World Wetlands Day - we celebrated with a wide range of activities and it was a great success.

At Urdaibai Bird Center the first week of February was full of different activities to celebrate the World Wetlands Day.

On Thursday 2nd, we offered a special live broadcast from the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve and reached many people. It was a great opportunity to share World Wetlands Day message for this year - the importance of wetland restoration.

The theme of restoration was also the focus of the guided walk we organised on Sunday. With a route along the edge of the wetland we were able to really get into the topic with our guests. There is nothing like seeing and experiencing a habitat in situ in order to understand it better. The group got to know the marsh at close quarters and learned a lot about the fragility and vulnerability of these ecosystems.

The fresh air, the Urdaibai marshes, the fauna and the wonderful company made the day unforgettable. It was a real pleasure and we will do it again soon!

In addition to the guided walk, we held two scientific ringing sessions. In these sessions the group learnt about the importance of bird monitoring and we explained how different techniques work. Bird ringing and tracking can help guarantee the survival of essential habitats such as wetlands.

For a few brief moments our guests had the opportunity to see a bird, for example, a blue tit or a coal tit, up close. For young and old alike, it is impossible not to appreciate the beauty and incredible strength of these beings that share our environment and deserve all our respect.

The participants in the activities were also able to enjoy the marvellous Urdaibai wetlands from our indoor observatory.

In this habitat, which is a real treasure, there were spoonbills, pintails, lapwings, cormorants, a large number of wigeons and many more species.

The evening brought us a beautiful sunset. The reeds were glowing and the marsh was spectacular. It was a perfect way to end World Wetlands Day.