WWT Martin Mere Wetland Centre

Fluffy shelducklings are waddling around Martin Mere ❤️

Thanks to Danni Burgess for sharing these adorable photos with us on a recent visit. Have you managed to spot any around yet?

We're pleased to announce that we are working with Millercare Mobility Specialists to provide a new mobility scooter for our visitors, an upgrade from one of our current mobility scooters we have on site.

To help towards the cost of hiring this, we are updating our cost from £10 per day, to £12 per day for visitors to hire this for use (this also applies to our other red mobility scooter). This doesn't cover the full cost of us hiring it - but does help us towards it.

If you'd like to hire the mobility scooter, please give us a call on 01704 895181. More information about our accessibility can be found here: https://ow.ly/ZkLH50Zck4b

More amazing reserve news, we've seen the successful breeding of four bittern chicks.

Not one year, not two, but three years in a row we've seen breeding bitterns on our reedbed. How fantastic is that?

Over the winter, the reserve team completed works including clearing scrub so that reed can grow, cutting large areas of reed to create a mosaic of different aged reeds, and creating the perfect water levels to allow fish to thrive so that the bitterns would have enough supply to feed their young.

The reserve team have colour-ringed the chicks (as seen in the photos), so that each one can be identified in the future to track their movements, monitor survival rates, and measure breeding success.

We couldn't have done this without funding from CMA CGM GROUP (Official) which enabled us to complete these restoration works, with employees of the company also volunteering their time to help out with areas such as scrub clearing.

Read the full story: https://ow.ly/rxC750ZcbLh

Nest survey and ringing completed under a Schedule 1 licence

How is this for a bundle of joy? 🐤

These adorable whistling ducklings, which are currently in our duckery being hand-reared, were photographed bundled together. This behaviour allows the ducklings to share their body heat and provides comfort.

Vet check done ✅

Last week Penny & Kenai, our Asian small-clawed otters, took their annual trip to the vet. During this, the pair get their check up including dental checks, weighing, and x-raying to ensure they're nice and healthy. All is great for the two, who were back to it exploring their habitat soon after their trip! Here are some behind the scenes photos taken by our team.

Wet play area - important notice

Tomorrow (13 June) our Family SEND Day is taking place. During this, the wet play area will be reserved for SEND Day wristband holders only from 9-10am and 4:30-5:30pm.

Families booked on the SEND Day will now have received an email with information regarding your visit. You can also see a schedule of wristband-only activities on our website: https://ow.ly/xpAU50Zb0YR

🔭 Latest Sightings 🔭

The weather continues to be unpredictable here at Martin Mere, however you can always depend on the wonderful array of birds on site to uplift your spirits.

Over the weekend Bittern continued to show on our reedbed walk with sightings on both Saturday and Sunday. You can also expect to see and hear Reed Bunting, Reed, Sedge, Willow and Cetti’s Warblers, as well as Swifts, Swallows and House Martins, which have been very active today between the scattered showers.

Harrier hide provides a great place to see both Great Crested Grebes and Little Grebes, with both being reported today.

Over on Woodend Marsh, best viewed from Rees, Gordon-Taylor and Tomlinson hide, there is a large colony of breeding birds. Amongst them you can see Redshank, Oystercatchers, Avocets, Black-Headed Gulls and Mediterranean Gulls. The latter three are also breeding on the mere alongside Common Terns.

At Janet Kear hide there is a range of passerine to be seen, including Goldfinch Robins, Blue and Great t**s, who are now joined by their recent fledglings. On Saturday a Nuthatch was also seen from this hide.

Finally, keep your eyes pealed for Marsh Harriers and Barn Owls across the reserve as they can often be seen hunting during the day.

View all of our latest sightings: https://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/martin-mere/wildlife/latest-sightings