WWT Welney Zoos

The dramatic wetlands at Welney, on the Ouse Washes, are home to some of the most spectacular winter gatherings of wild swans.

In the summer, Welney offers a relaxing opportunity to see rich varieties of rare waders and other wildlife. Welney is soon to have a brand new state-of-the-art visitor centre and education facility. Access to the main observatories will be by a new bridge directly from the Centre itself. Work has begun on site and the new facilities are due to open in spring 2006.

The new centre, a large two-storey timber-framed building with views of both the surrounding fenland and Ouse Washes, will include improved visitor facilities as well as a new, interactive education area and much larger cafe. It will also include community space, which can be used for local events and meetings.

The plans for the new centre involve the use of the environmentally responsible building techniques, renewable materials and the latest energy saving technology, such as ground-source heat pumps for heating, rainwater collection, natural wastewater filtration systems and natural insulation materials.

During the winter, Welney becomes home to one of Europe's most impressive wildfowl spectacles, as over 8,000 wild swans arrive from their Arctic migration. Anyone who has witnessed thousands of Whooper and Bewick's Swans feeding at sunset cannot deny that such scenes must be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Welney also boasts a wealth of other waterfowl during the winter months with tremendous flocks of Pintail, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Shoveler and Lapwing. Other wildlife includes many species of butterflies and dragonflies. The reserve is also host to several rare wetland plants and over 40% of the UK's aquatic plant species can be found there. .