The meadows around our reserve are being cut this week as part of our reserve management plan. This may mean there's some disturbance around Wader Lake and saline lagoon. Thank you for your patience as we do this essential work.

Avocet on Wader Lake

24 February 2014

The first avocet of the season arrived on Wader Lake on Sunday 23 February, a whole week earlier than the previous site record of 2 March (in 2012).

Avocets have bred at WWT Washington since 2006 and last year, four pairs successfully fledged 12 young between them. For the first time ever recorded, two of those adults had also hatched here themselves (ringed in 2011). We can’t wait to see how the 2014 story of these amazing birds unfolds…