wildlife features
Top ten places to see wildlife
From the dabble of ducklings or the splash of an otter to the electric-blue flash of the kingfisher, Britain’s waterways teem with wildlife just waiting to be discovered.
read more »Wildlife
You'll find all sorts of wildlife on Britain's waterways - from common sights such as mallards and moorhens, to otters and water voles.
read more »Terrapin
Originally native to the UK some 8,000 years ago, the terrapin has made a fateful return to our waterways in the aftermath of 1980s 'turtle mania'.
read more »Kingfisher
The 'King of Fishers' is usually glimpsed as a sudden flash of glistening blue.
read more »Pearl mussels
The luminous pearls which attracted Julius Ceaser to Britain are now dangerously rare.
read more »Frog
Britain's most familiar amphibian will make its home almost anywhere, as long as a suitable breeding site is nearby.
read more »Mink
The American mink is now an established (though not universally celebrated) feature of Britain's waterways.
read more »Cormorant
These prehistoric-looking fisherman have become an increasingly common sight along inland lakes and waterways in the UK.
read more »Bat
Bram Stoker has a lot to answer for! Bats have suffered a lot of bad press thanks to their fictitious association with vampires and witchcraft.
read more »Moorhen
The misleading term 'Moorhen' derives from the more appropriate 'Mirehen' or 'Marshhen' which give a more accurate picture of this bird's true habitat.
read more »Water vole
Best known as 'Ratty' from Wind in the Willows, the furry water vole is an endearing waterways character.
read more »Swan
From the grace of Swan Lake to the charm of The Ugly Duckling, the swan is a popular figure in British and European culture.
read more »Heron
Nature's most accomplished fisherman, the grey heron is known for its motionless stance at the water's edge.
read more »Mallard
Without a doubt the most abundant duck in the world, the wild mallard is as common to our local parks as the children's swings and summer ice-cream van.
read more »Spring wildlife
March 21st is celebrated as the first day of spring and the end of dreary winter. However, Mother Nature pays no heed to calendars and the first signs of the changing seasons can often be glimpsed as early as January.
read more »Summer wildlife
Summer is a time of abundance, colour and life - an especially busy season for wildlife.
read more »The rogue’s gallery
A fiendish band of rogues have invaded Britain’s canals and rivers, and they show no signs of moving on yet - but we’re not talking about pirates.
read more »2008 wildlife photography competition results
British Waterways' 2008 Wildlife Survey was run alongside a photography competition, encouraging budding photographers to head to their local canal or river and snap away at dragonflies and damselflies.
read more »
contact us
print page