Back to something non-writing related now. I’m a member of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in the UK. The WWT have nine centres over the UK, and I live not too far from the centre at Slimbridge. I’ve had membership for three or four years now, and it means that we can visit any centre as often as we want.
The WWT is a conservation charity that is involved in protecting, repairing and creating new wetlands across the country. They provide safe havens for migrating wildfowl, and run programs to help endangered species and those on the brink of extinction. Birds are not the only focus of the centres. They also work with many other species that rely on the wetlands to survive: otters, mice, voles, and pond-life.
Most of the centres have a wide variety of entertainment from children’s activities and play areas, talks and feeding sessions on the birds and animals, and bird hides for the more serious birders.
Since we took out our membership, I have learnt to recognise and name quite a large variety of ducks, geese and swans. It’s not something I’ve been interested in until now, but it’s a very relaxing way to spend a day, pottering round checking out all the different birds in the area.
My husband is into photography, and has spent a lot of time trying to perfect his shots of birds. Here are a few of the pictures he’s taken, to give you an idea of the wildlife we’ve seen:
Avocet
Shelduck
Gull
Flamingos
Cygnet
Mandarin Duck (our favourite duck!)
Feeding swans
Good at taking pictures, isn’t he!
Anyway, that’s a little more about what I enjoy doing in my spare time. I hope you enjoyed the pretty pics, if nothing else!
Great pictures and what amazing birds! I’d love to visit there. I’ve also been trying to learn to identify random bits of wildlife in the recent years.
Thanks 🙂 I went last weekend and saw baby flamingos!