Wildflowers are starting to show nicely around our reserve, with a variety of shapes, sizes & colours to see.

Why not enjoy a walk around the east of our wetlands and try your hand at spotting and IDing these ten wildflowers 👉 bit.ly/wa-ten-spring-… #wildflowers #Springwatch

Hello and welcome to this week's #MondayMindfulMinute ! Today we spent a moment with a grey heron who has been visiting the Stream Channel (and causing quite a stir we might add...) for the last week. The barnacle geese don't seem fussed, but the cranes have not been impressed!

Reed warblers have started arriving for summer! These birds breed across Europe and winter in Africa, making the 4000 mile trip each year to spend summer around the UK.

Their loud call can often be heard at our reedbed shelter, the saline lagoon & amphibian ponds. #SpringWatch

Some fantastic photos nicely showing the interest the sand martin are showing in the new artificial bank! Thanks for sharing Mark Whitelock

Today is #InternationalFlamingoDay and if you didn't know, we have a flock of over 50 Chilean flamingos in our collection, the only flamingos in the North East!

Read about our flamingos and their history here at Washington 👉 bit.ly/north-east-fla…

Public newt survey - Sat 27 April | 2pm

Reserve manager John invites visitors to join him at the amphibian ponds as the team check their newt-friendly traps, as part of our regular survey work.

Included with admission, no booking needed, meet at the amphibian ponds at 2pm.

On 22 June, WWT is joining a march to #RestoreNatureNow

We’ll march for wetlands, and for their mood-boosting, carbon-storing, habitat-creating superpowers.

Nature may be declining, but hope is not lost. Save the date, and find out more 👉 wwt.org.uk/restore-nature…

Hello and welcome to another #ondayMindfulMinute . 60 seconds of uninterrupted nature from our wonderful wetlands. This week we enjoyed some time with a preening male mandarin duck in our Eclipse exhibit. What a handsome chap!

Have you heard about our new visitor app? You can:

🎟️ Get 10% off admission
☕ Get a free hot drink with a café purchase
🗺️ Navigate around our site with the interactive map
ℹ️ Get updates & notifications of events & sightings

Read more & download 👉 bit.ly/WWT-Washington…

Join our reserve team tomorrow (Sat 20 April) at 11am for a Wild Walk around Wader Lake.

See migration species such as avocet, nesting lapwing & grey heron youngsters in their nest, before finishing at the Vic Robins Hide where we will be on the lookout for sand martin.

Newt survey season is here & our reserve team were pleased to count 4 GC newts + eggs & 6 smooth newts in our amphibian ponds last week - fantastic news!

ℹ️ Reserve manager John is fully trained & licensed in newt handling, despite the vibes this smooth newt may be giving...

The bluebells are out in Spring Gill!

This delicate flower carpets our ancient woodland, creating a wonderful atmosphere to enjoy a walk or even a mindful moment. Let us know if you've spotted any! #Springwatch

Wonderful photos from visitors lynn & john - thanks for sharing!🤩

Good morning and welcome to another #MondayMindfulMinute . This week we enjoyed a moment with a common kestrel on the lookout near our old oak!

We've been excited to see at least four #SandMartin pairs checking out the artifical sand martin bank around Wader Lake!

While the weather isn't playing ball just yet, they can be seen flitting around the lake feeding during those few-and-far-between sunny spells. #SpringWatch

An abundance of snakes-head fritillary are around Forgotten Meadow.

This early flowering plant likes wet meadows & floodplain grasslands, and is a great wildflower advocate for wetland conservation, providing a source of food for bees & other invertebrates! #SpringWatch

Pink-footed Goose on the Wader Lake at Washington WWT today. Can't remember seeing one on the lake before. WWT Washington

Thinking of visiting us soon?

Make the most of your visit with our new interactive app 📱 AND get 10% of admission!

Read more and download 👉 bit.ly/WWT-Washington…

What a difference a day makes: a #wet afternoon WWT Washington followed by a glorious morning.

Yesterday's deluge highlighted the #climateresilience challenge for all #habitats : even wet ones. But #wet landsuperpowers mean #nature started recovery quicker than my waterproofs!

Ah how fantastic is this! 👇🤩 Thanks so much for sharing Mia Croft