Globetrotting Birding-Aus readers who may have reason to travel through London in the spring of2012, may be interested in a major new birding event which will take place in that city for the first time next year. From the 20-22 April 2012 the first London Wild Bird Watch (think Birdfairs) will be held at the Wildfowland Wetland Trust’s London Wetland Centre (LWC) at Barnes, in inner west London. The Centre’s large carpark will become a marquee village with a 700 person auditorium, a massive optical section with all the major manufacturers (whose displayshave access to an elevated optics testing verandah looking out over the 105 acre complex wetland reserve), displays by major birding organisations, recording equipment, dozens of international tour operators, birding computer software, clothing and other birding kit. The creative director is Simon King (naturalist, ace wildlife movie photographer and TV presenter) who has enlisted a galaxy ofmajor speakers from the birding and wildlife world, including a Wildlife Photographer of the year and a leading sound recording expert.A taste of what will be involved is found at the link: http://londonwildbirdwatch.co.uk/ The event is fully integrated with the functioning of LWC for those three days, with those of us who are volunteer guides at the centrefulfilling the roles of Guides in the Reserve’s Hides. Entry will be free to members of WWT, the RSPB or National Trust – but all will have toreserve entry tickets. The LWC is the major financial beneficiary of the event. LWC is a totally man made wetland environment, with lakes, a wader scrape, grazing marsh, etc, enhanced by 250,000 plants and 25000 trees and shrubs all planted by hand. The reed beds have brought back to central London wintering Eurasian Bitterns for the first time in 100 years. April will bring our summer migrants, including eight species of breeding warbler, and breeding Common Terns, various species of Duck and Grebes, Lapwings, Redshanks, Little Ringed Plovers and a colony of Sand Martins. Would love to say “g’day” to any Birding-Aus subscriber. Angus Innes.
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