Almost Spring at London Wetland Centre

Two grazing Wigeons. MAE©2012

Earlier I wrote that I was facinated by the Wigeon. I even described the Wigeon (in Dutch: Smient; In Latin: Anas Penelope) as a mystical duck. Since my first sighting in November 2011 I have been seeing them many more times, especially in the London Wetland Centre. It is known that they hardly dive and that they eat ashore. It is also known that they migrate in the Summer to iceland and Norway, even to Siberia, in order to breed.

So this afternoon, I was actually not surprised to see lots of Wigeons eating their hart out on the juicy grass lands in the London Wetland Centre. They seemed to be having no other purpose in life, than to make sure they stored enough energy for their great flight North. When this will happen, I do not know. But I am grateful they gave me a peek in their day-to-day life.

Many Cormorants and Herons gathered. MAE©2012

Talking of great gatherings: I have never seen so many Cormorants together (in Dutch: Aalscholver; In Latin: Phalacrocorax carbo). There must be a lot of fish in the lake, because this afternoon they gathered, together with quite a lot of Grey Herons, on one of the islands. waiting for something to happen. Both types of birds eat fish, although the Cormorant swims and dives for it, whereas the Heron just uses it's beek as a spear. By the way, a couple of years ago I used to live alongside a small canal where anglers would give their catch to the herons. They would just stand quietly next to the angler, waiting for a snack...

Anyway, back to the Cormorants. After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun. All cormorants have preen gland secretions that are used ostensibly to keep the feathers waterproof. So with the nice Spring sun this afternoon, it must have been a great day for them too.

Bewick's Swan. MAE©2012

I have been surprised during any visit to the wetland centre so far. Today was no exception. Just outside the main area, there were two Bewick's swans enjoying the sun. These smaller versions of the Whooper Swan have not been seen before in the wetland centre by me. It is not easy to see the difference between the two. The Whooper (in Dutch: Wilde Zwaan; in Latin: Cygnus Cygnus) has more yellow on the beek and is larger. The Bewick's Swan (In Dutch: Kleine Zwaan; In Latin: Cygnus Columbianus) has therefore less yellow on the beek and is smaller.

Whooper Swan. MAE©2011

But both types are nevertheless magnificent birds and it was very nice to see the Bewick's for the first time. I can now compare the differences using the picture I took last November in regent's Park.

All in all an extremly pleasant afternoon, together with my son, in the everytime surprising and always entertaining London Wetland Centre... where Spring is definitely on its way.

Spring at London Wetland Centre. MAE©2012