Swan news
Swans late leaving Slimbridge
Swans flying over Slimbridge (C. Butters) No sooner had the swans departed, they had returned! After groups were heard noisily flying away from Slimbridge on Thursday night and fewer birds were found in the area the f
7 March 2013
Swans start leaving Slimbridge!
The first 77 Bewick’s started their spring migration from Slimbridge last night! A large group were heard calling at 1am as dozens flew over the Scott House (A. Brodzinski) and today we were left
1 March 2013
First signs of spring migration!
Spring migration has officially started with groups of Bewick’s seen making their way across the Netherlands! Ornithologist Martin Jansen sent this news from Holland: ‘Yesterday morning and also this morning I have seen many Bewick’s flying north-ea
22 February 2013
Illegal shooting persists
Over the past few weeks we have been able to catch 19 Bewick’s swans wintering at Slimbridge. A 'swan-pipe' These are birds that have swum up a netted tunnel trap known as a ‘swan-pipe’ and once caught,
18 February 2013
Another 24 year old reaches Britain!
Caper at the swan feed in 2004 We were very excited to see the return of Caper to Slimbridge in December, who at the grand old age of 24 years, is the oldest known Bewick’s swan in Britain this winter. We heard toda
5 February 2013
January - a great time to see the swans!
As we lurch towards the end of January it seems unreal that the Bewick’s will be with us for only a few more weeks before they start to head off back to Russia next month. It seems doubtful that we will see many new arrivals now as the swans will be thi
29 January 2013
Highest count of the winter at Slimbridge!
Yesterday we counted 276 wild Bewick’s swans on Swan Lake at Slimbridge, the highest count of the winter so far! This already surpasses last winter’s top count of 198 birds and the five-year average of peak counts for the reserve (242 birds). As the c
23 January 2013
Cuticle arrives after 10 year absence!
It’s been a funny old winter! After months of rain which saw the swans disperse to feed and roost across newly flooded fields, dropping temperatures have now made those areas deserted ice rinks! As adaptable as ever, the Slimbridge swans have been searc
17 January 2013
Swans make the most of floods
2012 was the second wettest year on record and over the last few months, newly flooded scrapes have appeared all over the country, encouraging flocks of Bewick’s to disperse and discover new roosting and feeding sites (Met Office).
10 January 2013
Bewick's have a good breeding year!
The Bewick’s swans have had a much needed good breeding year according to the results of a recent survey. A huge international effort involving the counting and ageing of over 12,000 swans across Europe revealed 14% young in the flocks surveyed, the h
27 December 2012
Biggest Slimbridge family on record!
Everton (left), Rovers (right) and their big brood (J S Lees) The largest Bewick’s swan family ever recorded at Slimbridge has flown in! We thought we were seeing double when Slimbridge regular Everton brought his n
18 December 2012
'Swanfall' continues with cold weather
The freezing weather and snow has accompanied the arrival of 117 new Bewick's swans over the last week alone! Today, 132 wild swans (including 26 cygnets) were recorded on the Slimbridge reserve, and while temperatures remain cold, more will be on their w
6 December 2012
'Swanfall' and a Riddle!
The swans came flooding in to Slimbridge last night under a full moon and clear skies as temperatures dipped to a chilly -2.4°C. Our first ‘swanfall’ of the season saw 38 new birds arrive increasing the count to 86! This means that nearly 60 swans ha
30 November 2012
More swans arrive in cold weather
As the winds swung to the north-east, the swans came! Over the past couple of days, we have seen the back of the mild and wet weather. The north-easterly winds and clear night skies illuminated by a full moon, have created very good conditions for migrati
29 November 2012
Slimbridge - 'The Avian Serengeti'!
‘Floods and wind batter parts of the UK’...'Floods and gales bring misery to the UK’... These were just a few of the familiar headlines you may have seen this week. Up to 44 mm of rain fell within hours and south-westerly gusts of up to 70 miles per
23 November 2012