Location Summary
WWT Nature Reserve with a large number of hides and lakes. Many walking trails.
Huge variety of birds. Asian short-clawed otters.
Don't miss...
Hawthorn Wood Hide (tree level view of birds)
Diageo Hide (view of Grey Heron colony, across the Wader Lake)
Asian Short-Clawed Otter compound
Chillean Flamingos compound
Close Encounters (walk near to ducks)
Website: WWT
Car Park: Free Parking
Fee: £11.50 (2023) - yikes!
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None
Captain's Log
Red Crested Pochard
17/03/23
Dramatic Entrance
I woke up to find a lady loosening the collar of my shirt, placing a small bottle of smelling salts under my nose, and asking me if I was okay. How odd, I'd never seen her before and I couldn't understand why was I laying on the floor. I remembered arriving at the Washington Wetlands Centre, going up to the payment kiosk...and then it all went blank. I pulled myself together a bit and sat up. The WWT greeter recalled that as soon as she told me the price of entry, I'd fainted. I suddenly felt dizzy again. Yes, it was coming back to me now. She said a single adult ticket cost £11.50. 'Is that a monthly, or annual ticket?' I asked. 'No, just a daily ticket.' It was just gone 13:00 and they shut at 16:30. I thought about bargaining for a half price ticket. The queue of people that were waiting behind me were showing signs of impatience though, and so in the end I paid up.
Asian Short-Clawed Otter
Goldeneye
A Bit Of A Reputation
In retrospect, I have to say though, that Washington Wetlands Centre is well worth the £11.50. It has an amazing collection of birds and even some Asian Short Clawed Otters too. There is an extensive set of trails throughout the site giving access to some excellent hides. It really justified a full day of wandering, rather than half a day. At the Wader lake I watched a large number of Herons in a colony in the trees. The site has a Duckery, a specialist breeding nursery, where some of the most endangered water birds on the planet are hatched and raised. I particularly liked the Hawthorn Feeding Station, a hide that has an elevated position so that you feel like you are up there with the birds. I arrived at the Otters compound just as they were being fed. Raw fish heads and tails wouldn't be my preferred choice of lunch, but they seemed to enjoy it.
Given the shock of the £11.50 entrance fee, I feared the worst when I dropped in at the cafe before leaving, but it turned out to be good and reasonably priced. I might have to re-mortgage the house, but I'll definitely be back to Washington Wetlands Centre