jan 2019

£49PP

£5,195

+ A choice of stopovers

+ Great Barrier Reef

08 Feb 2019

£49PP

£5,195

+ Four star accommodation

+ Sydney lunch cruise

08 Mar 2019

£49PP

£5,195

+ All breakfasts worth £349PP

+ Flexible stopover options

12 Apr 2019

£49PP

£4,995

+ Local tour managers

+ No surcharge guarantee

07 Jun 2019

£49PP

£4,995

+ 100% ATOL protection

02 Aug 2019

£49PP

£5,495

+ All-inclusive on The Ghan

NEW ZEALAND 23 DAYS FROM ONLY £3,895PP

INDIA

12 DAYS FROM ONLY £2,195PP

SOUTH AFRICA 18 DAYS FROM ONLY £3,295PP

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Terms and conditions: Special offer is £49pp in twin / double room, £98 for single occupancy and is subject to the availability of flights and accommodation. The saving of up to £592 per couple is on the price of the homebound stopover. Several departure dates in early 2018 have a slightly altered itinerary. Feefo rating correct on 10th October 2017. For full booking conditions, please request a brochure or visit www.distantjourneys.co.uk

and Harbour Bridge. Why not use your Freedom Days in Sydney to visit the spectacular World Heritage listed Blue Mountains?

They are a perfect example of native Australian bushland, with gum trees, majestic peaks and deep gorges stretching as far as the eye can see.

Day 22: Arrive UK We arrive into your chosen airport; London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle or Glasgow bringing an end to our incredible adventure.

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£592 PER COUPLE

£49 RETURN STOPOVER BOOK BY 15 MARCH 2017 If you book a tour departing from September 2018, by the 15th March 2018 you will enjoy a two night homebound stopover in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or Dubai for only £49 per person. (£98 for single occupancy)

0808 301 2041 www.distantjourneys.co.uk

WIGEON POST We’d love to hear your thoughts about wetlands, WWT and Waterlife and share your photos, so please write to us at Wigeon Post, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, or email waterlife@wwt.org.uk

Dusty’s Chief Wildlife Ranger This is my five-year-old daughter, Hei-Li. Last August, we spent a family day at WWT London, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Pond dipping was her favourite activity, as she found lots of different creatures, including a stickleback. Today, she’s brushing up on her knowledge of British wildlife with the help of her new kingfisher toy, her Wildlife Rangers logbook and her trusty British Wildlife Encyclopaedia, which she got free from WWT with our family membership.

Sue To, via email WWT says: Congratulations, Sue and Hei-Li, your letter wins our Dusty Duck contest from the July/September 2017 issue, and your prize, The Little Book of Wetland Bird Sounds, is winging its way to you, courtesy of Fine Feather Press.

Kaul of the wild I am 12 years old and I’ve been birding for about four years. I want to encourage young people, especially those from

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different ethnic backgrounds, to get outdoors and embrace the natural world around them.

I was astonished to learn that only 21% of British children enjoy exploring nature.

Most of my friends would rather play on their phones, but I aim to change that.

Modern-day technology has made it easy for us to share photos, videos and experiences with a click of a button.

This simple action can help to spread knowledge and ignite a passion for wild places and wild birds that will help to preserve them for future generations.

I believe everyone has the potential to make a difference, regardless of their age or background. Please visit my YouTube channel and blog: Kaul of the Wild.

Kabir Kaul, London

Cetti’s captured at last!

As one of a team of volunteer guides in the Headley Discovery Hide at the London Wetland Centre, I often hear people say they hear Cetti’s warblers, but never see them. Last September, the bird we often hear from the hide broke cover and I was lucky enough to get this shot!

Rose Weigand, Volunteer, London Wetland Centre Inspired by Slimbridge I’ve been birdwatching at Slimbridge since I was five. Birds have always been of interest to me and feature a lot in my artwork. Recently, I decided to create some life drawings [top right] of the many different species of wildfowl I saw from the different hides around the centre, to include in my portfolio for university.

Charlotte O’Neill, via email

send us your best photos!

Keen to learn We are home educating our four kids and they enjoy visiting WWT London. They love observing wildlife and documenting their visits in their nature journals. Here’s a photo [below] from our last visit.

Daria Wagdi, London

Marvellous magazine I love flicking through my husband’s copy of Waterlife, and since our daughter arrived last October, we’ve upgraded to a couple’s membership. So now we all get to enjoy our magazine and trips to our local WWT centre. Thank you!

Victoria Murray, Sunderland Oops! We made a mistake The image on page 31 of the October/ December 2017 issue described as a sand lizard was in fact a common lizard.

Sand lizards are extremely rare.

CONGRATULATIONS! The winners of our Wigeon Post competitions in the October/December 2017 issue of Waterlife were: Crossword – Mrs Marcia Hammond Spotting Skills – Mr Patrick Cannings (the bird was a spotted redshank)

Your wild photos

Here’s a selection of some of the great shots sent in by readers for the Your Wild Photos slot. Turn to page 14 to see the winning image this issue

Swan among ducks

Snuggle time!

at WWT Slimbridge is one of my This image of afternoon otter snuggles ier, via email Ston Jess favourite photos from last year.

Red, red robin We love it at Arundel Wetland Centre. I sometimes visit with my husband, but mostly with my son’s family – his two boys love it. My son and I like to do some photography when we go.

Brenda Ellis, Worthing

I found this exquisite black swan at Martin Mere last September. They are so beautiful – I’ve only ever seen them once before. It was amazing to see how much the wild birds at the centre change from season to season. I look forward to going back in winter to check out the visito rs then!

Aimee Sweeney, Liverpool

Freeze frame

Steart smashers These two wheatears tantalised me as they flew from post to post in front of me at Steart Marshes, but kept well out of reach!

Kevin McDonagh, Teignmouth

e, I was surprised at the number On a September day out at Slimbridg s. They are quite hard to of dragonflies still active near the pond focus, off it goes again. This in one get you n whe photograph – just the fence. I enjoy the freedom on common darter was taking a breather turn up whenever I want, just can I – me gives hip my WWT members for free. Dave George, via email

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SPOTTER’S GUIDE TO...

WHISTLING WIGEON

Winter is a time for wellies and wigeon, says nature writer Dominic Couzens.

You won’t want to miss these whistling ducks at your local WWT centre

Wigeon are the epitome of wild winter.

Geese and swans will add thrills to any visit to your local WWT centre, but it’s often the large flocks of skittish, whistling wigeon that define your day.

Look out from a hide and you’ll often see a tightly packed mass of pinkish ducks, busily grazing pasture.

The flock – often several hundred strong – moves slowly forward across the grass like a creeping tide. Each individual is a study in concentration as it tugs at stems of vegetation, in between brief glances for danger.

And every so often the alarm goes up. For an instant, the flock is heads-up alert, and then there is a flurry of wings and whistles as the birds take off for the nearest water, where they are safe from ground predators.

The males have a large, bold white patch on each forewing, and the effect of

Wigeon watch: things to spot 20

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many birds flying in close formation is mesmerising. Equally so is the wigeon’s wondrous, excited whistle, ‘whee-oo’, given by males in alarm and excitement.

Meanwhile, the females, ruddier and less obviously streaked than other female ducks, make short, rather grumpy chattering noises – the perfect gruff accompaniment.

WIGEON WEATHER

Many thousands of these birds spill down in autumn from far northern breeding grounds such as Iceland, Fennoscandia and European Russia, bringing a dash of the north with them to every WWT centre. Numbers peak in January. Driving rain, cold, frost and fog is wigeon weather.

WWT has pioneered something you won’t see on any gardening programme – the Wigeon Lawn. Providing ideal

Where to see wigeon All of our centres are host to a spectacle of wigeon, with flocks up to 7,000 strong possible at Slimbridge in winter. Watch our video online at youtube.com/ watch?v=HdbBst92Qgs.

feeding grounds for these ducks is a laborious process. At Slimbridge in summer, the sward is kept grazed by cattle, which also provide manure; in autumn, the ground must be topped (cut by tractor) to eliminate thistles and other plants that might compete with the soft grasses that wigeon, and other wildfowl, prefer to graze.

Martin McGill, Senior Reserve Warden at Slimbridge, says: ‘It’s a lot of hard work and takes time, but to see those large flocks grazing away on a cold winter day makes it all worthwhile.’

WATCH OUT, THIEF! When feeding in shallow water, wigeon often swim near coots. The latter bring up vegetation from the bottom, which the wigeon often steal!

WIGEON LAWNMOWER Look closely at a wigeon feeding in the grass. Wigeons have shorter, narrower bills than other ducks, making them efficient at pulling at and clipping vegetation.

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DISGRUNTLED DUCKS In close proximity in a feeding flock, birds often clash and bicker. Look for small signs of aggression, such as thrusting the head forward, or pecking.

The sheep of the bird world, a carpet of wigeon creeps across the grass, grazing steadily – until an alarm call sends all the ducks into the air in a dramatic spectacle

EYES ON THE SKIES A wigeon looks upwards to check for danger. Birds at the edge of the flock do this more often than those at the centre, and apparently, males are more vigilant than females.

Mike Potts/naturepl.com

CHILLY COURTSHIP From midwinter onwards, look for males momentarily lifting their wings and calling as part of their courtship display. Once a pair is formed, the male guards his mate.

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TOP SPECIES TO SEE

RETURN OF THE

OSPREY Seeing an osprey plunge-fishing is one of the UK’s greatest wildlife spectacles and it’s been delighting visitors to Caerlaverock for the past eight years. Mike Unwin found out more about the conservation efforts that keep these magnificent birds coming back…

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Scotland: The Big Picture/naturepl.com

An osprey plummets towards the water, thrusting its long legs, huge, scaly feet and razor-sharp claws forward to snatch up a slippery fish. Spines on their toe pads ensure there is no escape

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TOP SPECIES TO SEE

aybreak on a palm-fringed beach in January, in Senegal, West Africa. Ghost crabs skitter across the sand as fishermen unload the night’s catch. Suddenly, an explosion of spray erupts from just beyond the surf. A large bird emerges from the ocean, long wings beating hard as it hauls itself skyward. Struggling in its talons is a huge grey mullet. But there’s no escape: the bird adjusts its deadly grip and starts to gain height, its wings beating a powerful rhythm.

FISH CATCHER

It’s an osprey, of course. What other bird can snatch a big fish from the water in a feet-first plunge dive? This impressive party trick comes courtesy of some unique adaptations: not only those wickedly long, fish-hook claws, but also the spiny scales on the toes – called spicules – that provide extra traction, and a reversible third toe that can swing round to support the hind claw in clutching the slippery prize. Add the bird’s specially oily plumage, to prevent water-logging, and nostrils that seal shut on impact with the water, and you have the perfect feathered fishing machine.

Look closer at its legs, however, and you may be surprised to spot a blue ring. This modest piece of plastic tells a story. It proves that, while this osprey may have been hanging out on a tropical beach for the past few months, guzzling mullet and dodging the local fish eagles, it has another life somewhere else. In Scotland, to be precise.

The osprey was ringed two summers ago, deep in a pine forest near the Solway Firth.

Back then it was just a scrawny nestling, waiting to make its first flight. A team from

Courtesy of Tony Lightley

The first osprey chick born on ‘our’ nest was called Blue LY after his ring colour and letters

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In January and February, ospreys are feeding up in Africa in preparation for their flight north in March. They’ll be here before you know it – so start planning your visit to Caerlaverock today

Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES), who monitor the nest, climbed the tree and fitted the ring. They knew it would help them identify this bird should it ever decide to return.

And, right now, returning is exactly what the osprey has in mind. For the past few weeks it has been fishing vigorously, building up energy for the long journey ahead. By early March it will be en route, following the coastline north towards Europe. There’s no time to lose if it is to secure a nest site. It will make the perilous journey alone, perhaps even taking a

Right now, returning to Scotland is exactly what the osprey has in mind.

It has been fishing vigorously, building up energy for the long journey ahead shortcut over the stormy Bay of Biscay in order to beat the competition. With luck, when it reaches its destination, the osprey will find its mate already there, waiting.

Meanwhile, 4,700km to the north, Scotland is still in the grip of winter. But with spring just around the corner, the team are already preparing for the ospreys’ return. In the forest, FES environment staff climb the tree to check that the nest – a large platform of sticks atop a Scots pine – is secure and stable. They fit a camera to beam live images of the ospreys, then the Radio and Electronics branch check the solar battery set-up.

If all goes to plan, these intimate views of the nest will soon be delighting visitors to WWT Caerlaverock, just a few miles away.

We’ve been working with our partners in the project, FES, to share this amazing

Peter Cairns/2020VISION/naturepl.com

What other bird can snatch a fish from the water in a feet-first plunge dive? This party trick is due to some unique adaptations

spectacle since 2009, when ospreys first started nesting nearby. This year, once again, visitors will be able to watch the ospreys raise another family live on a big screen at Caerlaverock.

Until a few years ago, such a sight was unimaginable. Ospreys had not nested on the Solway Firth for over a century. Indeed, the species vanished from Scotland as a breeding bird in 1916, driven to extinction by gamekeepers and egg collectors. It didn’t return until 1954, when a pair nested at Loch Garten in the Highlands.

A slow recolonisation soon got under way. At first progress was slow, held back by pesticide pollution and the continued activities of egg collectors. During the 1980s and 1990s, however, things began to speed up. There are now more than 220 pairs of ospreys in Scotland, and their range has expanded from the Highlands, even spreading south of the border into Cumbria, Northumberland and north Wales.

Today, the Solway Firth is part of this success story. For several years, passing ospreys had been visiting its rich fishing

ow to uild an osprey nesting platform In January and February, rangers check the ospreys’ nest is secure and stable, and set up the webcam. But that’s the easy part.

Trying to attract ospreys to nest here in the first place is much more challenging. Here’s how we build a nesting platform...

1. First, select an appropriate tall tree. It must have clear sight lines above the forest and good food perches on surrounding trees.

Before the birds return in March, climb up and remove branches from the crown to create a clear, conspicuous site.

2. Lash together some small logs using rope or wire to make a frame as the base of the nest. Fix the frame to the clear crown of the tree.

3. Add small branches to the frame to fill out the base of the nest. The ospreys will add more branches to complete the structure. Splash around some white emulsion to look like droppings – this may help attract passing ospreys.

4. Return once the family has left in winter to thin out the nest, removing some large branches. This will make the nest less vulnerable to blowing down in Scotland’s high winds.

We recently constructed a tripod-style artificial nesting platform for the ospreys

Last year’s youngsters were tagged so we can follow their migration to Africa – and hopefully back again

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TOP SPECIES TO SEE

Laurie Campbell/naturepl.com

Every year, we hope the ospreys will return to reuse their old nest, so that visitors can enjoy intimate views of the dramas of raising an osprey family on our webcam

eet our osprey stars

These are some of our favourite osprey characters from the nesting site near Caerlaverock. We’ve watched their lives unfold, and shared their trials and triumphs, on our webcams.

Watch out this summer for more osprey serial drama!

1. UNNAMED FEMALE First female to breed. Never named or ringed, but

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identified by a dark marking on her face, like a frown.

First nested with male Green AW in 2005. The pair did not produce eggs until 2009. In total, produced 10 chicks with two different males over five years. Has not returned since 2015.

2. GREEN AW MALE First male to breed.

Hatched in 2003 from a nest in Galloway, where he

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was ringed with green ring AW. An expert flounder catcher. Paired up with Unnamed Female (left) in 2005. The pair first hatched chicks in 2009. Has not returned since 2010.

3. MALE YELLOW 80 Hatched from the Tweed Valley. First appeared in 2012 when he paired up with Unnamed Female (left).

In 2015, 2016 and 2017,

he returned with different females, but didn’t breed at the site.

4. CHICK PY7 One of a clutch of three chicks hatched last year

by White TR female and an unnamed male.

Satellite-tagged. Migrated south to West Africa last autumn and was recorded entering Guinea Bissau early last October.

‘The female just fed the chicks until they were too full to sit up straight, and slumped over. As soon as they sat up, she pushed more food down their throats’

up with new male Yellow 80. This pair produced two chicks for two years running, but in 2015 the female disappeared.

Yellow 80 found a new mate, but the pair failed to breed. To the team’s surprise, 2016 saw the arrival of an entirely different pair: female White TR and an unringed male.

These newcomers chose a new nesting tree and produced two chicks, Blue PW9 and Blue PW0, which, for the first time, were fitted with satellite tags.

In 2017, a camera on the new nest allowed visitors in Caerlaverock to watch the pair produce three chicks, dubbed PY5, PY6 and PY7. The unringed male proved to be an outstanding fisherman, flying back and forth to the Solway Firth to capture flounders – and a firm favourite with visitors. The brood flourished. ‘The female just fed the chicks until they were too full to sit up straight, and slumped over,’ says Brian Morrell, Centre Manager at Caerlaverock.

‘As soon as they sat up, she pushed more food down their throats.’

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

grounds with increasing regularity. Then, in the summer of 2005, the repeated courtship displays of one pair suggested that they might be breeding somewhere nearby.

Painstaking detective work soon revealed that the birds had built a nest on nearby Forest Enterprise land.

No eggs were laid that year, nor the next, and in 2007 the nest was blown down. But, ever hopeful, the FES team braced the tree, installed CCTV cameras and hoped.

OSPREY SERIAL DRAMA

Success came at last in 2009. The pair produced three eggs, from which a single chick hatched. The male bird was known from his ring as Green AW. The female was unnamed but recognisable from a dark frown-like marking on her face. Their chick, ringed in the nest, was known as Blue LY. By now the CCTV cameras were up and running. Visitors to Caerlaverock could enjoy the first images of an osprey chick on the nest in Dumfriesshire for over a century.

Since then, the story has been a real avian soap opera. The first osprey pair returned and bred for the next three years. Then, in 2012, by which time we were conveying the action live, the original female paired

Last year brought to 15 the total number of young ospreys produced in the Caerlaverock area since 2009: a significant contribution to the ever-expanding UK population. It’s not all been plain sailing, however. Twice, the nesting tree has blown down in winter storms and new nesting platforms have had to be constructed.

Once, a chick crash-landed beneath the tree, from where it was rescued, fed on fresh salmon and returned to the nest. And on another occasion, a skirmish with an intruding male resulted in broken eggs for the nesting pair.

The work doesn’t let up. Every breeding season the FES environment team climb the trees to ring the chicks. Every winter they check and repair the nest sites. When nesting trees are damaged, they construct artificial platforms – indeed, more than one-third of osprey nests in Scotland are artificial. Brian hopes one day to persuade a pair to breed at the centre, and has installed a tripod platform constructed from three telegraph poles. ‘So far we’ve attracted almost every kind of bird you can think of, except ospreys!’ he reports. Fingers remain firmly crossed.

Meanwhile, ever-improving technology is teaching us more and more about ospreys. In 2016, the first year in which the

birds carried satellite transmitters, the team tracked one chick down through the Isle of Man and north Wales, across the Channel into France and south to southern Spain.

This year the signal has led even further: by early October, chick PY7 was moving south through West Africa, about to cross from Senegal into Guinea Bissau. Such information is vital for international efforts to protect the bird on its migration routes and the partnership hopes to fit more satellite tags this year.

LONG-DISTANCE MIGRANTS

Found on every continent except Antarctica, they’re one of the world’s widest-ranging birds. But, being longdistance migrants that travel every year between northern Europe and West Africa, they’re vulnerable to many different threats.

Their return to Scotland is thus a major conservation success story: it proves that we’ve learned from the past and can once again offer the birds a home to bring them back year after year.

So next summer, look out for Caerlaverock’s ospreys. The action will be live on screen from May, and late summer is a good time to look out from the Saltcot Merse Observatory, when several birds may be hanging around the estuary with their catches. And wherever you live in the UK, keep your eyes open: ospreys may drop in anywhere for a spot of fishing as they travel to and from their breeding sites.

Who knows, you might just spot PY7!

O REY W T

• Make 2018 the year you see all of the UK’s great natural spectacles. Use our website to help plan a year of stunning seasonal wildlife watching.

• Start the way you mean to go on by planning your visit to see ospreys at Caerlaverock today. Don’t forget, you can even book accommodation and stay on-site. Visit wwt.org.uk/ wetland-centres/caerlaverock/ plan-your-visit/accommodation.

• From late March to August, you may spot ospreys coming down to fish in the Solway Firth and from the WWT Caerlaverock tower hides.

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WILDLIFE IN Your photos are a wonderful testament to the astonishing diversity of wildlife that thrives at WWT centres. And every year, we look forward to sharing your favourite shots from the past year in our photo competition. Here are this year’s incredible winners…

Have you been bitten by the wildlife photography bug?

Do your fingers twitch when you see something incredible and you wish your camera was within reach? Do you get up early and stay out late, striving for the perfect image?

Do your friends and loved ones leave you to it, knowing you could be there, crawling around with your camera, for quite a while? If so, you’re our kind of person!

Your hard work, vision and dedication paid off in this year’s photo competition. Sophie Stafford, Waterlife’s editor and an experienced photography judge, was given the hard task of shortlisting just 15 images from nearly 300 entries.

She says: ‘So many of WWT’s talented members really took time to look around them and notice the details that make up the 28

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beautiful web of life. This year’s entries showcased the breathtaking range of wildlife – both resident and wild – at WWT centres.’

Huge congratulations to everyone whose photos were shortlisted. The winners showcased on these pages were selected by a WWT panel of experts, who are delighted to say a huge well done to David Fyles. He took this stunning image of a hovering kestrel at WWT Martin Mere.

David wins a pair of incredible Leica Trinovid 8x42 HD binoculars, worth £830. Thank you so much to Leica for its support.

If you’ve been inspired by this year’s competition, don’t miss our Photo Tips

every issue (page 43), where professional photographer Chris Gomersall explains in simple steps how you can take better wildlife photos.

Many WWT centres also offer hands-on tuition in special photography courses, so check out Down Your Way (from page 47) for details.

Once you’ve polished your skills, don’t miss next year’s competition, which launches in the July/September issue.

And if you can’t wait till then, don’t forget that the best reader images sent in each issue will be published in Waterways and Wigeon Post (see pages 14 and 19). We can’t wait to see what you can do!

‘Well done to all of WWT’s talented members who took the time to really look around them and notice the details that make up the beautiful web of life in our precious wetlands’

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winner

WINDHOVER BY DAVID FYLES wwt martin mere David says: ‘Last October, I saw a pair of kestrels regularly from the Ron Barker Hide.

When hovering, the birds orientate their bodies so that they face into the wind. I had to wait for days for the right combination of factors – the right behaviour, the right distance from the hide, the right wind direction and the right weather. One afternoon, this kestrel began to hover just 25m away, so I set my shutter speed to freeze the head and blur the wings, and began shooting. As it readied itself to drop down into the grass, I got the shot.

Success for both of us!’

Sophie says: ‘David has combined his knowledge of bird behaviour and photography to bring us a stunning image of behaviour that’s normally only seen from a distance. By being at eye level with this kestrel, we can appreciate how superbly designed it is for hovering.

A deserving winner.’

PHOTO COMPET ITION

FOCUS

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RUNNER U

Ian says: ‘In June, common terns nest in front of one of the hides on Wader Lake. I was DUELLING COMMON TERNS photographing the adults

BY IAN COLE bringing fish to their young, when I noticed some “pirate” WWT WASHINGTON

third place COMMON SNIPE DISPLAYING

BY ROGER BYNG WWT SLIMBRIDGE Roger says: ‘I was in the Rushy Hide, quietly watching a small group of snipe searching for food in the shallows, when an alarm was sounded by a nearby blackbird. The snipe quickly adopted this defensive posture – lowering its head to the ground and raising its tail – and I was able to capture this striking and unusual behaviour.’

Sophie says: ‘Roger’s dedication and patience has really paid off.

Snipe like to keep a low profile, but this incredible moment shows just how beautiful and fascinating they are.’

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terns chasing the parents, trying to steal their catch. As one bird dropped its fish, the thief swooped down to grab it, but the rightful owner seized its bill and pulled it away.‘

Sophie says: ‘This is a challenging photo that has been executed well. Ian has frozen both birds in action, enabling us to appreciate their aerial agility.’

commended BLUE TIT

BY ANTHONY PLUMMER WWT ARUNDEL

Anthony says: ‘I took this shot by the stag beetle pile.

I was very quiet and moved very slowly to avoid disturbing the birds. I crouched down, got my camera settings right and waited. When this blue tit landed right in front of me, I knew it was an opportunity not to be missed. I snapped away quickly, but before I knew it, the bird was gone.’

Sophie says: ‘Anthony has shown off this blue tit’s vivid colours with a diffuse background and soft light.

Notice the catchlight in the eye. Lovely!’

commended SPIDER IN HER WEB

BY GRAHAM BUTCHER WWT ARUNDEL Graham says: ‘I love insect photography. It’s amazing what you see when you really start looking. I was searching for ladybirds when the colours of this spider and the shape of her web caught my eye. She was repairing the damage caused by a

heavy downpour. I moved slowly to avoid disturbing her and got down low to get this clean background.’

Sophie says: ‘With a sharp eye for detail and composition, Graham has captured a master spinner at work. A delightful photo that highlights the extraordinary strength and architecture of a humble spider’s web!’

commended GREATER FLAMINGO

BY ALISON WELLBY WWT MARTIN MERE Alison says: ‘I love taking pictures of the flamingos in their house rather than outside, as their beautiful plumage stands out against the shadows, giving my images the look of a studio shoot. The main challenge is the poor light. I wanted to create an intimate portrait, so when this bird preened, fluffing out its feathers and looking straight at my camera, I knew it was the moment I was waiting for.’

Sophie says: ‘Alison overcame tricky technical challenges to capture this stunning portrait. The feather detail and curve of the neck are exquisite.’

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commended KINGFISHER BY MIKE DOYLE WWT ARUNDEL Mike says: ‘After four hours in the Ramsar Hide, I had captured few decent images and was in need of a coffee. I was packing up when this little guy flashed past and perched outside the hide window. He was only there for 60 seconds, but I managed to get my camera back into position, focus and adjust the shutter speed just in time to get this shot. And I managed to do all of this without getting too excited and spooking the bird.’

Sophie says: ‘Mike’s patience, lightning reactions and calmness under pressure really paid off in this image.’

commended HOODED MERGANSER

BY DAVID SNEDDON WWT MARTIN MERE David says: ‘Last August, I set up on the wooden bridge and kept watch for the male hooded merganser. Both sexes of this small diving duck have extravagant crests they can raise, and in breeding males it’s a striking black and white pattern.

Eventually, the female ventured close enough and I got my shot.’

Sophie says: ‘Brown she may be, but David’s photo shows off the subtle beauty of this female’s plumage against serene water.’

commended FEEDING TIME

BY YVONNE CARRINGTON WWT SLIMBRIDGE Yvonne says: ‘At feeding time, the North American otters become very active, chasing fish thrown into the water by the warden.

They seem to exude joy.

My challenge was to get a clear view through all the onlookers and avoid their reflections in the glass.

I didn’t use a flash to avoid frightening the otters.’

Sophie says: ‘What a delightful moment! Yvonne has captured the gorgeous, whiskery face of this otter, and his ease in the water, without including any part of the enclosure in the frame. Good work.’

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JANUARY/MARCH 2018

cities | scenery | culture | heritage | events | seasons

Yorkshire by Steam Discover glorious Yorkshire, from the edge of the rugged Dales to its spectacular coastline, via its majestic moorland. Take in ancient York, discover delightful Brontë country and embark on scenic heritage railway journeys.

Itinerary (for full details visit www.raildiscoveries.com/YHS) Day 1 Meet in Harrogate Your discovery of Yorkshire begins in Harrogate, an attractive Georgian spa town. Here you meet your Tour Manager at your hotel. You are free to begin your explorations of the town before this evening’s dinner in the hotel.

Day 2 Historic York Take the train to nearby York today, and admire this beautiful walled city with Roman and medieval architecture in abundance on a guided walking tour. You see landmarks such as the magnificent Minster, and the quaint medieval Shambles. Following the tour you are free to explore. The National Railway Museum, with its large collection of carriages and locomotives, should not be missed. For a unique view of York, walk along the 13th century city walls, or if you’re feeling energetic, why not admire the panorama from the top of the Minster’s central tower?

Day 3 The North Yorkshire Moors Railway Join the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in Pickering for today’s excursion to Whitby, one of Yorkshire’s most popular seaside resorts.

The enthralling journey by steam* crosses the breathtaking North York Moors National Park. Travelling in heritage carriages, you pass through Goathland, better known as ‘Aidensfield’ in TV’s Heartbeat, en-route to Whitby. Crowned by its brooding abbey and famous as the setting for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Whitby boasts some of the UK’s finest fish and chip restaurants.

Enjoy free time here to explore.

Day 4 Worth Valley and the Brontës Enjoy a nostalgic journey on the heritage Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. From Keighley, the steam-hauled* trip takes you up the Worth Valley to Oxenhope, passing the rugged hills, rustic stone cottages and wild farmland immortalised in the 1970 film ‘The Railway Children’, which was filmed here. There is also a chance to visit the Vintage Carriage Museum in Ingrow and the goods shed in Oxenhope. Later,

continue to the picturesque village of Haworth stopping at the Brontë Parsonage, home to the famous literary sisters. It was here, amid the wonderfully dramatic landscape, that the Brontës were inspired to write novels such as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

Day 5 Homeward bound After breakfast you are free to depart from Harrogate, but perhaps take the time to visit one of the town’s beautiful parks, Betty’s Tea Rooms, or the well-known spa first. *Steam-hauled where possible WHITBY GOATHLAND

£375

NO HIDDEN EXTRAS: • Fully escorted by a UK Tour Manager from start to finish • 4 nights’ hotel accommodation • 8 meals including 4 breakfasts and 4 dinners • Guided tour of York

PICKERING

• Journey on the Keighley & Worth Valley Steam Railway

HARROGATE 4

YORK

KEIGHLEY HAWORTH OXENHOPE

Nights in hotel

Departures 3, 5, 10 Apr 18 16, 19, 30 Apr 18 3, 10 May 18 14 May 18 21, 28 May 18 1, 4 Jun 18 7, 14 Jun 18 18, 21 Jun 18 25, 28 Jun 18 2 Jul 18 5, 6, 12 Jul 18 19, 23 Jul 18 30 Jul 18

By Coach

Price £395 £415 £425 £425 £425 £425 £425 £415 £415 £415 £395 £395 £395

• Visit to the Brontë Parsonage

By Rail

Departures 2, 6, 10 Aug 18 13, 14 Aug 18 17, 21 Aug 18 23 Aug 18 27 Aug 18 3, 6 Sep 18 17 Sep 18 20, 21 Sep 18 24, 30 Sep 18 1 Oct 18 4, 8, 11 Oct 18 14, 18 Oct 18 29 Oct 18

Price £395 £395 £395 £395 £415 £425 £425 £425 £425 £425 £415 £395 £375

NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT on selected departures. Please call for details.#

Call for your free brochure to discover our fantastic range of UK rail holidays Railways of Wales. 6 days from £495 West Highlands & Skye. 6 days from £495

5 DAYS FROM

Isle of Man. 6 days from £615 Norwich & Norfolk. 5 days from £375

Book with 100% confidence, flight-inclusive holidays are ATOL protected, non flight-inclusive holidays are protected by ABTA. Dates and prices are subject to availability. Prices shown are per person, based on 2 people sharing. Prices may change prior to and after publication. Itinerary may differ depending on the departure date you choose. #No single supplement applies to selected 2018 European holidays. Subject to availability, limited amount of single supplement rooms available per departure. Only available until all single supplement rooms are sold. Terms and conditions apply. Please call for further details.Calls will be recorded.

• Scenic journey on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway • Excursion to Whitby with free time

Call us now to book or request a brochure

01904 730623

www.raildiscoveries.com Our tour advisors are

here 7 days a week

W I L D L I F E S P E C TAC L E S

Markus Varesvuo/naturepl.com

THE GOOSE

34

The barnacle geese that winter in the UK could have come from north-east Greenland or the Svalbard archipelago of northern Norway

Waterlife

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

DETECTIVES

Winter brings the welcome return of wild geese to our centres. While visitors enjoy this incredible spectacle, WWT’s scientists are working to protect three very different migrants – using a combination of high technology and low cunning JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Waterlife

35

Pink-footed geese do not stay in one place during the winter – they move around the UK

Whitefronts do their best to foil WWT scientists. How is it possible to study the breeding geese?

WWT PhD student Ed Burrell has spent the past five winters crawling around in Hebridean ditches. He’s there now – it’s cold, wet, uncomfortable… and he loves it.

The island of Islay is where nearly a third of Britain and Ireland’s Greenland white-fronted geese spend the winter, and Ed is out to get them. He’s in a hurry – the population has declined by nearly half in under 20 years. Fewer birds have been returning each year from their breeding grounds in remote west Greenland and WWT is helping to find out why with the support of Glengoyne whisky and Samskip.

Evading the goose detectives

Whitefronts do their best to foil WWT scientists. They nest in remote boggy or heathy land, and in such low densities that a researcher might trek for miles to find just one nest. Not only that, they are incredibly flighty birds, and a human intruder might cause the female to desert or allow predators to steal her eggs. How is it possible to study the breeding geese?

The answer lies in a harmless plastic collar around the bird’s neck that holds a

compact box less than a hundredth of her weight. Powered by a solar battery that can last more than three years, it contains a galaxy of sophisticated trickery. A satellite receiver and internal aerials pinpoint the bird’s exact location. It’s supported by a gadget called an accelerometer – a kind of Fitbit for birds.

While it can count the number of steps a goose takes, it does so much more. As Ed explains: ‘It’s so fine-tuned to the bird’s movements that it can even tell us how it’s grazing – whether it’s grazing the surface or

digging down deeper. It shows us when the goose is alert with its head up and we can tell when she is at the nest and how long her incubation lasts.’ Are we in a giddy world of virtual research where no one need ever go out in the field again?

Not quite. Female geese do not practice self-adornment, so somebody has to fit the collars and leg rings, too. First, we have to catch our geese.

Whitefronts are unusually canny birds.

They can navigate big distances – 3,220km from Greenland to Scotland and still find

Know your geese

Goose illustrations: Mark Hulme

The UK hosts six species of geese that breed in far northern countries and come here for the winter. The first four belong to the so-called ‘grey geese’ group of the Anser genus. They are all big, predominantly grey birds.

The other two are the barnacle and brent goose. These birds belong to the Branta genus (from an Old Norse word meaning ‘black’ or ‘burnt’). Can you spot them all?

36

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JANUARY/MARCH 2018

PINK-FOOTED One of our smaller geese, with a relatively short neck, dark, round head, short pink bill, grey-brown plumage and pink legs.

WHITE-FRONTED The white patch on the forehead and black belly markings of the whitefront are easy to spot. Birds from Greenland have orange bills.

Geoff Scott-Simpson/naturepl.com

W I L D L I F E S P E C TAC L E S

GREYLAG

TAIGA BEAN

LIGHT-BELLIED BRENT

The large size and pale feathers of the greylag distinguish it from other grey geese. The heavy bill is orange, the legs are pink.

Darker and browner than other geese in this group, the bean has a dark head, long, slim neck and black and orange bill.

A small, dark goose with a black head and neck, with a small white patch. The darkbellied brent also visits the UK.

Greenland white-fronted goose: Wild Wonders of Europe/naturepl.com

Greenland white-fronted geese winter exclusively in Ireland and Britain. They are declining and of the highest conservation concern, so our research is vital

BARNACLE With a white face and black crown, the barnacle goose is unmistakable. Families bicker with a constant yapping call.

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

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37

W I L D L I F E S P E C TAC L E S

Whitefronts appear to have a large-scale map in their heads that tells them exactly where the bogbean grows their way ‘home’, the same handful of fields to which they return year after year. Unlike other goose species, which nest and gather in huge, all-seeing flocks, whitefronts stay in small family groups. On his trips to Iceland, where the geese halt for a month in spring and autumn, Ed sees the coloured leg rings on birds feeding together that demonstrate these familial bonds.

Whitefronts appear to have a map in their heads that tells them exactly where the bogbean (a plant that thrives in bogs and shallow water) recorded grows and where The world’s oldest s seen at wa e os cotton grass is barnacle go in 2014, ck ero av erl plentiful. They have Ca WWT was first it er charted every field, nearly 30 years aft had It . tic Arc the every boulder, and ringed in 00km 3,0 19 n tha re mo are acutely aware and flown g on migration durin distrustful of anything life. g lon its that appears different. Ed skulks around out of sight in the twilight world of ditches, crawling close enough with an aerial to download information from their neck collars, or to trap them in cannon nets – it’s like throwing a blanket over them out of nowhere.

DID YOU KNOW?

Climate change

All of this work is gradually moving WWT towards understanding why fewer Greenland whitefronts are returning from the north. One likely factor is climate change. Warmer springs bring late precipitation, and it falls as snow. There seems to be a correlation between milder, snowy springs and low productivity, so it is possible that the birds arrive with the ground covered and are unable to breed.

Fine-detail satellite imagery is revealing amounts of snow cover and where geese go in response, to test this hypothesis.

Researcher Larry Griffin has been studying geese for 18 years and has seen climate change alter the fortunes of one of his principal species… in their favour.

38

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JANUARY/MARCH 2018

GREENLAND WHITE-FRONTED Breeding range Flyway range Wintering range

SVALBARD BARNACLE Breeding range Flyway range Wintering range

ICELANDIC PINK-FOOTED Breeding range Flyway range Wintering range

Where do our WINTER geese come from?

Though all three goose species featured in this article breed far north of the UK, they have quite different migration routes to get here.

Greenland white-fronted geese rely on two long hops, with Iceland acting as a stopping point for a month or so in both spring and autumn. Birds that arrive in Scotland come from different parts of Greenland to those that winter in Ireland.

Svalbard barnacle geese breed on the Svalbard archipelago between Norway and the North Pole, and winter at WWT Caerlaverock and other parts of the Solway Firth.

Highly mobile pink-footed geese migrate primarily from Iceland and Greenland. They may do a winter tour of Britain, including WWT Caerlaverock, Martin Mere and Welney.

Celebrate life’s precious moments

Some occasions call for something a little bit special Giving a WWT gift in memory is a great way for you to mark an engagement, an anniversary or to remember a loved one. It’s a gift that lasts a lifetime and helps to support the nature you love.

From commemoration books to an inscribed leaf on our Tree of Life, we can help you find the perfect gift.

To find out what is available at each of our centres,

call 01453 891162

or visit wwt.org.uk/gifts-in-memory

W I L D L I F E S P E C TAC L E S

DID YOU KNOWr?Scott

Sir Pete WWT founder -footed goose nk pi d re pionee lling thousands studies by corra y h the same wa into nets, in muc d lle rra co d ha that Icelanders pens (to eat then into stone reds them) for hund s. of year

‘Breeding areas for barnacle geese on the Arctic tundra are becoming free of ice earlier in the year, making vegetation available earlier and at a greater number of sites. This bird now has greater legal protection all along its migration route, and there’s abundant food here in their wintering grounds.’

Monitoring barnacle geese is relatively straightforward, since sociable flocks can be coaxed towards nets with a bribe of grain.

Although a protected species, WWT keeps a close eye on the numbers that SNH licensed farmers and marksmen kill in seeking to protect their grass, but so far there are no signs that they are having an impact on overall populations. The future looks bright for this striking bird.

Icelandic treasures

Every winter, tens of thousands of pink-footed geese are a highlight at WWT Martin Mere and Caerlaverock, but could such great spectacles be at risk from a measure to tackle climate change? Carl Mitchell is on a wild goose chase to find out. He’s been catching birds at both reserves, as well as travelling to Iceland last summer to round up over 300 birds during 40

Waterlife

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Where to see winter geese

From October to April, large flocks of pink-footed geese can be seen at WWT Martin Mere and on large estuaries

their post-breeding moult, when the geese were flightless.

The Icelandic name for the pinkfoot translates as ‘mountain goose’ and for a good reason. At the first hint of danger, the geese run up the nearest hill and sit down. The fawn-grey birds blend perfectly with the fawn-grey stones of the hills.

So quick-thinking Carl assembled a flock of Icelandic school-leavers to act like shepherds, walking the birds into pens, so that they could be tagged with GPS units attached to neck collars.

Technology may give Carl vital information. As the UK builds more wind turbines, Carl is trying to predict the cumulative impact on a population of half a million pink-footed geese. The birds roam over great distances, and the information stored in their collars will enable him to track their movements.

Critically, it will also show the height at which they fly. Do they rise high on migration and low on short hops over land?

Are they at risk of flying into the blades, and what would be the effect on the whole population if turbine numbers doubled or trebled? We’re there to find out.

Next time you visit your local centre and marvel at our winter geese, spare a thought for WWT’s goose crew, crawling through ditches and working hard to protect the geese and this ancient spectacle.

• Though numbers have declined, white-fronted geese are still one of the stars of Slimbridge’s winter show. Here they are joined by an expanding flock of greylags (around 500). Look for flocks on the salt pastures in front of the Holden Tower, and keep your eyes peeled for a few bean, pink-footed and brent geese among them.

• From January to March, Martin Mere can be host to the spectacle of up to 40,000 pink-footed geese arriving at the centre. They mingle with about 250-500 greylags.

• The whole Svalbard population of barnacle geese winters exclusively on the Solway. Caerlaverock was set up in 1970 to provide a winter home for these geese, and their recovery is one of our greatest success stories.

Watch the geese feeding on coastal fields and marshes from our four towers, 18 hides and observatory until late April. Look for pink-footed geese roosting with the barnacles out on the mudflats and feeding inland until late April.

• From September to March, the north end of Strangford Lough is covered with light-bellied brent geese as far as the eye can see. Watch family groups feeding on zostera from Castle Espie’s Brent Discovery Hide.

Numbers peak in autumn.

• You can see greylag geese at Arundel and Washington. At the latter, you can also often see flocks of 100-200 pink-footed geese fly over on their autumn migration.

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WWT PHOTOGRAPHY

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

2

1

Tree sparrow

Barnacle geese

STAKE OUT OUR BIRD FEEDERS

FOCUS WITH CARE

Almost all of our centres have feeding stations to help threatened species of farmland birds, such as yellowhammers and tree sparrows, through the harder weather. These make ideal honeypot locations for photography. Identify approach routes and frame up on favourite natural perches if you want to give a ‘wilder’ look to your images.

When you have a flock of birds spaced out over a large area, as with these barnacle geese, it’s generally best to set your focus on the birds nearest the camera rather than the middle of the flock. If light levels permit, use a smaller lens aperture (larger f number) to increase the ‘depth of field’, so that more of the picture shows in sharp focus from front to back.

4

3

Barn owl

Bearded tit

GOOD LIGHT FOR FLIGHT

LONG-FOCUS LENSES

Short winter days and the low angle of the sun produce special photography conditions – at least on some days!

Longer shadows create interesting modelling effects and the colour temperature of the light lends an overall warmth to your images. These attributes are also ideal for photographing birds in flight, such as daylight hunting barn owls, with good illumination on the bird’s underparts.

With small, shy birds, such as bearded tits, you’ll probably need a long telephoto lens of 500mm or more on a DSLR camera. You may even need to add a teleconverter (a small supplementary lens) to achieve full-frame shots like this – all supported on a sturdy tripod. As an alternative, the newer range of lightweight ‘micro four-thirds’ cameras also offer powerful telephoto effects, due to their small sensor size.

happy snapping

We hope you’re finding Chris’s tips helpful – and that your photographic skills are improving issue by issue. Share your best shots with us and we may publish them in the next issue of Waterlife. Tweet @WWTworldwide, using #wildWWT, or email your photos to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. In the meantime, turn to page 28 to see the stunning images that were selected as the winners of our annual photo competition.

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Waterlife

43

with

Steve a l l B ac k s h

Hello again

If you’ve ever been on a long car journey, you’ll know that at some point you desperately need a break.

You need a wee and your poor car needs more fuel, otherwise you’ll never get to your destination. So stopping at a service station is vital.

Some birds use this country like a service station.

They’re migrating long distances from one country to another, and the UK is simply a refuelling stop on the way. These birds may drop in near you to feed and rest for a few days, a couple of weeks, or just a few hours.

So don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for them!

The dunlin we see in the UK in winter are not the same ones we see in summer.

Different races of dunlin visit us at different times

Here today, gone tomorrow Why do birds fly south?

Because it’s too far to walk!

Birdwatchers have a special name for the birds that use Britain as a service station. These birds are on migration, and just passing through, so they are called ‘passage migrants’. They will have spent

the winter far south in Africa or the Mediterranean. Early in the spring, you’ll start to see more and more of them as they make their way back to northern countries to breed.

Get in touch Email your wetland stories and photos to waterlife@wwt.org.uk. Or write to Dusty at Waterlife, WWT, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT.

Arctic Europe Norway

Russia

Pomarine skua

Turnstone

WHO GOES WHERE? Can you follow the squiggly lines to discover where the migrant birds at the top of this page go to breed in the spring? You can check your answers below (upside down).

Little gull

Take a turn The turnstone does what its name says: it flips pebbles over on the beach to see if there are any creatures hiding underneath to eat.

Try saying the phrase ‘Turnstones turn stones, no stone’s unturned’ as quickly as you can. See how many times you can say it in one minute, then test your family to see who can repeat it most often.

Note the drab winter plumage

Now, here’s a strange thing about turnstones.

Birds that bred last summer in Arctic Canada or Greenland will stay here all winter long. But those that bred in Norway or Sweden will only stay for a short while, before carrying on down to West Africa.

Little gull, big journey West Africa

North Africa

Southern Africa

Pomarine skua – southern Africa, turnstone – West Africa, little gull – North Africa

Here be pirates!

One of our biggest passage migrants terrifies smaller seabirds into surrendering their booty. Pomarine skuas steal fish that other birds have caught, and sometimes kill and eat the birds, too! You might see pomarine skuas from a coastal headland, on their way from the seas off southern Africa to the Arctic.

Britain’s smallest gull doesn’t breed in this country, but you might see it passing through on the coast or on a large lake. It spends the winter in North Africa or the Mediterranean, and is bound for Finland or Russia. Look for its dark underwings – these tell you it’s an adult little gull.

,

Win! Win! Win!

We’ve got six copies of Those With Webbed Feet – a fun new book about ducks, geese and swans for young people – to give away.

For a chance to win one, finish the sentence ‘I love ducks, geese and swans because…’ Then email your answer, name and address to: waterlife@wwt.org.uk – with ‘Those With Webbed Feet’ in the subject line – by 26 January. Good luck!

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Waterlife

45

ESSENTIAL KIT

OUTDOOR GEAR WE LOVE There’s nothing better than getting outdoors and enjoying nature – especially when you have the right kit. Here’s some of our favourite seasonal gear…

FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS

Winter is here, but are we going to stay indoors? Not likely!

There are far too many crisp mornings and glorious wildlife spectacles to be seen. So prepare well and select your gear carefully, wrap up warm from your head to your toes (and your fingers) and let the British weather do its worst.

TO KEE YOUR DI IT 1 DE TROU W TE ER T E WE T ER

Warm and comfy neoprene lining

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RED I T O TION OID INDIN RIEND ND IRD

Soft, supple and quiet – shhh!

Two large bellows pockets with fold-over tops

3

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1. SealSkinz All Season Waterproof Gloves (£45) sealskinz.com 2. Petzl Actik Head Torch (£49.99) ellis-brigham.com 3. Nikon 8x42 Monarch 7 Binoculars (£599) photospecialist.co.uk 4. Aquascribe Original Notebook 156x105mm (£5.28) aquascribe.co.uk 5. Aigle Parcours 2 Iso Unisex Wellington Boots (£106.25) amazon.co.uk 6. Páramo Halcon Jacket (£345) paramo-clothing.com Details correct at time of going to print. Items also available from other retailers.

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JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Make a splash at Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships this February – there’s a splashing good time at a WWT centre near you!

For the full list of centre events, information and news, find your local centre at wwt.org.uk

ALL CENTRES

MAKE A SPLASH! For dates, see centre’s page

Map illustration by Fred Van Deelen; photos by WWT

This February half-term, grab your wellies and join us to take part in Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships. Compete to see who can produce the biggest splash – and, don’t forget, you’ll also be judged on your enthusiasm and jumping style. Daily winners will be announced and some lucky ‘super-splashers’ will receive a fantastic prize from Dusty Duck himself!

Every jumper will receive a ‘splash-tastic’ sticker to celebrate their puddle jumping skills.

MARTIN MERE Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 February Have a splashing time at the fourth annual Dusty’s North West Puddle Jumping Championships. Watch out for Dusty Duck joining the fun, and bring your friends and family. See who can make the biggest splash with our special ‘splashometer’ and perfect your splash in our practice puddle jumping areas.

WELNEY Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 February See if you can make the biggest splash this half-term at Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships! Take part in the competition, enjoy trails and activities throughout the day, and watch our commentated swan feeds.

CAERLAVEROCK Saturday 10 to Wednesday 14 February Come and show us your skills at Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships. Practice makes perfect, so get your wellies on and make a splash for the judges. Wow us with your creativity, enthusiasm and style, and we’ll choose a daily winner. All ages are welcome!

WASHINGTON Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 February Wellies at the ready this February half-term as we host Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships – guaranteed fun whatever the North East weather!

This year, we’ve introduced exciting new elements, including our special ‘splashometer’ and Welly Boot Camp challenges.

you lo e you lo al ent e we want to ea om you lea e tell u w at eat a out a day out wit u y emailin wate li e wwt o u ou ould ee you e iew in a utu e i ue

WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS IN THE CAIRNGORMS

The Grant Arms Hotel

Est 1765

THE WILDLIFE HOTEL

Four Poster Room

As soon as you walk into the Grant Arms Hotel you realise it isn’t just any ordinary Hotel. In short the refurbished Grant Arms is the hotel for bird and wildlife watchers.

Superior Room

Standard Room

The refurbished GRANT ARMS HOTEL offers wonderful food, friendly staff and 50 high quality ensuite bedrooms. All bedrooms come with hairdryer, colour TV, toiletries and coffee making facilities.

What’s included: ●

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Speyside and the Cairngorms are one of the best areas for wildlife watching in the UK. Perfect for beginner to expert, whether for a day or a fortnight. Depending on the season you could see: Golden Eagle, White-tailed Eagle, Pine Marten, Red Squirrel, Mountain Hare, Osprey, Ptarmigan, Otter, Red and Black Grouse, Red and Roe Deer, Slavonian Grebe, Crested Tit and Crossbill, as well as Dolphins, Waders, Sea Ducks and Sea Birds along the Moray Firth coast.

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Guests have free use of the BWWC Information Centre, Club Room and Library. BWWC staff are available at Breakfast and in the Evening to help you make the best of your holiday whilst leaving you free to do what you want.

Subscribe to BWWC’s Monthly Newsletter

THE WATCHER

visit http://bwwc.co.uk/the-watcher.php HOW TO GET THERE

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

By Train: The nearest station is Aviemore (14 miles) on the EdinburghInverness line.

By Plane: Inverness Airport (30 miles) - Flights from most major UK airports: FLYBE from Amsterdam, Belfast City & Birmingham; LOGANAIR from Dublin & Manchester; EASYJET from Bristol, Gatwick & Luton; BA from Heathrow. Other destinations available from Aberdeen Airport (75 miles).

To get the most out of the area you need a car.

Fly EASYJET to INVERNESS from GATWICK, LUTON & BRISTOL for less than £100 RETURN

TARIFF 2018 DB&B 4 NIGHTS

Jan - Mar Apr - Oct Nov - Dec Standard £310 £379 £315 Superior £390 £459 £395 Four Poster £470 £539 £475 7 NIGHTS Standard £515 £651 £525 Superior £655 £791 £665 Four Poster £795 £931 £805 Price per person. Excludes Christmas, New Year and other Special Breaks.

Breakfast Menu ranging from full Scottish to Kippers or Continental Early Birder Breakfast if required Afternoon Tea & Coffee Fine Scottish Dining Special Diets accommodated After Dinner Coffee & Tea Programme of Talks, Walks and Wildlife Briefings, Films & Quizzes Free WiFi Complimentary Daily Newspaper Hairdryer and Toiletries Free Parking Free use of BWWC’s private Slavonian Grebe Hide Boot Wash, Drying Room and Laundry Room. www. bwwc.co.uk

DOG FRIENDLY

I've been fortunate enough to travel “Inallmyoverwork, the world but every year, I keep

coming back to the Scottish Highlands.

The combination of stunning scenery, iconic wildlife and the warm welcome at the Grant Arms Hotel is unbeatable. Iolo Williams

”

SPECIAL EVENTS

Grant Arms Wildlife Easter 2018 Book Festival

Presenter: Mark Cocker Author of Birds Britannica

Thursday 29th March to Monday 2nd April 2018 Three Day Programme (Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday) of Talks & Walks. Includes Free Entry to all events.

Guest Speakers include: Patrick Barkham (Author of “Islander”) Andy Swash (Author of “Britain’s Birds”) Marianne Taylor (Author of “The Way of the Hare”) Karen Lloyd (Author of “The Blackbird Diaries”) Kathleen Jamie (Author of “Sightlines”) Tiffany Francis (Author of “Food you can Forage: Edible Plants to Harvest, Cook and Enjoy”) Joe Shute (Author of “A Shadow Above: The Fall and Rise of the Raven”) Laurence Rose (Author of “The Long Spring: Tracking the Arrival of Spring through Europe”) Louise Gray (Author of “The Other lengths of stay are also available. Dogs welcome £20 per room per stay. Single, Twin, Double, Family & Ethical Carnivore”). *Programme subject to change.

Wheelchair Accessible Rooms available. Special Rates for Clubs, Tours & Conferences. Terms & Conditions apply. ●

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TO BOOK CALL 01479 872526

4 nights from £479 DB&B

BWWC LTD, 25 THE SQUARE, GRANTOWN-ON-SPEY, PH26 3HF

For information on BWWC Special Events visit www.bwwc.co.uk/wildlife-breaks.php

www.bwwc.co.uk or email bookings@bwwc.co.uk

All programmes, talks, walks and rooms subject to availability and liable to change without notice.

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ARUNDEL WETLAND CENTRE

Arundel

BN18 9PB 01903 881530

info.arundel@wwt.org.uk WWT Arundel

wwt.org.uk/arundel

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE On crisp January mornings, you can see more than 100 teal on the waters near the Scrape Hide. Look along the edge of the reeds for snipe and water rail, especially on cold days when the need to feed forces them into the open. The low branch to the left of the hide is also a great kingfisher perch.

In winter, the Scrape Hide, Ramsar Hide and Arun Riverlife (an area of mixed habitat with a lagoon outside the main gallery windows) also have larger ‘fishers’ such as grey herons, little egrets and cormorants. Last January, a great white egret lived here for several weeks.

In February, lapwings arrive, as flocks up the Arun Valley break up.

See below for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Wetland Discovery Boat Safari Glide with a wildlife guide on quiet electric boats through the reedbeds. First boat 11am, last boat 3.30pm. Suggested donation £1.

Diving Duck Feed See some of the rarest waterfowl in the world show off their fishing skills in the clear waters of the Icelandic Lake pen. 2pm.

Hand-feed Wildfowl Hand-feed rare and exotic wildfowl in our World Wetlands feeding bay.

Until closing. Feeding grain costs 20p per handful from the vending machine in the feed bay.

key

From early March, look for their jostling Great spotted woodpecker and tumbling flight displays over the wet grassland. Around eight to 10 pairs usually nest at the centre.

A few pairs of oystercatchers arrive in early March – we had two breeding pairs last year. With fewer leaves and colder temperatures, winter is also a great opportunity to see resident birds in their brightest plumage. Look out for bullfinches, great spotted woodpeckers, treecreepers and nuthatches all in their finest colours – the area around the feeders at the Woodland Loop is a great place to see them.

Weekends Guide in the Hide Meet our volunteer guides and see what’s wild through the scope. Locations vary, so please check at our admissions desk.

10.30am-1pm and 2-4pm.

EVENTS Mon 8 Jan to Fri 23 Mar Drive a Wetland Boat Experience Learn to drive an electric boat through the reedbed with 2.5 hours of one-to-one instruction. 10am and

‘A wonderful place for wheelchair users. Every pathway, boardwalk and hide is accessible.’ okeydokeIOW

12.30pm. £50. BE Call the Learning Team on 01903 881524 to discuss available dates and times.

teaches you how to capture the natural world in new, creative ways. 10am-12.30pm or 1.30-4pm. £50PP. BE

Mons 15 Jan, 19 Feb & 19 Mar Wildlife and Travel Talks This series of talks is run by the WWT Arundel Supporters Group one Monday a month. Themes: Jan – Welsh Coast Wildlife; Feb – Hungarian Mammals; Mar – USA Road Trip.

7.30pm. £3PP or series £17.

Sat 3 Feb Night Owl Evening Roost We stay open an extra hour to give visitors a chance to see snipe, marsh harrier, reed buntings, pied wagtails and starlings come in to roost in the reedbed.

4.30-5.30pm.

Sat 27 to Sun 28 Jan Early Birds Golden Hour Sunrise is at 7.45am.

Doors open early to allow photographers the chance to shoot in the ‘golden hour’ when the reserve is quiet. 8am.

Mon 29 Jan Creative Nature Photography This half-day workshop with photographer Robert Canis

FAMILY FUN Join us from 10 to 18 February to have a splashing time at Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships. Perfect your splash in our practice puddle jumping areas, then compete at 11.30am or 2.30pm to make the biggest splash as measured by our splashometer.

Dusty will be there to cheer you on!

Our Spring Discover Birds Weekend on 10 to 11 March

All aboard a wetland safari!

will help you ‘spring into action’ and make your home and garden more attractive to birds and wildlife, with expert advice on the right bird feeders and nest boxes for you. This weekend of walks, displays and

Sat 10 to Sun 18 Feb Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships Who will make the biggest splash on our splashometer?

11.30am and 2.30pm.

Sat 10 to Sun 11 Mar Spring Discover Birds Weekend Discover how to make your home and garden more welcoming to wildlife on this weekend of spring-themed walks, displays and activities.

activities includes a butterfly garden craft, which will make a great gift for mum on Mothering Sunday.

The Wetland Discovery Boat Safari runs every day from 11am. This brilliant trip on the water with a wildlife guide is a great way to see kingfishers perching in the scrub, roach and rudd swimming beneath the surface, and buzzards, kestrels and peregrines floating above the trees on the cliffs of the Offham Hangar.

BE Booking Essential RI Refreshments Included WP Weather Permitting PC/PP Per Child/Person Centre events are subject to change.

Please phone for further information or visit the WWT website wwt.org.uk/visit/arundel /caerlaverock /castleespie /llanelli /london /martinmere /slimbridge /washington /welney.

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

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CAERLAVEROCK WETLAND CENTRE See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Wild Swan Feeds See wild whooper swans closer than anywhere in Britain from the Sir Peter Scott Observatory, with live commentary by the warden.

11am and 2pm.

Guide in the Hide Our friendly, knowledgeable guides will be out and about in the hides to point out the best wildlife of the day. See the ‘What’s On’ board in the visitor centre for information and availability. 11am-3pm.

EVENTS

Daily until Sat 27 Jan ‘The Wonders of Nature’

by Alicia Beesley Alicia captures, through her camera lens, the stunning wildlife and landscapes of the Solway Firth during the winter months, combining artwork with digital mixed media. 10am-5pm. Free.

Suns 14 Jan & 18 Feb Dusk Flight At sunset, see thousands of barnacle geese flighting out to the Solway mudflats to their night-time roost. Bring warm waterproof clothing, binoculars and a torch.

3.30pm and 4.30pm. BE Fris 19 Jan, 16 Feb & 16 Mar Storytelling in the Yurt Sit in our cosy yurt and listen

DG1 4RS 01387 770200

info.caerlaverock@wwt.org.uk WWT Caerlaverock

wwt.org.uk/caerlaverock clothing, binoculars and a torch. 7am. BE

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE We’ve given names to some of the wild whooper swans that returned to Caerlaverock from Iceland, so come and relax in the heated Sir Peter Scott Observatory and meet all the different individuals on our commentated Wild Swan Feeds. From the observatory, you can also enjoy stunning views of mute swans, tufted ducks, wigeon and mallards right in front of the window!

Up to 15,000 Svalbard barnacle geese can be seen on the Solway Firth daily. At dawn, they all fly in from the mudflats to feed on the grass during the day. At dusk, they fly back out to the mudflats to roost, safe from to a nature-related story, told by one of our excellent storytellers. Then go on a short walk to explore the reserve. Suitable for children aged four and under.

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

10-11am. BE Sun 28 Jan Wildlife Photography Workshop Photography workshop with Tom Langlands and Bob Fitzsimmons. Learn how to take fantastic shots of the ducks, waders, swans and geese on this wonderful wetland reserve. All abilities welcome – from beginners

‘We were surprised at how well the site is laid out. The towers give a brilliant viewing vantage point. We saw the black-tailed godwit and large variety of birds. A stunning reserve. We will be back. Thank you for this gem!’

Mr l Pendrill of TripAdvisor

Caerlaverock

predators. Don’t miss our Dawn and Dusk Flights and experience the sight and sound of thousands of geese flying overhead.

Solway High Tides in winter push flocks of thousands of wheeling knot, dunlin, oystercatchers, curlew, golden plover, lapwings and other birds close inland. Large flocks attract birds of prey such as peregrines. Visit the Saltcot Observatory an hour before high tide to join our guides who are waiting to share this great experience.

to more experienced photographers. 10am-4pm. £75PP. BE Sun 28 Jan to Sat 17 Mar Exhibition of original paintings depicting the Solway Firth and its wildlife, by local artist Fraser Irvine.

10am-5pm, daily. Free.

Sat 3 Feb Beginner’s Wader Workshop Do you know your grey plover from your golden plover or the difference

between redshanks and ruffs? Use binoculars and telescopes to see a variety of waders and learn identification tips from our knowledgeable wardens. BE Sun 4 Feb Dawn Flight Watch the amazing spectacle of thousands of wild barnacle geese flighting in from the mudflats against the dawn sky. The coffee shop will be open early to provide hot drinks and bacon rolls.

Bring warm, waterproof

Sat 10 to Wed 14 Feb Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships How good are you at puddle jumping? As a wetland habitat, we have plenty of fantastic puddles! Come and show us your skills at our puddle jumping championships. 12 noon-2pm.

Sat 3 Mar Wildlife Photography Workshop Photography workshop with Tom Langlands and Bob Fitzsimmons. Learn how to take fantastic shots of the swans and geese on the reserve. All abilities welcome – from beginners to more experienced photographers.

10am-4pm. £75PP. BE Sun 4 Mar In Focus Try before you buy the latest binoculars and telescopes.

In Focus experts are on hand to give advice. WWT Caerlaverock benefits from every sale. 10am-4pm. Free.

Sun 18 Mar to Sat 28 Apr Exhibition of paintings by Minette Bell Macdonald Minette’s paintings are beautiful depictions of the wild Solway landscape and its visiting winter geese.

10am-5pm, daily. Free.

FAMILY FUN How good are you at puddle jumping? How big a splash can you make? We have loads of fantastic puddles here at Caerlaverock. So come and show us your creativity, enthusiasm and style at the Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships every day from 10 to 14 February – and see who’s the winner.

If you love a good story and a cosy yurt, then come listen to a nature-related story in a yurt, told by one of our excellent storytellers. Then go on a short walk to explore the centre.

All children must be with an adult – and don’t forget to book.

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CASTLE ESPIE WETLAND CENTRE FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY This February half-term, see who can make the biggest and best splash for a chance to win prizes in Dusty’s Northern Ireland’s Puddle Jumping Championships. From 16 to 18 February, you’re invited to make a splash for the judges. Marks will be awarded for height of splash, enthusiasm and creativity.

Join us on the first Wednesday of every month for Little Ducklings Day, a special morning dedicated to mums and dads and their tiny tots in our soft play area. Enjoy a one-hour session of crafts, play and songs. Then enjoy a hot drink and tray bake from The Kingfisher Kitchen, while kids

Castle Espie

BT23 6EA 028 9187 4146 info.castleespie@wwt.org.uk WWT Castle Espie

wwt.org.uk/castleespie

‘A lovely afternoon out with children.

Super views and great active activities for the kids.

Finished off with a nice cup of tea in the welcoming café. Very friendly staff.’

On your marks, get set – splash!

get treated to delicious juice and biscuits and 60 minutes of fun! Cost £5 (per adult) – just don’t forget to book.

On Fridays throughout January, join us for a special four-week Wellness – Health and Fitness course dedicated to mums! Enjoy a 45-minute bootcamp and a healthy mini brunch, followed by a talk on maximising your energy, with hints and tips for mind and body wellbeing from registered nutritionist Dr Danielle McCarthy.

After each session, there’ll be time for a Q&A with Danielle and our postnatal fitness expert.

Four sessions cost £60, and pre-booking is advisable.

JFMP22

See page 49 for key.

Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

EVENTS

Sat 6 Jan to Sun 28 Jan Loose Thread Quilters Exhibition View the stunning work of the Loose Thread Quilters in the Castle Espie Gallery.

10am-5pm.

Fris 12, 19, 26 Jan & 2 Feb Wellness for Mums Enjoy a four-week course dedicated to the wellness of mums. 10-11.30am. £60 for four sessions. BE Sat 20 Jan Volunteer Open Day Come and meet us for a guided tour, introductory talk and refreshments.

2-4pm. BE

Held once every month Birdwatch Morning Join our expert aviculture and reserve team for a morning of birdwatching.

10.30am-12.30pm.

Fri 2 Feb World Wetlands Day Sights and sounds of the Lough. An interactive guided tour of the wildlife around Castle Espie. 12 noon, 2pm and 3pm.

Fri 16 to Sun 18 Feb Dusty’s Northern Ireland’s Puddle Jumping Championships Come along and make a splash at the 2018 Puddle Jumping Championships.

12 noon-4pm.

Sat 17 Mar St Patrick’s Day Fun! Join in the St Patrick’s Day celebrations at Castle Espie.

12 noon-4pm.

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE In February and March, the north end of Strangford Lough is alive with lightbellied brent geese as far as the eye can see.

Practise your leg ring-reading skills from our Brent Discovery Hide and watch family groups feeding on eelgrass as they prepare for the long journey back to their Arctic breeding grounds at the end of March.

Keep your eyes peeled for long-eared owls, which are often spotted around the Limekiln between January and March. You may also spot adult and juvenile buzzards. All of our wildlife

Long-eared owl

sightings are shared on our website and social media channels, and we love to hear what you’ve seen, too, so don’t forget to share your best spots with us.

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Waterlife

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D OW N YO U R WAY

LLANELLI WETLAND CENTRE See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES Monday Munchkins Every Monday during term time, toddlers can take part in guided activities, with a different theme each week. Activities include pond dipping, minibeast hunts, crafts, stories, games and feeding the birds.

11am-12 noon.

EVENTS Suns Until 25 Mar Follow the Feed This is a special opportunity for you to join our grounds warden; feeding our wonderful variety of collection birds as well as the cheeky native birds that fly in especially for the feed.

3.30pm.

Llanelli

SA14 9SH 01554 741087 info.llanelli@wwt.org.uk

WWT Llanelli

wwt.org.uk/llanelli

‘Entertaining, educational and healthy! FAMILY FUN We enjoyed a fantastic few hours enjoying the fresh air with the kids and then finished off in the newly refurbished café. Well worth a visit!’

Watch birds with all the family in the observatory

francis2120, via TripAdvisor

Weekends until Sun 28 Jan January Weekend Family Fun Wildfowl Wonders Workshop – 11am-12 noon; Guide in the Heron’s Wing Hide – 1-2pm; winter-themed crafts – 2-4.30pm (small donation to cover costs).

Weekends From Sat 3 to Sun 25 Feb February Weekend Family Fun Self-guided den building – all day; self-guided practice

DISCOVER WILDLIFE As winter days get warmer, admire the changing landscape on a walk through the Millennium Wetlands. Look for redwings and fieldfares munching on the last winter berries, and flocks of hungry goldcrests, tits and treecreepers as they roam together through the leafless trees. You might even hear the pig-like squeal of a water rail.

Winter is the best time of year for raptors, such as peregrine falcons and merlins, hen harriers, sparrowhawks, kestrels and buzzards. These exciting birds are often seen and cause a stir among the waders – and the visitors! You might also see our barn and little owls, which breed here at Llanelli.

In February, look out for the first signs of spring, such as the daffodils offering visitors a warm welcome on the approach to our centre.

Come and visit us after dark as our popular bat walks return in March.

Always a family favourite, there are crafts before the walk to captivate younger visitors. See how many bats you can spot with our detectors, and learn from our guides why wetlands are so great for bats, and how much food they can fit into their tiny bellies!

puddles – all day; Wildfowl Wonders Workshop – 11am-12 noon; Family Birdwatching in the observatory – 1-2pm; craft workshop – 2-4.30pm (small donation to cover costs).

Suns 4 Feb & 4 Mar Veggie Patch Kids Enjoy wildlife activities and making things for a wildlife-friendly garden.

You can also grow lovely veggies in our patch, and learn how to care for plants and what they need to grow! 11am-12 noon.

Sat 17 to Sun 25 Feb Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships Grab your wellies and make a splash this half-term.

Competition at 2pm daily.

Other activities include: selfguided practice puddles – all day; self-guided den building – all day; Wildfowl Wonders Workshop – 11am-12 noon; Family Birdwatching in the observatory – 1-2pm; craft workshop – 2-4.30pm (small donation to cover costs).

Fri 23 & Sun 25 Feb Bird Nest Box-making Workshops Make a bird box to take home and attract birds to your garden this spring. Receive expert, one-to-one tuition. Drop in between 11am and 12 noon or 1pm and 4pm. £7 per box.

Treecreepers flock with other small birds

Dusty is back with a splash this half-term as Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships return.

Throughout February, you can perfect your splash in our practice puddle jumping areas, and bring your friends and family to see who can make the biggest splash with our ‘splashometer’!

Join our team to learn how birds are specially adapted to wetland life by examining their bones, feathers and more in our Wildfowl Wonders Workshops on January and February weekends.

And if that whets your appetite, make the most of crisp winter days to spot the last of the wintering waterbirds with the help of our friendly Guide in the Hide, on weekends in January. Or enjoy Family Birdwatching in the observatory on weekends in March.

If you want to get up-close to the birds, a Sunday visit is a must so you can Follow the Feed. Join our warden around the grounds on the afternoon feed to see our spectacular collection of birds enjoy their lunch. Learn more about the species, what they eat and how we care for them.

Weekends From Sat 3 to Sun 25 Mar March Weekend Family Fun Self-guided den building – all day; minibeast hunt – 11am12 noon; Family Birdwatching in the observatory – 1-1.45pm; crane talk – 2-2.30pm; craft workshop – 2.30-4.30pm (small donation to cover costs).

Sun 11 Mar Mother’s Day – Mums go FREE Why not treat Mum this Mother’s Day and enjoy our

‘mums go free’ offer. Head to our café to enjoy some beautiful cakes, and book a workshop to make a unique gift. Don’t forget a visit to the crane pen during weekends in March to catch our pair of red-crowned cranes perform their ritual dances and learn more from our guide.

Fri 16 Mar Family Bat Walk Join us for an early-evening bat walk to look and listen for bats with bat detectors. Batty crafts – 6pm; bat walk – 6.308pm. £5PC/PP. BE RI

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

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LONDON

London

SW13 9WT 020 8409 4400 info.london@wwt.org.uk WWT London

WETLAND CENTRE See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Spotlight Talks Join us for our daily Spotlight Talks to discover more about the history of the centre and the animals that live here.

Bird Feed With a Warden Join a warden as they feed the beautiful and endangered birds in World Wetlands. 3pm.

Otter Feed Meet the otters at feeding time, when our warden will tell you more about them.

11am and 2pm.

EVENTS

Sat 13 Jan Winter Wildlife Walk A guided walk with our expert warden, who can point out the seasonal wildlife here.

9.30-11am. £20PP, plus paid admission to the centre.

Includes the walk, tea/coffee and breakfast. BE Sat 20 Jan Members’ Walk: Urban Wetlands Find out how we use rainwater from our roofs to make mini wetlands that are good for wildlife and a lovely place for people to visit. Plus,

get ideas of how you can create your own wetland in your garden. 1pm. £2PP. BE Sat 20 Jan Introduction to Wildlife Photography Take full creative control of your camera on this course with photographer and author Iain Green, where you will be guided through key camera techniques and photographic skills. 10am-4pm. £60PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Sun 4 Feb Winter Birdwatching With a Warden An expert warden will guide you around the reserve to help you identify different birds and understand more about them. 9.30-11am. £10PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE Fri 9 Feb Winter Wildlife Photography Course Learn about your camera settings, effective composition and how to capture seasonal specialities of the reserve.

The day will begin with an introductory session inside, before heading outside.

10am-4pm. £60PP, plus paid admission to the centre. BE

wwt.org.uk/london

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY Grab your wellies, get outside and have a splashing time at Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships this half-term, from 10 to 18 February.

Challenge your friends and family to a splash-off and see who can create the biggest, most exciting splash.

Throw some shapes in the air for extra style points!

Among all the feathered attractions at London Wetland Centre, our adorable cows stand out from the crowd. Though they aren’t wild, they play a crucial role in managing our wetlands for wildlife. Join our warden

Sat 10 to Sun 18 Feb London Puddle Jumping Championships Children can grab their wellies and have fun splashing in puddles. Jump with style and enthusiasm to win your sticker! See website for details.

Free with paid admission to the centre.

Sat 17 Feb Members’ Walk: Reedbed Ramblings Join our reserve warden on a 30-minute walk into our reedbeds – normally out of

Have you got what it takes to make the biggest splash?

on 3 March to learn more about the importance of our udderly amazing cows and how we look after these furry friends.

bounds to visitors. 1pm. £2PP. BE Sat 3 Mar Meet the Cows Our warden will tell you about the importance of our cows and how we look after them. 10-10.30am and 1.30-2pm. Free with paid admission to the centre.

Sat 10 Mar Members’ Walk: What’s for Lunch?

Come with our warden to discover what we feed our

feathered – and furry – friends. They will also explain more about the birds’ health checks, how the cows help our wetlands and how to weigh an otter! 11.30am and 1.30pm. £2PP. BE Sat 10 & Sun 11 Mar Birds of Prey Meet birds of prey such as owls, peregrines and kestrels, and learn more about them.

Falconer Ben Long from The Falconry School will answer questions. Free with paid admission to the centre.

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE You might think winter isn’t the best time to go looking for wildlife, but the cold season provides opportunities to spot some of our most beautiful birds. Flocks of overwintering birds, such as teal and wigeon (see page 20), graze along the grass banks and lots of colourful shovelers dabble on the main lake.

Join our warden on 13 January for a Winter Wildlife

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Walk to discover the amazing birds and other animals that live in the heart of London.

If you want to capture the spectacle of winter wildlife through your lens, then our Winter Wildlife Photography Course on 9 February is just the thing for you. Enjoy photographing an abundance of waterbirds, from the elusive bittern to elegant swans, or explore the colour, texture and

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

form of the winter flora and landscape in your images.

On 20 January, join our warden on an urban wetlands walk. Learn more about the new ponds and planters in our courtyard (see page 12) and how they form a mini wetland that’s great for wildlife.

Then walk through our gardens and get ideas for how you can create a wetland of your own.

Hone your photography skills on our Winter Wildlife Photography Course

MARTIN MERE

Martin Mere

L40 0TA 01704 895181 info.martinmere@wwt.org.uk WWT Martin Mere

WETLAND CENTRE See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Otter Talk and Feed Come and meet our friendly otters – Penny, Belle and Flick.

11.30am and 2.30pm.

White Stork Talk and Feed Come and learn all about our newest bird species and see how they feed. 2pm.

Spectacular Bird Feeding See the spectacle of up to 2,000 swans, shelducks, teal, wigeon and pintail feeding every day at 3pm at the new Discovery Hide, and 3.30pm in the Raines Observatory, which includes a warden’s talk. 3pm and 3.30pm.

Guide in the Discovery Hide Meet a guide in our Discovery Hide every day between 12 noon and 3pm. They will tell you all about the swans, geese and ducks that visit Martin Mere at this time of year.

EVENTS

Toddler Thursday Gosling Gang Come along with your toddlers to enjoy story time and craft activities every Thursday during term time at 10.30am and 1pm.

Every Tues in Jan from 9 Jan Floodlit Swans Enjoy watching thousands of whooper swans by floodlight at the Raines

wwt.org.uk/martinmere Observatory while chatting to our wardens, learning all about the incredible journeys these swans undertake.

6.30-8pm. Adults £10.03, concessions £7.33, children £4.78. BE Sat 10 to Sun 18 Feb Dusty’s North West Puddle Jumping Championships Splashing fun this February half-term. Join Dusty by grabbing your wellies, getting outside and having a splashing time at Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships.

Fri 2 Mar Birdwatching Morning Join Andy Bunting from In Focus to develop your

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY Have a splashing time this February half-term with the fourth annual Dusty’s North West Puddle Jumping Championships. Watch out for Dusty Duck joining the fun, perfect your splash in our practice puddle jumping areas and bring your friends and family to see who can make the biggest splash with our special ‘splashometer’. As well as splashing about in puddles, there are lots of other fun activities to have a go at, such as welly throwing, wildlife feeds and den building.

Come along every day at 11.30am and 2.30pm for our daily otter feeds.

Watch our family as they play, search for food and swim in the pond. They all enjoy coming out to meet everyone during this fun talk.

Kids will enjoy learning about our feathered friends

Meanwhile, in the centre, you can become a swan and travel through our swan pipe, being weighed, having your wingspan measured and even making your own ring to wear while you explore Martin Mere. You may even win a chance to name a swan if you can tell us what ring numbers you spotted on your visit.

‘The day was cold but sunny. The otters were adorable and the staff were knowledgeable. We visited the hides and saw a barn owl hunting. The visiting whooper swans were a tremendous sight. We enjoyed our visit very much.’

Lynda B, Buxton

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE

Don’t miss the spectacular sight of our whooper swans

Experience the amazing sight and deafening sound of thousands of birds, including whooper swans, shelduck, teal, wigeon and pintail, feeding on the mere at our Spectacular Bird Feeding. At 3pm and 3.30pm, you can learn all about these birds’ incredible migration from our warden. Children can learn how to read the swans’ ring numbers and discover their family histories on our touchscreen computer.

For more help spotting the individual swans that return here every year, join our Guide in the Hide each day. They will show you all of the swans’ pictures and highlight their distinguishing features, and tell you more about the research we undertake at Martin Mere and in Iceland.

bird identification skills in the field and receive expert advice on using guides and choosing binoculars and telescopes. 7am-12 noon. £22PP. BE

Join award-winning artist and illustrator Tony Disley to explore the process from drawing through to a finished painting of a bird subject.

10am-4pm. £50PP. BE

Sat 3 Mar Wildlife Photography Workshop A fascinating workshop with Andy Bunting from In Focus introducing you to the finer points of wildlife photography, going beyond automatic settings to create truly spectacular images.

10am-4pm. £65PP. BE

Thurs 25 Jan to Thurs 22 Mar Sefton Artists Exhibition An exhibition by the members of the Sefton Artists.

All pieces of artwork will be wildlife-focused and on sale at Martin Mere. All day.

Sun 4 Mar Drawing and Painting Birds

One Sun a Month Meet Reptiles Come along and meet reptiles from the North West Reptile Society in our lecture theatre.

12 noon-3pm.

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SLIMBRIDGE

Slimbridge

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

WETLAND CENTRE

wwt.org.uk/slimbridge

See page 49 for key.

Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Guided Walks A guided walk is a great way to learn more about the centre and its wildlife.

Join one of our volunteers as they take you on a walk and hear about the history of the centre and its wildlife.

Starts 10.30am. Lasts approximately one hour.

Meet on the boardwalk just outside the Toad Hall exit of the visitor centre (near mute swan interpretation panel).

Otters 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 3pm. Lasts approximately 20 minutes.

Meet at the Otter Pool in the Back from the Brink area.

Cranes Discover how Slimbridge

Bewick’s swans will be flying in for their afternoon and floodlit feeds

staff are working to breed and release back into the wild these magnificent birds, which have been extinct in the UK for more than 300 years. 2.30pm. Lasts approximately 15 minutes.

Meet at the Mesolithic Hut

at the Back from the Brink area.

Amphibians Come to Toad Hall and hear our expert give an insight into the world of amphibians and their habitats. If you’re

brave enough, you will have the opportunity to hold some of the frogs, toads and newts. 2.15pm daily, and 12.30pm on weekends and school holidays. Lasts approximately 20 minutes.

Meet in Toad Hall.

EVENTS

Weekends in Jan Wild Winter Join us to celebrate the wild birds that visit Slimbridge year on year. Talk with experts on local and international conservation

EXPERIENCE OUR WILD WINTER Winter is the season that sees iconic Slimbridge species visit in their thousands. One of the most welcome is the white-fronted goose (see page 34), the bird that inspired Sir Peter Scott to found WWT. In celebration of this spectacle, this year we’ll be hosting Wild Winter, when, every weekend in January, visitors can enjoy the following extra-special experiences and exclusive events.

Enjoy watching Bewick’s swans in afternoon feeds and

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Floodlit Swan Suppers from the Peng Observatory. Peter studied these birds and they held a special place in his heart. Joining the swans for daily feeds are numerous wildfowl, including pintail, teal and gadwalls.

Get your 2018 bird list off to a flying start with our Birdwatch Mornings, where you’ll spot more of our winter birds, from waders such as spotted redshank and little stint to passerines such as redpoll, siskin and brambling.

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Get up-close to some of these species in bird-ringing demonstrations, learn why ringing is important and how this year’s records compare to previous years.

Experience an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Sir Peter Scott’s house, taking in the views of the Rushy Pen that inspired some of his best-known artwork, and see the rooms as he left them.

Go into detail with a series of short talks, where our experts will cover topics ranging from

Bewick’s swans are a highlight of winter at Slimbridge

2017 Slimbridge highlights to WWT’s international work to save spoon-billed sandpipers and Madagascar pochards.

D OW N YO U R WAY

FAMILY FUN Don your woolly hats, warm winter coats and wellies this new year and embrace the cold, just like our wonderful wildlife. Learn how conservation works with our Wild Winter weekends full of fun and educational activities; take our challenges to see if being a swan or wildfowl researcher is for you; play detective and identify the Bewick’s from their bills in our baffling game, and go on a Duck Spotter Trail, finding the winter birds that are taking a break at Slimbridge.

Wellies well and truly tested, get ready for Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships in February half-term, where you can challenge friends and family to find out once and for all, just who can claim to be the ultimate splasher.

Get to grips with camera terms and techniques in our Family Wildlife Photography workshop, where composition is key and any camera will do. You’ll have a wealth of wildlife ready for its close-up.

Mum will be tickled pink with our Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea. Treat her and the family to a delicious springtime high tea in our cosy Swan Café. work, and enjoy bird-ringing demonstrations and fun, educational activities for all the family. See website for more details.

Fri 12, Sat 13, Fri 19 & Sat 20 Jan Floodlit Swan Suppers Experience the bird feeding spectacle with hot mulled wine or cider, then enjoy a sumptuous two-course meal in our Kingfisher Kitchen.

6.15pm. £29.95. Group discount available. BE RI Fri 2 Feb Advanced Birder Learn to assess fine details such as plumage, weather conditions and habitats to take your skills to a new level.

8am-12 noon. £28.50PP. BE RI Sat 3 Feb Wildlife Photography for Beginners with Iain Green Look at composition, technique and equipment, then head outside to put key camera techniques and photographic skills into practice. Suitable for all types

of camera. 10am-4pm. £63PP. BE RI Sat 10 to Sun 18 Feb Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships For February half-term, join us for the South West Puddle Jumping Championships. Wrap up warm, grab your wellies and jump into the puddles for a chance to win prizes.

Puddles will be available all day for that essential practice before the competition starts.

Wed 14 Feb Family Wildlife Photography A practical and enjoyable

That’s going to be a 10/10 on the ‘splashometer’!

day for budding young wildlife photographers and their parents.

10am-1pm. £32 per adult and child (aged eight-plus) Compact or SLR cameras suitable. BE Sats 17 Feb & 3 Mar Birdwatch Morning Winter is a magical time on the reserve. Join our warden and have expert

help in identifying the tens of thousands of birds who spend the season at Slimbridge. 8am. £16.50PP. BE RI Sun 11 Mar Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea Sit back and relax with your Mum this Mother’s Day and enjoy a delicious spring Afternoon Tea in our cosy Swan Café.

Please see the website for more details. BE Sat 17 Mar Crane Special Birdwatch Morning Go in search of cranes on the Slimbridge reserve with our warden. This time of year is fantastic for watching these striking birds and admiring their dancing displays. 8am. £16.50PP. BE RI

‘Wow, Slimbridge! For anyone even casually interested in wildlife, birds or wetlands, this is a must-visit place. We spent three hours here and didn’t explore even half of the site. The variety of birdlife is mind-boggling.

We never knew there were so many different species of flamingo for a start! There are otters, reptiles and small mammals to be seen, too.

Totally recommended, and if we’re ever down this way again, we’ll certainly revisit.’

Wheresmebus, Nantwich

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LIFE MEMBERSHIP

25% OFF

OFFER ENDS 30 MARCH 2018 Individual Life Membership £995 £746.25 Individual Life Senior* £625 £468.75 Joint Life Membership £1,425 £1,068.75 Joint Life Senior** £850 £637.50 Family Life*** £2,575 £1,931.25

A lifetime of benefits • Lifelong FREE entry to all nine WWT wetland centres • FREE entry for one guest, per Life Member • Lifelong FREE quarterly copies of Waterlife and our annual scientific journal Wildfowl • An exclusive gold WWT pin badge • An annual newsletter updating you on our wetland conservation work

call 01453 891198

or email membership@wwt.org.uk *Aged 65 and over. **Both members must be aged 65 or over ***2 adults and up to 6 named children/grandchildren (aged 4-16) per Family Life Membership. Children must be the children/grandchildren of the named adults on the membership.

D OW N YO U R WAY

WASHINGTON WETLAND CENTRE See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

EVENTS

Sats 20 Jan, 3 & 17 Feb, 3 & 17 Mar Guide in a Hide Discover more about our diverse wild bird species with the help of our volunteer hide guide. 10am-12 noon and 2-4pm (please check on arrival for details of which hide).

Suns 28 Jan, 25 Feb & 25 Mar In Focus Check out the latest in optical

info.washington@wwt.org.uk WWT Washington

wwt.org.uk/washington

Get your wellies at the ready this February half-term as we host Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships – guaranteed fun whatever the North East weather! With exciting new elements, including our special ‘splashometer’ and Welly Boot Camp challenges, what better way to blow away the winter cobwebs and have a splashing day out together?

And talking of days out… in mid-February, we’re inviting you to join us as we hit the road and

Otter Feeds Learn more about our beautiful Asian short-clawed otters – Musa, Mimi and their boisterous family – at daily commentated feeds. Meet at their enclosure to see them devouring tasty treats while an expert warden tells you interesting facts. 11.30am and 3pm.

Sats 20 Jan, 17 Feb, 17 Mar & Suns 28 Jan, 25 Feb, 25 Mar Walk with a Warden Join a guided tour around our site, taking in the sights, sounds and seasonal wildlife.

Meet in the picture window at admissions. 11am.

NE38 8LE 0191 416 5454

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Go, splash, go!

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Flamingo Talks Learn about our Chilean flamingo flock and hear how our staff and volunteers hand-raised 29 flamingo chicks! 11.45am and 3.15pm.

Washington

equipment and chat to In Focus experts. Test, select and buy state-of-the-art binoculars and telescopes. A percentage of every sale is donated to WWT. Throughout the day in the picture window.

Sat 10 to Sun 18 Feb Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships Grab your wellies and join Dusty Duck for a splashing time at our annual event!

head up to WWT Caerlaverock in Scotland. With its magnificent overwintering bird populations and rugged open spaces, this stunning place is not to be missed. Just don’t forget to book early, as spaces sell very quickly.

On 11 March, our Waterside Café will mark Mother’s Day by serving up delicious home-made fare for all the important ladies and mother figures in our lives. Relax and enjoy your meal against the beautiful backdrop of our stream area and its early spring wildlife.

Watch out for Dusty taking part and don’t miss our Welly Boot Camp – NEW for 2018.

Times vary – see website.

(members get in free). Coach leaves at 9am, returning 5pm. £17PP, £9PC. BE Call 0191 416 5454 ext 227.

Sat 24 Feb Day Trip to WWT Caerlaverock Come with us to our sister centre in Scotland – home to big wild spaces and incredible winter wildlife. Dress suitably for the weather. Centre admission not included

Sun 11 March Mother’s Day Lunches Treat your loved one to a special two-course meal in our Waterside Café with a stunning view. £15.95PP, £6.95PC. BE Call the café team on 0191 416 5454 ext 235 for menu and booking.

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE Mid-January is all about the return of our grey herons to the trees beside Wader Lake.

Forming one of the UK’s largest heronries with numbers peaking at up to 40 nests, adult birds can be seen squabbling over territory and building their meticulous nests from the end of the month.

By March onwards, gangly chicks can be watched in the treetops and visitors can follow their journey to independence, as they learn to hunt at the lake edge and ultimately fledge by June – a brilliant chance for

wildlife watchers of all ages to see nature up-close.

It’s all eyes on the skies from mid-February as we eagerly await the arrival of our avocets, which have bred here since 2006. In 2014, they returned as early as 23 February! The success of these elegant black and white waders is a great example of conservation in action – our reserve team carefully manages their shingle island habitat to provide ideal conditions for breeding.

Wader Meadow also offers vital breeding habitat, and in

Look out for grey herons from mid-January

March, lapwings begin looking for territories, with their adorable chicks fledging well into the summer. Lapwings have suffered such drastic declines that they are now on the Red List of species of concern.

Across the centre, amphibians including common

frog and smooth newt are starting to emerge, amid a riot of spring flowers.

Spring Gill Wood – a remnant of steep ancient woodland – is transformed into a carpet of bluebells, dog violets, wood sorrel and primroses.

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D OW N YO U R WAY

WELNEY WETLAND CENTRE

Welney

PE14 9TN 01353 860711 info.welney@wwt.org.uk

WWT Welney

wwt.org.uk/welney

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE Swan season is under way at Welney, and you won’t want to miss our Festival of Swans on 20 and 21 January. Join us for talks about Bewick’s swans, learn about our work to protect this rare species, and take a closer look at the wintering swans with our team, to find out how we keep them safe on and around our wetlands.

The brown hares on Lady Fen are a winter highlight at Welney and our walks with See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Thurs to Sun until Sun 25 Feb Floodlit Swan Feed Experience the evocative sight of swans gliding on the floodlit lagoon after dark.

The commentated feed can be enjoyed by the whole family as the swans get their last feed before it’s time to tuck their heads under their wings for the night.

6.30pm.

Mon, Thurs & Sat until Mon 26 Feb Hare Walks Join us for a guided walk out on Lady Fen to get close to the hares and other wildlife. Find out how we’ve created wetlands, and enjoy watching the hares as they get ready for spring boxing. 2-3pm. BE Until Sun 11 March Swan Feed Join our commentated swan feeds. After Christmas – the coldest part of winter – the swans and ducks get an extra feed at lunchtime.

Listen to the commentary and watch as hundreds of 62

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guides are the best way to appreciate them. No matter what the weather, getting that bit closer to these evocative creatures is fantastic.

If previous winters are anything to go by, we should be in for a treat with black-tailed godwits from Iceland flocking on the reserve. Numbers topped 1,600 last January, with a fair few sporting coloured leg rings. You can enjoy the spectacle, whether you patiently

feeding pochard ducks make the water bubble.

12 noon daily.

Until Sun 11 March Swan Feed If you miss the lunchtime feed, join us in the afternoon for another commentated feed. The sight of hundreds of swans and ducks being fed is enhanced by more swans flying in at dusk, shortly after feeding time.

3.30pm daily.

EVENTS

Sat 20 & Sun 21 Jan Festival of Swans Join us for a weekend celebrating all things swan. Enjoy feeds, guided watches, talks and more.

Sat 20, Sun 21 Jan, Sat 10, Wed 14 & Fri 16 Feb Swans Awake Join us before dawn breaks to watch thousands of swans wake up from their roosting sites on the reserve. With a warden, watch them take to the skies as they fly out to feed in the fields for the day. It’s worth the early start!

Dawn event – see website for individual event times. £12PP, £5PC. Optional breakfast – £7.25. BE WP

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Our hares are limbering up for spring

sift through the sea of godwits to find individuals with leg rings, or catch sight of the flock as they erupt into the air to evade predators.

Sat 3 & Sun 4 Feb Wildlife Photography Workshop Learn how to get the best from your camera with expert David Featherbe. Our wildlife photo hide gives eye-level access to swans and ducks, and you can explore for wild hares. 10am-4.30pm. £60PP. BE Sats 3 Feb, 3 Mar & 7 Apr Willow-weaving Workshops Join expert willow weaver Jane Frost for a day, teaching you how to create garden

As days get longer, the first signs of spring begin to appear, with catkins on trees, early flowers coming into bloom and insects emerging. There’s also a change in the types of birds seen on the reserve as, from February, numbers of wintering ducks and swans decline from their January peak.

But these are replaced with flocks of thousands of golden plover, as well as the first little ringed plover, avocet and garganey arriving back.

structures and basket forms from natural materials.

10am-4pm. £60PP (materials included). BE Contact Jane to book at jane@frostart.co.uk or on 01353 861944.

Sat 10 to Sun 18 Feb Dusty’s East Anglian Puddle Jumping Championships See if you can make the biggest splash this half-term!

Take part in the competition, enjoy trails and activities all day, and watch our commentated swan feeds.

Tues 13 Feb Wildlife Photography Talk An evening talk by David Tipling. All welcome.

7.30-9.30pm, £3 (£2 Friends of Welney members). Funds raised go towards our work at Welney.

Tues 13 Mar Birds of Prey and Owls An evening talk by the Hawk and Owl Trust.

All welcome. 7.30-9.30pm. £3 (£2 Friends of Welney members). Funds raised go towards WWT’s work at Welney.

FAMILY FUN February half-term is the time to channel a winter full of welly-sploshing antics into Dusty’s Puddle Jumping Championships. Bring your friends and family and see who can make the biggest splash with our special ‘splashometer’.

As well as splashing about in puddles, there’s lots of other fun activities to have a go at, such as building bird feeders, watching a swan feed and joining a hare walk.

Come along to see the swans feeding

STEART MARSHES See page 49 for key. Events may change – visit our website for up-to-date info

DAILY ACTIVITIES

Self-led Watch out for our self-led activities, which include the Willow Sculpture Trail, a 5km Geocache Trail (tip – download the app to uncover the clues!), and a Brass Rubbing Trail, consisting of eight metal plates, each one depicting a species found on the reserve at different times of the year.

Pond Dipping For all ages. Some weekends and school holidays – times are advertised on the board in the car park.

Tues 30 Jan to Mon 5 Feb, Sat 17 to Mon 19 Feb, Thurs 1 to Tues 6 Mar High Tide Spectacle Don’t miss the best birding of the year during the high tide at Steart. These inundations happen about 120 times a year. When the high tide spills over the breach, the main marsh and intertidal area fill with water, pushing feeding birds off the mudflats and estuary, bringing them much closer to the Polden and Mendip hides than usual.

Don’t miss it.

EVENTS

Fri 19 Jan ‘Living on the Edge, Story of a Landscape’ Guided walk discovering the history of how the land at Steart has been used over the ages. 10am-12 noon.

Suggested donation: members £3PP, nonmembers £5PP. BE

Join us for a walk through the reserve after dark to hear the sounds of the saltmarsh at high tide. Hot drinks provided. Please bring a torch and warm clothing.

2 Feb – 7.30-9.30pm, 3 Mar 7-9pm. Suggested donation: members £3PP, nonmembers £5PP. BE RI Sun 4 Feb High Tide Birdwatching Walk Come and enjoy the spectacle of the high tide as it fills the largest area of the reserve, and witness hundreds of birds feeding from key viewpoints.

Short introduction afterwards in the office. 8.30-10.30am.

Suggested donation: members £3PP, non-members £5PP. BE RI Sun 18 Feb Beginner Birdwatching Learn how to identify the birds that visit the reserve.

Open to all ages and abilities.

Short introduction afterwards in the office.

8.30-10.30am. Suggested donation: members £3PP, non-members £5PP. BE Mon 12 Mar 4x4 Tours Enjoy a drive along the sea wall, taking in the estuary, and explore the saltmarsh and creek system in an area of the reserve not normally open to the public. Book early to avoid disappointment. 10am12 noon and 12.30-2.30pm.

Suggested donation: £10PP (£40 to book the entire vehicle and guide). BE

Fri 2 Feb & Sat 3 Mar Night Walk Did you know that waders feed at night?

Discover a wealth of wildlife at Steart

Steart Marshes

TA5 2PU 01278 651090 info.steart@wwt.org.uk

WWT Steart Marshes

wwt.org.uk/steart

tea t a e a een made o e e yone elen ould a e all a ea on e mo ility oote w i made a ni e an e a mo t a ea we i it a e di i ult to ne otiate ll t e ide ad out ide een wit o enin at di e ent ei t o we e a e i le to all old and youn ali e E en do a e wel ome Malcolm Saunders, via Facebook

GET CLOSER TO WILDLIFE Midwinter at Steart Marshes sees bird numbers reach a glorious peak. Huge flocks of wintering waders, including lapwing, dunlin and golden plover, often roost and feed on the main intertidal marsh.

Last February, more than 6,000 lapwings were counted in a single roost, so this really is a sight to see.

Surprisingly, the waders feed mainly at night and, as darkness falls, the reserve becomes wonderfully noisy. You can now come and experience this amazing sound for yourself on one of our new night-time walks.

If late nights aren’t your thing, then a dawn visit to see the sunrise and a high tide, and enjoy stunning views across Somerset and the Bristol Channel, is worth the early start.

During the cold months, awe-inspiring mixed finch flocks 1,000 strong feed on our purposely sown wild bird seed plots, as well as on saltmarsh seeds and hedgerow plants chosen for their seed-bearing properties.

Linnet, chaffinch, goldfinch, reed bunting, greenfinch and yellowhammer are all common, and last year we even recorded brambling, a Lapland bunting and a twite.

Stockland Marsh attracts large numbers of handsome ducks,

Stockland Marsh is a great example of a working wetland

including impressive numbers of gadwall, wigeon and pintail.

This freshwater area is grazed in summer, but in winter it undergoes a transformation. Water levels are managed to allow huge volumes of water to flood the area, turning the fields into a lake. This provides habitat for wildlife, and helps to alleviate the risk of local flooding during periods of high rainfall. It’s a fantastic example of a working wetland, which provides multiple benefits for wildlife and people.

By early March, the worst of winter will be over and hints of spring start to appear. As the first splashes of yellow marsh marigolds brighten waterways, stonechats and the first Mediterranean gulls fly in. The spring waterbird migration gets under way, bringing species such as bar-tailed godwits and grey plovers here to roost at high tide.

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Classified directory

To advertise please contact Sonal Mistry on 020 3771 7247 or sonal.mistry@thinkpublishing.co.uk

ACCOMMODATION

MARTIN MERE, LANCASHIRE CROOK HALL FARM COTTAGES Quiet, peaceful area, perfect for walking and bird watching. Ideally placed for visiting Martin Mere and Mere Sands Wood nature reserves and Formby Point on the coast. 4* Barn Owl Cottage sleeps 4, Maltkiln Cottage sleeps 2. www.crookhallfarmcottages.co.uk

01704 822389

SLIMBRIDGE FORESTERS B&B OFFERS!

SLIMBRIDGE TUDOR ARMS

Vicky Jennings T: 01453 549996 E: foresters@freeuk.com W: www.forestersbandb.co.uk

T: 01453 890306 E: enquiries@thetudorarms.co.uk W: www.thetudorarms.co.uk

Real Ale, Real Food Pub with 18 well appointed ensuite bedrooms ETB4* 10 Minute Stroll from WWT Slimbridge and situated adjacent to Gloucester-Sharpness Canal CAMRA awards 2007-2013

18th-century former village Inn five minutes from Slimbridge. ETC 4 star. Laura Ashley beamed spacious ensuite bedrooms. Stay any three nights Sun - Fri £34 pppn (dbl occ).

Stay 4 nts get 5th for £25 for two!! 1nt stay - from £78 and single occ from £48. Many attractions including NT in easy travelling distance. email us for latest photos of updated rooms.

AHA001_Bcard-Lucie-p4p.pdf

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A warm and friendly guest house situated in a

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peaceful just a shortguest walk from Arundel Castle A warmsetting and friendly house offering a great place to stay for visitors to Arundel WWT, or for those wishing to explore our magnificent Castle, local attractions, and the South Downs National Park.

We can accommodate up to 14 guests in a choice of 7 comfortable double/twin bedrooms. Free parking on-site.

4 QUEENS LANE | ARUNDEL | WEST SUSSEX BN18 9JN Tel: +44(0)1903 884184 www.ardenhousearundel.com

The Old Cider House, one double bedroom self catering.

Tranquil riverside location, paradise for walkers, cyclists and bird watchers.

Convenient for WWT Slimbridge.

WWW.PRIDINGFARM.COM 01452 741613

PEMBROKESHIRE ROSEMOOR COUNTRY COTTAGES

Arundle_WWT_JanMar_17.indd 1 02/12/2016 10:28 OldCiderHouse_WWT_Jan Mar_18.indd 14/12/2017 1 09:18

E-mail: jamiecowan2000@yahoo.co.uk Tel: 07711583320

In a lovely valley in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Victorian-built 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.

Holiday Lets set within a National Senic Area of

outstanding beauty available for short breaks or www.hollinscottage.co.uk weekly bookings, all within 1/2 mile of WWT www.bankswoodcottage.co.uk NNR and Caerlaverock Castle. www.blossomholidaycottage.co.uk Caerlaverock, A nature lovers paradise. www.keepersholidaycottage.co.uk The migrating geese graze in the www.fishermancottage.co.uk surrounding fields around the properties. www.rowanholidaycottage.co.uk

12/12/2017 16:16 Rosemoor_WWT_JanMar_17.indd 1 Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Blossom_WWT_Jan Mar_18.indd 1

CAERLAVEROCK

Ground floor flat for two in Glencaple close to WWT. Very comfortable with wood-burning stove and small sunny garden. In winter barnacles fly past morning and evening and flocks of ducks and waders are here in large numbers. In summer ospreys nest nearby. Good walking and cycling. www.glencapleholiday.co.uk tel: 01387 770348 email: sue_greig@yahoo.co.uk 64

Jonh M. and Jacqui Janssen Rosemoor Country Cottages & Nature Reserve Walwyn’s Castle Havefordwest SA62 3ED

Marloes – Sunny 4* bungalow, 2-bed, 2-bath. Near spectacular beaches, coastal path and Skomer Island boat.

Seabirds, seals, wintering wildfowl and waders. www.selfcateringmarloes.co.uk

Waterlife JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Sue Greig_WWT_Jan Mar_17.indd 1 07/11/2016 Jane11:36 Warr_WWT_JanMar_18.indd 101/12/2017 11:19

Tel: 01437-781326 E-mail: rosemoor@walwynscastle.com www.rosemoor.com

05/12/2016 11:56

For on the spot Goose gazing and star gazing visit us first.

Book online or call for a brochure. www.discoverscotland.net Tel: 01556 504030

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WILDLIFE HOLIDAYS Estonia • Finland & Norway • Isles of Scilly • Spain (Photographic) • Spain (Pyrenees & Steppes) • Spain (Iberian Lynx) • Australia • Sri Lanka • Taiwan • New Zealand • Tanzania • Namibia • Morocco • Arizona • New York • Texas • Brazil • Costa Rica • Peru • Chile • Honduras & Grand Cayman • Cuba

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CORRYVRECKAN 0845 260 2677 www.corryvreckan.co.uk Quote NTW1 for your special offer when booking.

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Waterlife

65

B AC K C H AT

my wild life Brian Morrell, centre manager at WWT Caerlaverock, chats to Waterlife about his love of the area, adventures with cows and how to catch geese

Every day I cycle to work. My morning route takes me south from Dumfries following the River Nith to the estuary, where I’m immersed in the sights and sounds of the Solway before I even get to Caerlaverock.

It sets me up for the day.

I am very proud of the friendships

and links WWT has forged with the local community during my time at Caerlaverock. It can sometimes be difficult for conservation charities to be welcomed into rural locations, but, over the years, WWT has become a valued part of the local landscape.

My job is the best job in the world

because I’m fortunate to work at Caerlaverock, one of the best nature reserves in the country. My job is as varied as the weather.

Every day is different. I’ve worked

at Caerlaverock for the past 25 years.

I started as a volunteer, then became a reserve warden, a learning manager and now a centre manager. Visitors can often see me leading dawn flight walks out on the merse, giving talks, counting geese and commentating on swan feeds. Sometimes I’m even found on the reception desk!

I cannot be without my binoculars. If they’re not round my

neck, they’re on my desk. I have a great view from my office window!

The highlight of my role is working

with a great team at my favourite nature reserve. This is my local patch.

I was born and brought up in nearby Dumfries, so Caerlaverock means a lot to me personally.

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Waterlife

JANUARY/MARCH 2018

Brian never takes the spectacle of wildlife at Caerlaverock for granted

Brian Morrell, Centre Manager, WWT Caerlaverock Wetland Centre

I couldn’t believe it when we were

fitting GPS tags to red-breasted geese in Bulgaria. It was -16°C, and all attempts at catching the geese using cannon nets had failed. Now we had set the nets in a huge field and were hiding in a ditch, waiting for the geese to move into the catch area.

But the flock remained frustratingly out of reach. Suddenly, a donkey in the nearby village started braying and this startled the geese into the catch area. We fired and secured the first-ever cannon net catch of red-breasted geese in Bulgaria.

The funniest thing that happened

to me was one summer evening when I met a herd of cows wandering up the road to Caerlaverock. WWT leases the centre’s fields and merses to local farmers to graze their cattle as part of our grassland management for barnacle geese. I couldn’t just herd the cows back the way they had come, as there were open driveways and farm roads down which they

might escape and make matters worse. Thankfully, I had seen a neighbouring farmer leading cows with a white plastic feedbag and there just happened to be one such bag at the side of the road. I jumped out of the car, waved the bag and called to the cows – and amazingly they followed me back down the road, all the way back to their field.

I love to see the first barnacle geese arrive back from Svalbard

to winter at Caerlaverock. Watching the skies from the tower in late September is a magical time. I’m fortunate to have visited their Svalbard breeding grounds and I am awestruck by their amazing journey to reach us, especially the goslings who make their first migration south at only three months old!

If I could wave a magic wand,

I would wish that wetland and wildlife conservation became a top priority for government and received the protection and funding it deserves.

I want to build on the Caerlaverock ethos of balancing conservation with engaging visitors. The reserve is a place that has the power to touch, thrill and inspire. It makes me happy to see people enjoying their visit and being inspired by what we do.

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Opticron equipment can be tried, tested and purchased at WWT centres and good optical retailers nationwide. For product information, your nearest stockist and to order a Product Guide please phone us on 01582 726522 or visit us online at www.opticron.co.uk Opticron. Unit 21, Titan Court, Laporte Way, Luton, Beds, LU4 8EF UK Fax: 01582 723559 Email: sales@opticron.co.uk