Exploring Barnes London Wetlands Centre

“The most effective way to save the threatened and decimated natural world is to cause people to fall in love with it again, with its beauty and its reality."

Sir Peter Scott

 

Bird Watching in the UK

 
Flights through the night, fireworks bursting outside the window at midnight, a building that held onto its heat, and an air conditioner that roared like a freight train made for a fractured first night on the outskirts of London and sleep came only briefly for a few hours.  Still, by 7 AM, we were up.
 
As such, we had arranged to spend two days in London, England, before boarding Ambience, the Ambassador Cruise ship that we have booked for a 16-night voyage up to northern Scotland and Norway.  This meant that we had the opportunity to walk, watch birds, and reconnect with the rhythms that have shaped so many of our hikes across England and Scotland.

Not being travellers who enjoy the crowds at popular tourist attractions, we had opted to avoid the busy downtown core of England's capital city, and instead spend our first day walking a section of the Thames Path National Trail and exploring the London Wetland Center, one of the bird-watching hotspots located inside the capital city limits.
 

Navigating Greater London Transit

 
After a delicious and somewhat leisurely breakfast of toast and coffee at the local Wetherspoon restaurant, we retraced our steps to the Hounslow train station.  The skies above were partly cloudy, and although we had to squint against the glare of the bright white autumn sun, there was a distinct chill in the wind this morning.  Unfortunately, we missed our train by a few minutes, and by the time the next one arrived half an hour later, we were definitely feeling the chill of winter in the air.

Though the capital metro system is new to us, with some help from the station staff, we figured out the route from Hounslow to Kew Station.  As such, we were soon on board a Southwestern Rail train bound for Kew Station.  To our surprise, the Oyster Cards we bought for the Metro worked on this rail journey as well, which was convenient.  In the end, our time on the London regional metro transit went smoothly and took no longer than expected. 

 

Section Hiking the Thames Path

 
After a 20-minute train ride through a landscape dominated by suburbs, we disembarked and walked the short distance from the Kew station to the small section of the Thames Path that we were to venture along for a couple of hours.

The Thames Path is one of Britain’s long-distance national trails, following the River Thames from its source near Kemble in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier in southeast London.   It is over 298 km in length and traces one of the country’s most historically and culturally significant waterways, weaving through the English countryside, ancient villages, and university towns like Oxford before finally entering the urban capital of London. 

Walking 7-8 km of the Thames Path today between Kew Bridge and Hammersmith Bridge offered us a short but revealing glimpse of this larger hiking trail. This popular stretch of the trail traverses a quaint urban riverside route where nature, history, and daily London city life intersect.

 
The walking was flat and unhurried, following gentle bends in the tidal Thames past leafy stretches, historic riverside homes, houseboats, narrowboats, and working moorings.
 
En route, the trail was filled with walkers, joggers, dog walkers, and cyclists.

From Barnes Bridge onward, the river subtly widened until Hammersmith came into view.  Here, the Thames revealed several of the bird species that resided along its shores. 
 

Ducks drifted along in the current, grebes rode low on the water, and cormorants perched down the channel – each being small, steady signs of wildlife thriving alongside one of the nation’s largest cities.
 

London Wetland Centre

 
Having spent a few hours exploring from Kew to Hammersmith, we diverted off the Thames Path and strolled to the nearby Barnes London Wetland Centre.

The London Wetland Centre is a 105-acre site that encompasses a completely man-made wetland complex.  This incredible urban conservation project follows the vision of Sir Peter Scott, founder of the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust in 1946, and then the globally renowned World Wildlife Fund in 1961.  The property has been developed since 1989, when it was four redundant reservoirs, into a vibrant wetland that supports over 150 wild native bird species and many more introduced ones.   It is credited with providing habitat and sustenance to endangered, freshwater and migratory species such as herons, kingfishers, bitterns, lapwings, and migratory waterfowl.

 
Today, with David Attenborough as an honorary Vice President, it has become one of the top birding hotspots in London, and we were very excited to explore it.  Especially since the London Wetlands Centre is one of the sites in metro London that is included in the itinerary for “Seeing 100 species in 24 hours”.

 

Herons and Otters

Before we even made it to the main Visitor's Center at the wetland's entrance, we had already spotted several Eurasian Coots and Eurasian Moorhens paddling around in a little wetland.  We were happy to see many parents stopping on the footbridge to point out the small black waterbirds with their colourful bills to their children, and it was immediately clear the center was very popular with both locals and birders.  The coots and moorhens turned out to be an appropriate avian introduction to the center, as we soon discovered the extensive wetlands were home to hundreds of these two species - a higher concentration than we'd ever seen anywhere before!

We were welcomed to the visitor's center by a friendly volunteer, paid the entrance fee, and headed directly to the otter feeding demonstration, which had just begun.  The center houses two Asian short-clawed river otters, Todd and Honey, in a large outdoor enclosure that features a wide variety of plants and trees, as well as a small pond and a picturesque waterfall with wide stone steps and pools that the otters love to swim in.  As the interpreter explained the important role of 'top predator' that otters play in wetland ecosystems, we watched the endearing animals swim, romp, and frolic about. 

A Grey Heron was standing patiently in the otter's enclosure, hoping to get some leftover fish scraps from their meal.  At one point, the female otter deftly extracted a juicy morsel from the feeding cage, and swam over to float provocatively, stopping about a foot in front of the heron.  Her intention to torment and tease the bird was clear as she proceeded to slowly eat her snack while staring directly up at the huge bird, silently daring it to try to get a bite.

As the demonstration came to an end, we were distracted by a small flock of Red-breasted and Barnacle Geese foraging on the lawn opposite the enclosure.  This was my first glimpse of Red-breasted Geese, and they are certainly the fanciest geese I've ever spotted! The complexity of their markings, with striking black and white bodies and glowing, terra cotta red breasts and cheeks, reminded me a little of the patterns exhibited by Harlequin Ducks.  These impressive birds are not native to the British Isles, instead breeding in Arctic Siberia and typically wintering along the northwestern shores of the Black Sea in Bulgaria.  However, the mixed group seemed right at home grazing on the wet green grasses of the wetland center.

Waterfowl

As we followed the paved and highly manicured paths farther into the sanctuary, we were led through a series of small fenced-in ponds and waterways.  Weeping willows and tall dark yew trees protected the walkways and created secret coves and hidden gardens.  In these quiet corners, we spotted Wood Ducks, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers, Common Goldeneyes, Canvasbacks, Eurasian Wigeons, and Greater Scaup paddling in the mirror-like black waters.

Egyptian Geese were napping along the shoreline, their heads tucked under their wings, reminding us of previous encounters we'd had with them while walking the Via de la Plata in Spain and the Camino Portuguese Coastal route.   Elegant black, white, and blue Eurasian Magpies moved about in the branches overhead and joined the white, red, and green Common Shelducks and fancy Greylag Geese foraging on the lawns.
 

Exotic Species

 
As we slowly followed the winding paths, passing through small gates that separated the different areas, we began to encounter more exotic waterfowl that we'd never seen before. Hawaiian Geese, White-faced Whistling Ducks, Cape Teal, Fulvous Whistling Ducks, and Orinoco Geese all impressed with their colourful and intricate plumage.  

Interpretive signs located at all the observation points along the walkways and boardwalks provided names and information about the exotic species.  Interestingly, the various waterfowl must remain more or less in the same places within the park over time, as the signs always seemed to be placed so they referred to the birds we were looking at while reading them.

Headley Hide

 
During the first part of our explorations, we met a staggering number of new species, but in my opinion, the best was yet to come.  We followed the path through a large gate, and suddenly found ourselves in a much wilder portion of the property.  The gravel path was bordered by a tangle of shrubs and small trees, and it took us around a large wetland, at the center of which stood a large body of open water.  Soon we arrived at the Headley Hide, a long, low, wooden building that brought to mind a Hobbit home from the shire.  Surprisingly, the wooden benches inside were full of people peering out the long rows of retractable windows that covered one wall, and a volunteer from the center had a spotting scope set up inside and was actively inviting visitors to look through it.

 
Through the windows of the hide we spotted mixed flocks of Ruddy Ducks, Ferruginous Ducks, Marbled Ducks, Common Pochards, and Black-headed Gulls floating on the rippled grey surface of the Main Lake.  Several White Stork were standing along the shore, as was a Grey Heron, but the undisputed star of the show was definitely a Eurasian Bittern who came in for a spectacular landing in the reeds on the far side of the pond. 

The volunteers in the blind indicated this was a rare sighting that would draw birders from across the country.  We certainly felt fortunate to be in the right spot at the right time for this exciting avian event!  In addition, while we have enjoyed a close-up view of an American Bittern while hiking the Trans Canada Trail in Quebec, this was our first view of a Eurasian Bittern!

 

As we continued along the path, we were puzzled by a Fulvous Whistling Duck whose elegant plumage caught our eye, but which was napping with its head firmly tucked up under its wing, making identification of the unfamiliar species a challenge.  Following the shrubby path over a maze of boardwalks that wound through the marsh, we spotted more Eurasian Coots paddling quietly among the reeds at the trailside.  We also spotted a small group of Mute Swans, the young ones still covered in a wash of soft grey.
 

Wildside Hide

 
Our next stop was the Wildside Hide, a tall structure that overlooked the Reservoir Lagoon.  From our lofty perch inside we spotted groups of Great Cormorants standing regally in lines along exposed sand spits.  Mixed flocks of Eurasian Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, Black-headed Gulls, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebes, and Tufted Ducks floated in the water below.  As we watched, the Eurasian Bittern arrived, making another landing in the reeds, only this time much closer to the observatory, giving us a spectacular view. The large cream and brown striped bird blended into the cattails at the pond's edge almost perfectly, standing with its head raised to complete the camouflage.

 
The wind had begun to rise, so we headed back toward the cafe at the entrance to the wetland to warm up.  We passed the intriguing flock of Red-breasted and Barnacle Geese out front, and were momentarily distracted by the noisy, hoarse-sounding group of bright green Rose-ringed Parakeets hanging out in the eaves of the center.  Nearby, we were surprised to hear the loud, bubbly, cheerful song of a European Robin, even though it was the end of October and not a time for territorial defence or courting. 

 

After a short break, during which we discovered that the cafe did not accept cash, and where our Canadian debit and credit cards once again did not work (though we later found that the 4 attempts did charge, as did the associated banking fees), we headed back out to explore the remainder of the wetland.  

The next hide on our circuit was the Waderscrape Hide.  As we approached, we passed an area that was closed to visitors, which was marked by a 'Goose Only' sign that made us smile.  As if on cue, we caught sight of a very intriguing goose with light grey feathers, pink legs, an orange eye, and a large lime-green bill.  Later, we learned it was a Cape Barren Goose, a species endemic to southeastern Australia.  What an unexpected encounter!
 

Exploring the Wetlands

 
Slowly, we made our way around the wetland towards the Peacock Tower, making stops at the Waderscrape Hide and the Sand Martin observation tunnel (empty at this time of year) along the way.  We also passed a charming little cottage with a thatched roof, which could be reached by passing under a living archway created from woven willow branches.  Apparently, it could be rented out for special events.  As we stopped to admire it, a pair of Carrion Crows swooped by overhead in hot pursuit of a Eurasian Kestrel.  The smaller bird shot across the sky, occasionally executing some impressive evasive manoeuvres to outwit its pursuers and was soon out of sight. 

 
Soon, we reached the Peacock Tower - another three-story hide built of brick and teal green siding.  It must have been one of the fanciest bird blinds we've ever seen, as it even came equipped with an elevator to whisk visitors to the top floor.  Above the door was a quote by Sir Peter Scott (1909-1989) that read "The most effective way to save the threatened and decimated natural world is to cause people to fall in love with it again, with its beauty and its reality." We couldn't agree more.

 
From the top floor of the tower, we had an excellent view out over the Main Lake on one side, and over the Thames River and the London skyline beyond.  The lake was full of gulls and birds, the failing light making it difficult to distinguish some of them.  We could make out large numbers of Common, Black-headed, and European Herring Gulls, American Wigeon, Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, and Eurasian Coots and Moorhens.  A new addition were large groups of Northern Lapwings, which seemed to glow with iridescent greens and blues in the brief intervals of sunshine.  Small groups of Greylag and Canada Geese were also swimming about, and a few lone Great Cormorants paddled quietly through the shallows.

 
One of the claims of the London Wetland Center is that you can see 100 bird species in 24 hours if you so stop for a visit, and while we didn't quite hit that target during our shorter late fall visit, we were incredibly impressed by the avian diversity supported in the marsh.  We came away having spotted around 40 species, which we were extremely pleased with for a cold, windy, overcast October morning.
 

Town of Barnes

 
Hoping to find somewhere to relax for a few minutes with a warm drink, we headed into Barnes, a charming village that is nestled along the banks of the River Thames.  Its high street was lined with a quaint collection of independent shops, cafes, pubs, and restaurants which created an appealing mix of traditional British character and modern amenities.  Historic brick cottages and Georgian houses lined its narrow streets, and we passed a small pond which was designed to provide a scenic spot for a picnic.  It was almost hard to believe that this quiet, peaceful village was so close to the bustling downtown core of England's largest city.

 

Not wanting for the day to end, we caught the train back to Kew Station, and with the day’s light beginning to fade we set off to find a local pub to have a pint, chat and figure out tomorrow in the capital region. 
 

Steam Packet Bar, Kew, UK

 
Wandering a short distance from the station, we found ourselves outside an inviting, two-story pub, the Steam Packet bar, with an outdoor patio on its upper floor that overlooked the river. The place looked packed, which felt like a good omen, so we stepped inside.  Soon we were perched at tall window table, me with a warm glass of mulled wine, and Sean with a pint of cleverly named local brew called Autumn's Fall. 

 

As night fell, we caught a train from Kew Station back to Hounslow Station and returned to our hotel for the evening.
 
See you on the Journey!