Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) is a leading UK conservation organisation saving wetlands for wildlife and people across the world. Founded in 1946 by the naturalist and artist, the late Sir Peter Scott, WWT is committed to the protection of wetlands and all that depend on them for survival.

Eco-friendly cards: Card from responsibly managed forests (FSC®), vegetable-based inks, recycled paper envelopes, compostable outer slips.

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Card size: 160x160mm. Blank inside.

Photography: Ben Hall (WW101, WW102, WW106, WW108, WW110, WW120, WW121, WW130), Keven Law (WW103, WW105), Colin Varndell (WW104, WW109, WW114, WW116, WW124), Geoff Dicker (WW107), Gavin Parsons (WW111), Nigel Campbell (WW112), Adrian Campfield (WW113, WW117), Ross Hoddinott (WW115), Gary Woodburn (WW118, WW122), Rob Lind (WW119), Peter Cairns (WW123), Mark Hamblin (WW125, WW128, WW133), David Tipling (WW126), Tim Phillips (WW127), Andy McGowan (WW129), Dale Sutton (WW131), Tim Laman (WW132)
Text on Reverse of Card

Code: WW101		 If you are not lucky enough to see a flock of flamingos flying over the Andes, you can still see these remarkable birds at WWT centres. Most centres have at least one variety, while WWT Slimbridge is a sanctuary for them all.

Chilean flamingos inhabit highland lakes in Peru, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. The Chilean is a pale pink flamingo and, just like other flamingo species, it is very social, often living in flocks numbering in the thousands. Flamingos do everything together in these large groups - breeding, feeding, flying - and pretty noisily too, producing an array of vocalisations from deep honking to grunting and howling. All flamingo populations are at risk from the destruction of their fragile wetland habitats.
 

Code: WW102		 Like Santa, the whooper swan is a winter visitor to the UK, but it arrives a little earlier, usually in October. Every year, around 15,000 whoopers make the 800 kilometre overseas crossing in family groups from their breeding grounds in Iceland. A large, powerful swan, the whooper flies at up to 97 kilometres per hour at heights of around 70 metres but has been recorded at up to 8,000 metres.

The Ouse Washes, the location of the WWT centre at Welney, is regarded as one of the most important sites in Europe for wintering whooper swans, as well as the similar, but smaller, Bewick's swans. Other likely locations to spot them include WWT Martin Mere in north-west England, WWT Caerlaverock in south-west Scotland and Lough Swilly in Ireland.
 

Code: WW103		 WWT London Wetland Centre is an international award-winning visitor attraction, just 25 minutes from central London, on the banks of the River Thames in Barnes. The centre is arranged around a network of lagoons, reed beds and other habitats created from the redundant reservoirs that used to supply much of London with drinking water. Now a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) it is widely acknowledged as a model for urban wetland creation and the UK's best place for urban wildlife-watching. A stunning natural haven, it is home to over 180 species of birds, mammals, amphibians, bats, butterflies and moths.

If you look closely at the picture you will see that the only 'bird' flying in this sunset is a plane, probably on route to, or from, the world's busiest airport, Heathrow. It's a perfect reflection of how humankind and the natural world need to live side by side in the 21st century.
 

Code: WW104		 This is the largest butterfly native to Britain and also one of the rarest. It breeds only in the open fens and marshes that support its food of choice: the moisture-loving milk parsley. The draining of marshland for agricultural use has seen the loss of the swallowtail in many areas of the country - so, although you might see European migrants elsewhere, it is now restricted to the Norfolk Broads, near the location of WWT Welney. The conservation of fenland areas is critically important if we don't want to lose this striking butterfly altogether.

The swallowtail has a clever defence mechanism. It is named for the extensions on its hind wings, which resemble a swallow's tail. These 'tails', along with false 'eyes' on the hind wings, mimic a second head and antennae. This bamboozles birds who prey on the butterflies, allowing them a better chance of escape.
 

Code: WW105		 Otters are a conservation success story. Once common throughout Britain's waterways, they reached the brink of extinction towards the end of the last century because of pesticide run-off, road deaths and hunting. The threat of their loss inspired a major rescue project by many organisations, WWT included. As a result, otters are slowly reclaiming their traditional territories, including in and around all WWT sites.

The otter is well equipped for the aquatic life, with webbed toes, a rudder-like tail and two types of fur providing waterproofing and insulation. Otters can close their ears and nostrils when underwater, and use their sensory whiskers to assist in seeking out prey. Bubbles trapped in their fur give them a silvery appearance underwater.
 

Code: WW106		 The kingfisher favours slow-moving streams, rivers, shallow ponds and lakes, but often all you will see of this speed-racer is an electric-blue flash as it whizzes by, its rounded wings whirring manically.

The presence of kingfishers is an indicator of good water quality and a healthy ecosystem; they really thrive where water is clear, allowing them the best chance of seeing their prey. They dine on fish and aquatic insects, consuming up to 30 grams a day - they don't weigh much more themselves, at around 35-40 grams.

In folklore the kingfisher has traditionally been thought of as lucky, with the power to offer protection against evil enemies.
 

Code: WW107		 The Bewick's swan is the smallest swan you can see in the UK, more similar to the whooper than the mute, with its goose-like body shape and straight neck, but distinguishable by its smaller size and a larger area of black on its bill.

Bewick's swans are part-time UK residents. They spend their summers in northern Russia. Then, as the Arctic freeze begins, they fly almost 3,200 kilometres to find milder weather. For around 4,000 swans the destination is WWT Slimbridge or WWT Welney where they alight as 'swan falls' - one of the most magical sights in nature. A unique ID system developed by WWT-founder Sir Peter Scott allows WWT teams to recognise individual birds by name and history. This puts WWT at the forefront of international efforts to find out why Bewick's swan numbers are dropping and how to safeguard the species.
 

Code: WW108		 The water vole is often mistaken for a rat, which is unfortunate, but it is altogether rounder looking, with a small, fat face. Immortalised forever in the character of Ratty in Kenneth Green's The Wind in the Willows, the water vole is facing an uncertain future. In recent years, populations in Great Britain have plummeted. Agricultural practices and flood management have resulted in a loss of habitat, and the water vole has a voracious enemy in the form of American mink - escapees from fur farms.

The water vole is now legally protected, and you can help it by becoming involved in population surveys undertaken by conservation organisations and by supporting campaigns to protect vole's riverbank homes.
 

Code: WW109		 The greylag goose is said to get its name because it was often late to migrate - that is, it lagged behind other types of geese. Today, it's hard to tell if there's truth in the folklore, because some greylags live here all year round whereas others come from Iceland to Scotland only in winter. Whether resident or visiting, what is certain is that the species helped to create the domesticated farm goose, which was once the centrepiece of Christmas feasts. It was also the species that Konrad Lorenz, the Austrian behavioural scientist, used to demonstrate that chicks will regard the first moving thing they see as their parent - a process known as 'imprinting'.
 

Code: WW110		 Captured mid-wash, this distinctive-looking duck can be found as far afield as Asia and Europe. Although not native to Great Britain, you can see them at many wildfowl collections and WWT centres.

The ruddy shelduck is unusual in that it spends more time away from water than most ducks - sometimes breeding several kilometres from open water and searching dry, grassy areas for insects. This duck is considered sacred to Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhists, as its colour is thought to resemble that of the cloaks worn by monks.
 

Code: WW111		 Avocets are the long-legged stars of one of Britain's most successful bird conservation stories. Drainage, hunting and egg-collecting had made the wading species extinct here by 1940. Then, with the Second World War raging, coastal marshes were re-flooded as a defence against invasion. And, as bombers criss-crossed the skies, a few avocets occupied the marshes and began breeding. Today, avocets turn up at most WWT centres, and the organisation continues to campaign for the protection of UK wet grasslands - one of our fastest declining habitats, but essential for wading birds.

The avocet feeds on aquatic insects, crustaceans and worms, and can be seen in areas of saltwater wetlands, coastal lagoons and estuaries. They nest on the ground in colonies and will aggressively chase away any other species of bird - often to the annoyance of birdwatchers!
 

Code: WW112		 Pictured at WWT Martin Mere, this grey crowned crane is clearly having a 'bird hair day'! In the wild, they are widespread in the mixed wetlands and grasslands of southern and eastern Africa but are threatened by over-grazing and the drainage or pollution of wetland edges where they nest and raise chicks.

Not only is it exotic looking but this is also a bird that really knows how to move, with a courtship dancing display involving head pumping, wing flapping, bowing and jumping. If its disco shapes fail to impress, it may resort to a few chat-up lines, giving voice to peculiar honking noises or a booming call that inflates its red gular sac, the pouch of featherless skin that joins the lower part of the bill with the neck.
 

Code: WW113		 Wetlands are found from the poles to the tropics, from the mountains to the seas, and are essential to life on earth. From mighty river to seasonal stream, marshy field patch to vast swamp, inter-tidal delta to garden pond, they are the lifeblood of the planet, supporting, protecting and nurturing a vast array of life forms, people included. Today, many are under threat, from drainage schemes, pollution, development and climate change. WWT is a world leader in championing, safeguarding and revitalising wetlands and wetland species in Britain and worldwide.
 

Code: WW114		 Nicknamed the 'sea swallow' because of its long tail, the common tern is distinguished from other gulls by this feature as well as its sharply angled wings. Terns nest on the coast, on shingled bays and rocky islands, but also inland on reservoirs or freshwater lakes.

The males court the females by supplying them with fish - a different approach from the usual flowers or a box of chocolates. But this behaviour may allow the female to test the male's suitability as a father before she accepts him as a partner. Terns can be surprisingly long-lived, with one reportedly reaching the age of 23, and they tend to be monogamous, so females obviously recognise the need to be choosy.
 

Code: WW115		 This is the largest of the European resident herons and can be spotted in wetland marshes, reservoirs, lakes, rivers and estuaries - or possibly even eyeing up the fish in your garden pond!

The heron pictured - wearing its cloak-and-dagger look and giving off a certain gangster attitude - certainly has something to hide. Herons are able to retract their long necks, straightening them out with startling speed when they spot their quarry. These stealthy and expert fishers then use their extremely sharp bills to finish off the prey, often stabbing them repeatedly.
 

Code: WW116		 Tufted ducks are named after the crest of feathers on their crowns. Around 8,000 breeding pairs live in Britain all year, but visitors can swell the population to 70,000 in winter. They are divers rather than dabblers, diving underwater to feed on molluscs, larvae and other small freshwater life. Females have to incubate their clutches of 8-11 eggs alone and often line their nests with down plucked from their breasts. Newborn ducklings know their mothers immediately, and visitors to all WWT centres can delight in watching the babies form orderly queues to follow mum's every move.
 

Code: WW117		 How birds navigate is, to some extent, still a bit of a mystery. However, experiments have shown that most migratory birds have an innate sense of direction and can also learn from family members. They can use various methods to help them migrate long distances and return to the same breeding or feeding grounds. These include olfactory cues, such as the memory of how specific locations smell en route, visual landmarks and the position of the sun or the stars - sometimes birds are known to stop migrating on cloudy nights.

Even more amazingly, some birds can find their destinations via an internal compass that exploits the earth's magnetic field. It is possible that they do so because of complex photochemical reactions in their eyes, which trigger nerve signals and help them to orientate.
 

Code: WW118		 I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All's changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.
Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.
But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Among what rushes will they build,
By what lake's edge or pool
Delight men's eyes when I awake some day
To find they have flown away?

Excerpt from 'The Wild Swans at Coole', William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
 

Code: WW119		 These waders are famous for their colour and spindly legs but, surprisingly, they are even more bizarre than they look! Flamingos are unlike any other bird on earth, with a unique filter system in their beaks allowing them to skim tiny algae from the water's surface. The down-curved flamingo bill is held upside down in water. The tongue acts as a piston to force water through comb-like lamellae on the bill, thus trapping microscopic food.

The name 'flamingo' is derived from the Latin word for 'flame' - very appropriate, as these amazing birds can survive hostile environments such as volcanic lakes. Carotenoid pigments in their diet produce the distinctive pink colour, and the Caribbean flamingo has the most vivid plumage of all the flamingo species. They are found in the lagoons and lakes of the Caribbean, the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the Galapagos Islands.
 

Code: WW120		 The punky look of the great-crested grebe was almost its downfall in the UK, when in the nineteenth century it was hunted nearly to extinction for its head plumes, which were used to adorn hats and, oddly enough, underwear. Today the birds are a protected species, but are very vulnerable to changes in water levels, as they nest close to the water's edge.

The pair pictured are performing an elaborate courtship ritual, which they will do each spring. It's a comical water ballet of beak-to-beak head shaking, where they show off their plumes to full advantage, then diving in unison to fill their beaks with pondweed and raising themselves breast against breast to walk on water penguin-like - with much frothing up of the water as they do so!
 

Code: WW121		 The UK's heaviest duck is also a true sea duck and is rarely found away from the coast, building its nest close to the sea and feeding on crustaceans and molluscs. The common eider pictured is a male, but it is the brown female that provides the soft and warm feathers used to line the nest. This 'eiderdown', one of the lightest and most effective insulators, has long been harvested for filling pillows and quilts.

Eiders are gregarious, often living in large colonies. They tend to return to the same place to breed, which leads to a high degree of relatedness and the development of strong bonds between kin. The females, in particular, exhibit community spirit, sometimes teaming up to share the work of rearing ducklings. The eider has a fantastic call, once amusingly described as sounding like 'scandalised old ladies'!
 

Code: WW122		 This sleeping beauty may well go through an ugly duckling stage on his or her way to becoming one of the most elegant and recognisable of British wild birds. Our only resident breeding swan, mute swans make devoted parents and often let their cygnets hitch a ride on their backs - as shown by the picture!

The largest of our swans, the mute is so called because it is not as vocal as other swan species - although it does in fact have a range of calls and will hiss loudly if threatened. The phrase 'swan song' supposedly arose from a legend about the mute swan. It was believed that the mute was completely silent throughout its life but would sing one poignantly soulful song just before it died.

Swans are revered by many cultures, frequently featuring in myths, fairytales and folklore. Celtic goddesses were often said to take the form of swans, as did the god Zeus in the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan. The union between Zeus, as a swan, and Leda the Queen of Sparta was said to have produced the notoriously beautiful Helen of Troy.
 

Code: WW123		 The osprey population in Scotland is on the up, and the bird is now increasing its range southwards. This has not always been the case; because of persecution by egg collectors and taxidermists it all but died out.

The osprey is exceptional among birds of prey in that it has adapted to live almost exclusively on fish. Although it weighs only around 1.5 kilograms, it is powerful enough to lift itself out of the water while carrying fish weighing up to 2 kilograms. It has acute binocular vision, allowing it to spot its prey swimming near the surface from up to 70 metres above the water.

It is perhaps the recognition of these incredible abilities that have informed cultural depictions of the osprey in mythology and literature. Shakespeare describes the osprey as having the 'sovereignty of nature' and it was a medieval belief that fish were so mesmerised by the bird that they simply turned belly-up in surrender.
 

Code: WW124		 Damselflies, like their bigger cousins, the dragonflies, belong to what is probably earth's most ancient family of flying creatures, pre-dating pterodactyls by 100 million years and birds by 150 million. Together, they rank as the raptors of the insect world. They are voracious predators, catching and devouring gnats and mosquitoes mid-air. In this they are aided by astounding flying skills - they can loop-the-loop, hover, fly sideways and reach speeds of 30 miles per hour!

Common blue and blue-tailed damselflies can both be found throughout the UK, usually from May to September, hovering over ponds, streams and slow-moving rivers. Damselflies have aquatic larvae, which require good-quality water to thrive in; the presence of damselflies is therefore a useful indicator of water quality and a healthy ecosystem. There are around 20 damselfly species in Britain, but numbers are declining as wetlands are drained or filled, because they need water to breed, hatch and hunt. By creating and managing well-planted ponds, WWT makes sure that damselflies are a common sight at all WWT centres.
 

Code: WW125		 The common crane is one of Europe’s largest birds with a wingspan of 1.8–2.2 metres. Elegant and stately, the common crane was once a familiar sight in the British Isles. Sadly, overhunting and the draining of wetlands caused their extinction 400 years ago. WWT is among organisations working on an exciting project to restore a healthy population of wild cranes to Somerset.

Cranes are famous for their spectacular courtship dances and they usually mate for life. It is this reputation for fidelity that is perhaps at the heart of some of the many myths inspired by the crane. In Japan it is a popular symbol at wedding ceremonies, not only representing loyalty but also good fortune and longevity because of its fabled life span of a thousand years (cranes are indeed very long-lived, and can reach ages greater than 70 years in captivity).
 

Code: WW126		 Barnacle geese breed mainly on the Arctic islands and it may be the fact that they were never seen in summer that is at the root of a rather curious myth. It was believed that these geese formed from driftwood, developing underwater as barnacles. Irish clerics even considered it acceptable to eat barnacle geese on fast days as they were ‘not flesh or born of flesh’!

The entire 30,000-strong population of Svalbard barnacle geese winters on Scotland’s Solway Firth, with thousands feeding at WWT’s Caerlaverock Wetland Centre. In the late 1940s there were no more than 300 Svalbard barnacle geese. Just 60 years later this amazing increase in population is a stunning example of WWT conservation in action.
 

Code: WW127		 This species of shelduck is common and widespread. It can be seen all year round in the UK, often found along the coastline in salt marshes and estuaries. The adorable black-and-white ducklings usually hatch in July and will be cared for by both parents when they are very young. One or two adult females are then left in charge of large 'creches' of the youngsters, while the other adults migrate to moulting grounds such as the Wadden Sea on the north coast of Germany, where they can be found in huge flocks of up to 100,000 birds. WWT wetland centres provide an ideal opportunity to see shelduck ducklings close up.
 

Code: WW128		 Also known as black-throated loons, these striking-looking birds breed on the lakes of Europe and Asia, moving to sheltered coasts for the winter. In the British Isles, you may be lucky enough to spot them in Scottish Highland lochs in summer and along the west coast of Scotland, as well as the north-east and south-west coast of England in the winter.

The black-throated diver is a streamlined bird with a haunting call. They are fabulous divers – but not as graceful on land; their legs are so far back on their bodies that they are clumsy walkers. Easily disturbed when breeding, these birds are very vulnerable to marine pollution and the flooding of their nests caused by changes in water levels. Floating ‘islands’ – which rise and fall with alterations in the water level – have been installed in some lochs, helping to boost numbers of this rare breeding species.
 

Code: WW129		 Wetlands are transitional habitats between dry land and deep water. They include marshes, swamps, peatlands (including bogs and fens), flood meadows, lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, estuaries and other coastal waters (including salt marshes, mangroves, and even coral reefs). They are considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems.

Wetlands and their ecosystems cover a global area one-third larger than the USA and one-half larger than Brazil. Half of the world’s wetlands have already been lost over the last century, and this is increasing. WWT is committed to saving these essential ecosystems and their wildlife.
 

Code: WW130		 These stunning whooper swans were photographed at WWT’s Martin Mere wetland centre. Every year, usually in October, over 26,000 whoopers make the 800 kilometre overseas crossing from their breeding grounds in Iceland to the UK and Ireland. A large, powerful swan, with an average weight of 9–10 kilograms, the whooper often flies in a ‘V’ formation at speeds of up to 139 kilometres per hour and at heights of around 70 metres.

Because whooper swans are migratory their annual appearances have heralded the change of seasons for many cultures – inspiring numerous myths and legends. In Scottish folklore, the sight of a whooper swan is considered to be lucky.
 

Code: WW131

This elegant small white heron has a wide range extending across Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. Its preferred habitats are marshy or flooded grassy areas, lakes and estuaries. 

Records from the Middle Ages suggest that these birds were once common in Britain (one from 1465, for example, mentions 1,000 egrets on the menu at a banquet). A combination of over-hunting and climate change seems to have resulted in their extinction here. The Victorian era wasn’t a good time for the little egret either – it was almost wiped out in Europe due to the craze for decorating hats with its neck plumes. At one time the egret’s plumes were more valuable than gold! 

These days the little egret is undergoing something of a resurgence. Now, with full legal protection, it has re-colonised Britain and its numbers are on the rise.
 

Code: WW132

Weighing in at around 10kg, whooper swans are among the heaviest of the migratory birds, but they are powerful fliers in spite of their size. Most Icelandic-breeding whooper swans travel distances of 800km to Britain or 1,300km to Ireland to overwinter every year – probably the longest overseas flight undertaken by any swan species. 

The Ouse Washes, the location of the WWT centre at Welney, is regarded as one of the most important sites in Europe for overwintering whooper swans. Other likely locations to observe them include WWT Martin Mere in north-west England, WWT Caerlaverock in south-west Scotland and Lough Swilly in Ireland. 

The whooper swan is named after its distinctive deep honking call. Each individual bird can be recognised by the yellow markings on its bill – like human fingerprints, no two patterns are the same. 
 

Code: WW133

This is Britain’s only native breeding wild goose, and it is the ancestor of most domesticated geese. The ‘lag’ in its name could be attributed to the fact that it is one of the last species to migrate, lagging behind other geese. Today, it’s hard to tell if there’s truth in the folklore, because some greylags live here all year round, whereas others come from Iceland to Scotland only in winter. 

In the past, the greylag goose has suffered a decline in numbers due to the loss of its favoured habitat: in the 19th century many reed marshes and fenlands were drained for agricultural purposes. WWT is involved in projects to help monitor the populations of these geese and to protect and restore the wetlands that they, and so many other species, rely on.
 
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