London Wetland Centre

The London Wetland Centre (also called Barnes WWT) was created from the former Barnes Elms reservoirs and provides over 40ha of prime birding habitat in the centre of London.

The site offers a range of habitats including open water, marshland, reedbed, grazing marsh and light woodland.

Birding is good value all year with the following highlights:

Winter: regular Bittern, Jack Snipe, good numbers of duck including nationally important numbers of Gadwall and Shoveler. Small numbers of Stonechat winter.

Spring & Summer: breeding birds include GC and Little Grebe, Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, 4prs Common Tern, Redshank, LRP, Lapwing, Sand Martin. In 2006 Avocets hatched 4 chicks, although unfortunately none survived.

Autumn: visible migration is often productive with large movement of skylarks, mipits and finches. Autumn 2006 also produced Little Egret, 2-3 Garganey, Autumn also sees increasing numbers of Teal, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveler. Numbers of wintering Lapwing also increase to over 60 birds. Passage includes

Birds of prey are dependable with Kestrel and Sparrowhawk resident, Hobbies and Peregrine being regularly seen and occasional records of Black Kite, Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, and Buzzard.

Some background information from the WWT can be found here WWTBackground.

Admission and Directions

Directions to the reserve can be found here WWTBackground and a map here :[1]. The reserve address is: Queen Elizabeth Walk, Barnes, London, SW13 9WT

London Wetland Centre opening times Winter 9.30am to 5.00pm (last admission 4pm) Summer 9.30am to 6.00pm (last admission 5pm)

In the summer the reserve opens late on Thursday evenings. For example in 2006 late night opening ran from 25 May to 21 September. Half price admission from 6pm, last entry 8pm. WWT members can bring two guests for free on these evenings. One day a week late opening is useful, but it would be even better to extend this to several days a week.

Christmas opening times Early Closing on 24th December (last admissions 2pm). Closed 25th Dec only, otherwise centre open as normal throughout the Christmas and New Year period including 1st January.

Admission Prices from April 1st 2006 Adult £7.25. Concessions (Senior Citizens, students, unemployed, people with disabilities) £6.00, Child £4.50, Family Ticket £18.50. Group Admission Prices available upon request. Admission free to WWT members. Membership prices vary (eg £30pa for one adult) more details from [2].