Highest number of swans since 1991!
A total of 261 Bewick's swans have visited Slimbridge so far this winter, the highest number seen here by 10 December since 1991, when 333 were recorded during another period of cold weather where temperatures similarly dipped to -8C. The freezing conditions and northerly winds over the past two weeks are likely to have encouraged more swans to fly further west in search of food. The swans find it harder to access their usual diet of grass, cereals, root crops and pond weeds when frozen and snow covered. Not only will they be finding it harder to find food, they will also be expending more energy to maintain their body temperature.
We try and help the birds as much as possible and all 197 recorded today have been eagerly making the most of their feeds and have been able to continue to bathe and drink in the ice-free pools of water left by our water bubbler system. With the fields starting to defrost, many of them are now returning to the fields in large groups to feed.
