Man-made London habitat is a rare success

June 2010: WWT London Wetland Centre has proved its ecological credentials yet again with the first record of a scarce dragonfly laying eggs at the centre and the hatching of Cetti's warbler chicks, a songbird which rarely nests in central London.

HAVEN:The hairy dragonfly is one of the rare species thriving at the London Wetland Centre

These conservation successes back up the view of Sir David Attenborough, who recently launched the Centre's tenth anniversary celebrations, when he said: ‘The London Wetlands: it must be very difficult to think of anywhere that's better with a greater variety of species and wonderful things to see.'

The hairy dragonfly is a nationally scarce species, although it has been expanding its range in the past decade. The recent sighting of one ovipositing at London Wetland Centre is believed to make this the only site within Greater London where the hairy dragonfly breeds.

There have been numerous sightings of hairy dragonflies at the centre, further evidence that they are likely to be breeding there. This species is the smallest member of the hawker dragonfly family in the UK. It is the earliest hawker to appear on the wing, flying from early May through to the end of June. The hairy dragonfly gets its name from its downy (hairy) thorax and the male has distinctive pear-shaped blue spots along its abdomen.

'Rare species of wildlife feel at home here'
Cetti's warblers have been singing at the London Wetland Centre for a number of years, but this is the first time this species has bred on site. They are unusual in that unlike most warblers they remain in the UK all year round. Two chicks have been spotted so far.

London Wetland Centre Reserve manager, Adam Salmon said: ‘During our ten-year history the Wetland Centre has become a haven for wildlife. The wetland habitats have now matured to the extent that rare species of birds and other wildlife feel at home and feel safe to breed here.'

The wildlife centre, which was created from four disused Thames Water reservoirs in Barnes, opened in 2000

The wildlife centre, which was created from four disused Thames Water reservoirs in Barnes, opened in 2000 and has proved to be an outstanding success attracting more than 220 species of birds since its inception. Bat species have increased from five to eight, as have the number of reptile and amphibian species.

One of the biggest successes in the centre's history is the thriving water vole colony. Water voles are the UK's most endangered mammal, but since they were introduced to the site in 2001 the colony has grown to approximately 350. And the number of dragonfly species recorded on site has almost doubled from ten in 1991 to 19 in 2009.