Black-tailed godwit returns to Welney after migration

24 April 2018

A rare bird that was released into the wild after being hand-reared in the Fens has returned from its winter migration, wildlife experts have said.

The black-tailed godwit was one of 26 raised at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Welney, Norfolk.

They were released last summer and migrated as far as Portugal for winter.

Conservationists said the sighting was a "wonderful and welcome surprise", as the birds were not expected to return from their wintering grounds this year.

Their release was part of Project Godwit, a partnership between the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the WWT, and aimed to increase the population of black-tailed godwits in the UK.

The wading birds were hatched in captivity and hand-reared by wildlife experts from the charities to protect them from predators.

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Rare common cranes breed for first time at WWT Welney Wetland Centre

Chris Bishop

PUBLISHED: 10:46 19 April 2018 | UPDATED: 10:46 19 April 2018

Common cranes have bred for the first time at the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust’s Welney Wetland Centre.

The rare birds arrived on March 21 and nested within sight of the reserve’s visitor centre.

At 4ft tall, the adults can easily be seen with binoculars. The pair have been seen sharing the responsibility of brooding the eggs, swapping over every couple of hours.

The chicks are only about 6ins tall (15cm) when they hatch, and are quickly able to walk, swim and run. Over the next 10 weeks both the parent birds will protect these precious chicks from predation and teach them how to find the food they need to grow.

Centre manager Leigh Marshall said: “The area of wetlands that the cranes have chosen to nest on is less than ten years old, and was previously arable farmland. The development of this habitat was specifically for wet springs, such as the one we have experienced this year, when the Ouse Washes are storing water to protect the surrounding land and communities.

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UK first as rare black-winged stilts choose Welney Wetland Centre as breeding ground

Dominic Gilbert

PUBLISHED: 16:18 31 May 2017 | UPDATED: 16:19 31 May 2017


For the first time ever a pair of unusual wading birds, black-winged stilts, have successfully bred in the UK - on the reserve at WWT Welney Wetland Centre.

The species of bird has been a vagrant to the UK for many decades with a handful of nesting attempts in that time. This is the first time the species has successfully hatched chicks at a WWT reserve in the UK.

Black-winged stilts are striking birds to look at, easily identified from other waders with their black & white plumage, thin black bill and long, spindly red legs.

They are normally found around the Mediterranean, nesting within wetland habitat where they feed on insects in the water and mud. When conditions in their normal breeding areas are drier than normal, the birds can be displaced further North to the UK, to find more suitable conditions.

Assistant warden Hetty Grant said: “When the black-winged stilts started nest scraping, mating and then incubating their clutch I was nervous with anticipation, however their rarity in the UK made them a prime target for egg collectors.

“A surveillance team had to be assembled to protect these birds. Due to the unsociable hours I was astounded by the exceptional response of staff and volunteers; an incredible 25 people took part in our stilt watches, covering over 230 hours.



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