Tall grey bird by water's edge
Bird place of the month,  Birds,  London

A wetland wonderland in London

December 5, 2024 / 48 Comments

We love to travel, but we recognise that it’s all too easy to ignore the sights close to home. Living in London there are certainly plenty of those to choose from, and while we don’t usually frequent the top tourist sites (except perhaps when entertaining visitors from out of town) we do make the most of the city’s galleries, museums, parks, restaurants, etc. So much is to be expected in a capital city, of course. But it might surprise you to know that London can also be a good place to spot wildlife!

Tucked into a loop of the Thames in west London is a watery wonderland. The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust was founded in the 1940s by the naturalist Sir Peter Scott, to protect wetlands and save wetland species. Their first Wetlands Centre was in Gloucestershire, and there are now nine dotted around the country. The centres protect areas of wetland that are home to, either permanently or seasonally, many bird species as well as insects and small mammals. They are also a source of funds for the charity through the admission fees, shops and food outlets. And they make for a great day out.

The London Wetlands Centre

This is the sort of environment you wouldn’t normally expect to find in a city, but migrating birds know a good thing when they see it, and these low-lying lands close to the Thames make a great stopping-off place on their journey south in the autumn, north in the spring. They join the many other species that have a permanent home here. Some are British residents who have settled here, while in the Wetlands of the World area visitors can see an array of colourful birds from various parts of the world who have been brought to live here to educate people about the wonders and importance of wetlands.

Eight geese swimming
Red-breasted and Barnacle geese

Although it is wonderful here on a lovely summer’s day, winter is the time to come to see the migrants. It’s also much quieter then, especially on a weekday. We recently met up with a friend for a chilly walk which took us around most of the centre. I’d like to introduce you to this perhaps slightly surprising Bird Place of the Month.

Meet the otters

OK, yes, this post is mainly about the birds, but I couldn’t resist sharing more photos of these cuties with you! The centre is home to two Asian short-clawed otters and as Chris and I arrived before our friend, and just before their feeding time, this was the obvious place to start our visit.

These are the smallest of all thirteen species of otter worldwide. The cold had made them sleepy but when they realised the keeper had arrived with a bucket of fish they soon emerged to delight us with their antics while she told us a little bit about them. I confess I was more occupied with trying to get some good photos of these lively creatures to take in all her facts! And as a bonus, the beautiful heron featured above flew down, having learned that otter feeding time meant a chance to grab some of the leftovers!

Wetlands of the World

Once our friend arrived, and after warming up with a cup of coffee, we started our explorations in the western part of the centre. This area features the permanent collection of ducks and other water birds from various parts of the world.

Hover over each image to see the species. I’ve identified most with the help of signs at the centre but for a few I had to resort to Google Lens, with accuracy I hope.

South Route

After a good lunch in the café, we followed the path along the southern edge of the wetlands, stopping off at several of the hides that overlook the water. This is where the serious birders go, and we met several who were keen to point out species that, try as I might, I often couldn’t even see, let alone photograph.

For the most part in this area I concentrated on photographing the general landscape instead. Would you have guessed that this photo was taken in London?!

Lake with small islets and distant birds
The main lake from the south shore

For more about visiting the centre, have a look at its website: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london/

I last visited the London Wetlands Centre in November 2024, when all these photos were taken

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