Bird
oasis  |
It's hard to believe that the London Wetlands Centre
is just a couple of miles from the city. This oasis of peace and tranquility boasts
some stunning bird spectacles close to the heart of the urban area. | London
Wetlands Centre - oasis close to the heart of the city.
Photo - Martin Senior/London
Wetlands. |
The London Wetlands Centre is 105 acres
of wetlands in the heart of one of Britain's busiest metropolitan areas.
It's
a great place for bird watching and for tracking down some amazing wetland bugs,
reptiles and amphibians. Bird experience  The
reserve has been developed around the remains of four Victorian reservoirs and
provides a variety of wetland habitats including 'World Wetlands', the 'Wader
Scrape', the 'Sheltered Lagoon' and the 'Reservoir Lagoon'.
London Wetlands
attracts more than 170 different species of birds throughout the year including
some rarities such as the Hawaiian Goose (or 'Ne Ne bird', named after its call)
and Laysan Teal. In 1930 there was only one female Laysan Teal in the world,
but the population of these brown ducks is now recovering as a result of conservation
work. The reserve is also home to resident breeding populations of European
birds, including Shoveler ducks and Gadwall. The Gadwall at first sight
look a little like a Mallard, but can be distinguished by their brownish grey
colour and white wing flash. Look out for these striking birds in the main
lake on the reserve. Reptiles and amphibians  Summer
is a great time to see not just birds but a wide variety of reptiles, butterflies,
moths and other insects.
The Wildside area of the reserve is a habitat of
small pools and reedbeds which attracts a variety of dragonflies, birds, and amphibians
such as the March Frog. During the summer the reedbeds are also a good place
to spot birds such as Sedge Warblers and Reed Warblers. Also look out for
reptiles including Common Lizards and Slow Worms in the wilder areas of the reserve. The
centre also boasts a newly released population of Grass Snakes, but be warned
- they are hard to spot especially if they sense your presence. Bug
life  In
the summer it's worth listening out for the distinctive sounds of Grasshoppers
and Crickets.
If you're a fan of bugs, look for the Wasp Spider, an amazing
black and white striped creature which builds complex webs which are like delicately
constructed works of art. It's not known why the spider builds such intricate
webs but it could be to deter predators. Another theory is that the web
radiate ultraviolet light to attract insects such as Grasshoppers which the spider
likes to eat. Photo credits  London
Wetland Centre birds copyright and courtesy of London Wetlands Centre and Martin
Senior.
Wasp Spider courtesy of London Wetlands
and Anne/Chris Algar. | 
