At the end of February 2023, we became members of WWT - The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust - and began our journey of obsession with our local centre in Washington.
A 15-minute drive from our house and only 5 minutes around the corner from where Mr H works, we really have no excuse as to why it's taken us so long to finally visit Washington Wetlands Centre but I'm so glad that after living here for 5 years we now have this paradise to escape to.
Washington Wetlands is a nature reserve and wildlife haven established in 1975! Comprised of walk-through collection exhibits, a wild reserve, woodland areas and more it's set over 103 acres and being members has given us plenty of opportunity to explore a vast percentage of it. Seeing it in almost every single month this year, we've witnessed the shifting seasons, the change in the landscape and the variety in visiting species of not only birds but insects too. (Much to my disappointment, but not through lack of trying, we're yet to spy any amphibians!)
Something extra special we were lucky to experience was a Bat Evening event where we saw many Common Pipistrelle feeding among the trees and witnessed Daubenton's Bats whooshing over the water's surface in pursuit of their food. It was truly incredible and I'll share more from that evening in another post.
Of course wherever I go my camera usually follows and so nine out of ten visits I take a whole host of photos which I want to finally share here. For now, I'll share a few snaps from our very first WWT visit on March 3rd 2023.
Washington Wetlands is a nature reserve and wildlife haven established in 1975! Comprised of walk-through collection exhibits, a wild reserve, woodland areas and more it's set over 103 acres and being members has given us plenty of opportunity to explore a vast percentage of it. Seeing it in almost every single month this year, we've witnessed the shifting seasons, the change in the landscape and the variety in visiting species of not only birds but insects too. (Much to my disappointment, but not through lack of trying, we're yet to spy any amphibians!)
Something extra special we were lucky to experience was a Bat Evening event where we saw many Common Pipistrelle feeding among the trees and witnessed Daubenton's Bats whooshing over the water's surface in pursuit of their food. It was truly incredible and I'll share more from that evening in another post.
Of course wherever I go my camera usually follows and so nine out of ten visits I take a whole host of photos which I want to finally share here. For now, I'll share a few snaps from our very first WWT visit on March 3rd 2023.
Being our first time at the centre we didn't even cover half of what there was to see and I was already over the moon to be a member and excited to be able to visit much more in the coming months. If you've been a reader for any amount of time you'll know what birds, and indeed nature and wildlife in general, mean an incredible amount to me so this place has become one of my absolute favourite places on the planet. I can't wait to share lots more about our adventures at Washington Wetlands Centre.
In the photos above you can see these gorgeous birds:
Barnacle Geese
Moor Hen
Eider Duck
Common Goldeneye
Chiloé Wigeon
Smew
Black Swan
Falcated Duck
Red Shoveler
Mallards
Red-Crested Pochard
White-Headed Duck
Bufflehead
Mandarin Duck
Hawaiian Goose
White-Faced Whistling Duck
Rosy-Billed Pochard
Bar-Headed Geese
Greenland White-Fronted Geese
Rock Dove (Common Pigeon)
And a sneaky shot of the three resident Asian Short-Clawed Otters; Mimi, Musa and their son Buster. Again, there will be more on them in future posts. Until then I hope you will consider visiting a WWT centre near you! These places are so important for our environment, protect them.
In the photos above you can see these gorgeous birds:
Barnacle Geese
Moor Hen
Eider Duck
Common Goldeneye
Chiloé Wigeon
Smew
Black Swan
Falcated Duck
Red Shoveler
Mallards
Red-Crested Pochard
White-Headed Duck
Bufflehead
Mandarin Duck
Hawaiian Goose
White-Faced Whistling Duck
Rosy-Billed Pochard
Bar-Headed Geese
Greenland White-Fronted Geese
Rock Dove (Common Pigeon)
And a sneaky shot of the three resident Asian Short-Clawed Otters; Mimi, Musa and their son Buster. Again, there will be more on them in future posts. Until then I hope you will consider visiting a WWT centre near you! These places are so important for our environment, protect them.
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