WWT Washington

WWT Washington Wetland Centre is a wetland reserve run by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust near Washington in Tyne and Wear. Opened in 1975, it sits beside the River Wear and covers ponds, lagoons and grassy banks. The site shelters swans, geese, ducks and Asian short-clawed otters. Chilean flamingos strut along the saline lagoon’s edge, while dragonfly ponds hold large dragonflies and newts. The centre works to protect wetlands and runs breeding programmes for some of the world’s rarest wildfowl. Baer’s pochard, Hawaiian goose and Andean goose are among the species carefully managed here. Visitors can buy seed bags to feed many of the birds at close range. Hides overlook the lagoons and ponds, letting people watch wildlife without disturbance. Paths wind past the saline lagoon and dragonfly ponds to the main reserve. Feeding stations let guests get close to mute swans, black swans and Chilean flamingos. Otters often play in the streams, while ducks dabble in the shallows. The reserve’s ponds also shelter frogs, toads and newts among the reeds.