Wetland wonders

Wetlands Day (

is on 2 February and there is no better day to go out to look for birds on the many fantastic wetlands which can be found in Britain. It is a themed day to celebrate wetlands and this year is aimed at investment to save and restore the world’s wetlands.

There are 71 Ramsar Sites in England, 51 in Scotland, 10 in Wales and 20 in Northern Ireland. These are all wetlands of international importance and a visit to any of them is an opportunity to see some great species.

Britain’s wetland birds are surveyed annually by The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) which counts wintering wetland birds each year. It began 75 years ago as a count of wildfowl and was set up by the British section of the International Council for Bird Preservation (now BirdLife International). It expanded in 1951-52, with more than 500 sites counted. Today there are more than 2,000 count sites and 5.5 million counts are stored in the database.

Cold weather in February can lead to substantial influxes of waterfowl into Britain from the Continent. Freezing conditions particularly lead to large areas of freshwater becoming frozen over, forcing birds to move elsewhere. Here are some good birds to look for during colder conditions.

Difficult to see, as it often doesn’t flush until you get close. Freezing conditions force birds to feed out near running water. An estimated 100,000 winter in Britain and yet the highest monthly count was 135 birds in January 2020. Some recent counts have used thermal imaging to find birds.

See last month’s issue for an indepth identification guide to this species.

Secretive and shy, this species is best looked for at the edges of rivers, lakes and ponds in winter, as well as other freshwater wetlands. Fairly widespread, it is found in most lowland areas and

Rutland Water, Cotswold Water Park, Wiltshire/Gloucestershire, and the Somerset Levels all have good counts. Numbers increase in winter, with extra birds from Europe and the difficulties in censusing meaning the size of the winter population in Britain is unknown.

Remember not to disturb waterbirds during severely cold weather, as losing energy in such conditions could prove fatal for them. For more information on WeBS, including results for all species and sites covered and how to get involved, go to

WORLD www. worldwetlandsday.org) Smew Numbers vary depending on Continental conditions. The typical winter estimate is 125 birds, with Rutland Water the best site, averaging 10 birds in February. More females and juveniles tend to be seen as they move further south-west in winter. Jack Snipe Water Rail Small numbers of Smew visit the UK in winter, with harsh conditions on the Continent sometimes driving influxes. www.bto.org/ our-science/projects/wetlandbird-survey.