Southern Migrant Hawker dragonfly was the star species at WWT Welney this week. Other sightings include: 🐉 Emperor 🐉 Norfolk Hawker 🐉 Brown hawker 🐉 Four-spotted chaser 🐉 Black-tailed skimmer 🐉 Ruddy darter 🐉 Common blue damselfly 🐉 Blue-tailed damselfly 🐉 Small red-eyed damselfly 📷 WWT

Amended opening times for WWT Welney (weds 24 - Fri 26 June) Reserve: 7am - 3pm (last admission 2pm) Cafe: 7.30am - 2.30pm #norfolkbirding

Female Wigeon with young in Northeast Scotland this week. Now’s a great time for confirming breeding by Wigeon and other rare breeding ducks e.g. Shoveler, Pintail, Garganey, Pochard & Goldeneye

Saltmarsh… get your waders on Genius by @wwtworldwide.bsky.social comms team youtu.be/OZP6ylM3v2U?...

WWT - Marshlife (Parody)

YouTube video by WWT

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As wader chicks forage for insect food in the grass, they are easy targets for ticks. Blog about the impacts that ticks can have on chicks, based on paper by David Douglas and James Pearce-Higgins: wadertales.wordpress.com/2019/06/04/c... #birds

First of the 2026 Whooper swans have hatched at WWT Welney this weekend. This year there are at least 4 pairs breeding on site. Black winged stilt returned to the site today, after a wander around other wetlands in the area. #norfolkbirds

Ringed Whooper Swan, ABP, part of a group of 7 new in at dawn at Branston Island, left N by 0600. From quick search seems to be Welney hatched, maybe explaining the group's delay. Also 73 Ringo, Dunlin, Garganey, 3 Ibis and 2 Great, 25! Little Egret. #PatchBirding @lincsbirding.bsky.social

New in #BirdStudy Using trail cameras to monitor Corncrakes: Use of passive infrared-triggered trail cameras to study timing of breeding and habitat use of Corncrakes Crex crex in Scotland doi.org/10.1080/0006... #ornithology @rspbscience.bsky.social @rspbscotland.bsky.social

Today at Welney Black-winged stilt, Common sandpiper, Greenshank, Swifts and 3 Hobby, all in all after a bleak start but not only did the birds make an appearance but so did the Sun.

Black-winged stilt at WWT Welney this morning. I was hoping one would turn up so was nice find this one snoozing from the visitor centre

With the dry spring the team have been able to access the Tansy trail at WWT Welney. The results, our earliest record of the rare Tansy beetle.

Clive Baker 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇮🇪@elyclive.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Tansy beetle

Today at Welney, highlights included Cuckoo calling, Ringed plover, Orange-tailed mining bee and Spotted Redshank amongst the Black-tailed Godwits

A pair of Garganey yesterday at Welney @wwtworldwide.bsky.social Fortunately for her, the drake was pretty quick on the job. An elusive pair of Tree Sparrows finally showed up at 4.45 after the dominant House Sparrows had quietened down a bit. Cafe serves an excellent pastie too. #birdinguk

Just the Male Garganey slipping back to his resting place after a quick ‘cuddle’ with the female Garganey. I hear the the sounds of Garganey ducklings coming soon to WWT Welney

What an incredible last two days ~ another fantastic annual early spring limosa top-up around the Fens: y'day it was Ouse Washes, today Welney & a minimum of 23 nominate birds logged plus well over 1100 islandicas. Highlight of 2026 so far. @linnetincley.bsky.social #norfolkbirding #cambsbirding #L3

This must be one of the most fantastic things I've seen in all my 30+ years watching limosas. Away from the throng of 900+ islandicas, this pair of L3 quietly began a short display & copulation quickly followed (all-grey ♀️ in the background). @linnetincley.bsky.social #norfolkbirding #L3 #welney

Another cracking day of volunteering at WWT Welney today, Red-crested Pochard, Sand Martins, Peregrine, Cranes and lots of Waders to name a few and of course the big skies of Fenland.

Enjoyable couple of hours at WWT Welney focusing on limosa Black-tailed godwits Numbers are steadily increasing. Displaying has begun and a few interesting ring records.

Mary Colwell and Prof Jenny Gill explore gender bias in fieldwork in our latest blog. Read it now: www.curlewaction.org/the-joke-tha...

WWT Welney will be closed on Thursday 26 March for a staff development day. We’ll be open for the rest of the week, 9.30am -5pm The washes are packed full of birds creating an incredible spectacle

I'm excited to share the latest Wild Tales episode, made at @wwtworldwide.bsky.social Welney, exploring the lives of our wild winter swans, delving into their behaviour, epic migrations and the people who study and protect them 🦢 www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zKN...

Finding the Tundra Swan | Podcast

YouTube video by National Trust

youtube.com

That time of year has arrived. The first limosa black tailed godwit is back at WWT Welney wearing its lime ‘E’ ring but refusing to put its other leg down for a complete read. Over the next few weeks more of these limosa godwits will return hoping they have access to the Ouse Washes to breed.

WWT Welney looking absolutely splendid today. Packed full of waders and wildfowl

First Garganey of the year for me at WWT Welney, pair in front of Nelson Lyle hide in morning had moved to Reedbed hide pm.

Signs of spring in Norfolk…woodlarks are the soundtrack on our walks Interestingly had one singing in a new location today

📢 Job Alert: Monitoring officer I am looking for an experienced ornithological fieldworker to join the team this spring to lead on the monitoring of Black tailed godwits at WWT Welney. Closing date: 6 March 2026 Apply ➡️ vacancies.wwt.org.uk/vacancies/77...

Lynda Donaldson – Wetland conservationist Any day in which I can explore the Fens in Spring and hear the whickering of Black-tailed Godwits after they return from their migration is special. It’s always beneficial to remind ourselves of the work we are doing and that it helps make a difference.

Our new paper is out 👇

British Birds@britishbirds.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Using data from the International Swan Census, the Goose and Swan Monitoring Programme, and recent GPS-tracking, this paper examines the subset of the Iceland/UK & Ireland population that winters at the Ouse Washes britishbirds.co.uk/journal/arti...

WWT Welney access update • All roads from A10 are open (Littleport & ten mile bank). • ⁠Lady Fen trail closed due to large numbers of waders and wildfowl Cranes and pink-footed geese also regular • ⁠Main obs only hide available due to flooding

Enjoyed a morning at WWT Welney. Particularly enjoyed our coffee overlooking Lady Fen, with about a dozen Common Cranes and a group of Cattle Egrets.