Bewick's Blog: Winter 2024/2025
As the Bewick's swans arrive at Slimbridge this winter, we'll be keeping you updated on the individuals on site this season.
Follow this page to find out which Bewick's swans have reached WWT Slimbridge, for the season of 2024/2025. We'll update as often as we can, with the newest arrivals at the top of the blog.
- Friday 20 December - 67 Bewick’s swans on site this morning, plus one whooper swan. There were five new arrivals overnight. New swans to the pond include 'Heerlen' and mate 'Olga'. Heerlen first arrived at WWT Slimbridge in the winter of 2020/2021, as a single swan, Olga was a new single swan in the winter of 2022/2023 and the two singles became a couple during the winter of 2023/24. 'Tussock' arrived with parents 'Ananas' and 'Mayweed' and two siblings in the winter of 2022/23. On the catch during this winter the whole family were caught and ringed. On the 4 December, this winter, Tussock was seen at Walland marsh in Kent, when her yellow ring 'AAT' was recorded. There is also a new pair to WWT Slimbridge: 'Lodgepole' and 'Nordmann', Swan Researcher, Steve, has named them after types of Christmas trees.
Bewick's swan, Heerlen.
- Tuesday 17 December - Around 63 Bewick's on site, along with one whooper swan. Latest arrivals include 'Sarindi', one of the few known 'divorced' Bewick's swans! Sarindi first wintered at WWT Slimbridge in 2007, with then mate 'Saruni'. In the winter of 2009 both Sarindi and Saruni arrived with new mates. Sarindi came with 'Sarind' and they were together for 15 years, bringing back five cygnets during this time. The pair were both at WWT Slimbridge for the winter of 2023 but Sarindi is on her own this year. Swan 'Penselwood' first wintered at WWT Slimbridge in 2016 and returned the following two winters, she was ringed BPS at the swan catch in 2018 though has since lost this ring. This is the first time she has been seen since March 2018, in Finland in March. Swan 'Malcolm' first wintered on the reserve as a cygnet with parents 'Dario' and 'Bridges' in 2015, his grandparents were 'Raptor' and 'Goodall'. Malcolm was last seen at WWT Slimbridge in the winter of 2020-21, Baratheon is his older sibling, who can also be found on the Rushy this season.
Bewick's swan, Malcolm - brother of Baratheon.
- Thursday 12 December - 62 adult Bewick's swans counted on site. A couple of new arrivals over the last few days have included pair 'Ananas' and 'Mayweed' - Mayweed was the new mate of Ananas when they came to the reserve in 2022, along with three cygnets. The whole family were ringed during this winter, only two of the ringed youngsters visited in 2023. Ananas was the mate of Anais from 2012 and the pair brought five cygnets to WWT Slimbridge, during their time together. Swan 'Baratheon' has also turned up this season, he first came to the wetlands as a cygnet with his parents 'Tool' and 'Times' in 2016. Baratheon came to WWT Slimbridge with his first mate 'Venta' in the winter of 2019 and in 2022 the pair returned with one cygnet. There's been no sighting of partner Venta yet this winter.
Bewick's swan Baratheon.
- Tuesday 10 December - 39 adult Bewick's counted, included 11 new arrivals. New pairs include: 'Fortune Two' and 'Combo'. Fortune Two first wintered at WWT Slimbridge as a cygnet with parents 'Sauber' and 'Manero' and a sibling in 2003. Fortune Two and his sibling were ringed that winter, his ring number was yellow 407 - he has since lost this. Fortune Two has returned every winter since and Combo joined him on in 2007, the pair are still together and brought back two cygnets in the winter of 2013.'Flight Sabre' and 'Sabre Tooth'. Flight Sabre first wintered at WWT Slimbridge as a cygnet with parents 'Dario' and 'Bridges' in 2013 and has returned every winter since, from 2022 he was joined by Sabre Tooth. And lastly, pair 'Sunny' and 'Samba': Sunny first wintered on the reserve as a yearling in 2006. Sunny was joined by Samba in the winter of 2010 and during their time together have brought back five cygnets. So far this winter 47 different Bewick’s swans have been recorded, unfortunately no cygnets have been seen yet this season.
Pair Flight Sabre and Sabre Tooth.
- Tuesday 3 December - 29 Bewick's counted at first light on the Tack Piece, including old 'Winkey'. Winkey first wintered at WWT Slimbridge with mate 'Tinkie' in 2001 and were last seen as a pair in the winter of 2010. They only had one cygnet together. Winkey then returned the following winter with new mate 'Winker', who has not been spotted yet this winter. Winkey is at least 27 years old, and looks it!
- Monday 2 December, 28 Bewick's swans counted on site.
- Sunday 1 December - New swans to the site include 'Gento' and 'Gentoo', 'Demidov' with white ring DPD and 'Derbent', as well as 'Ringin'' and 'Knockin''. Derbent And Demidov first wintered at WWT Slimbridge in 2014 and have returned every winter since. They have never brought back cygnets. Demidov has a white ring on her left leg BPD. Ringin first arrived as a cygnet with parents 'Hoorn' and 'Laren' in 2021, Ringin' has returned every winter since. Knockin' and Ringin' were both named to celebrate the support of players of People's Postcode Lottery, who've raised over £5.9 million in support of WWT's work since 2015.
Bewick's swan Ringin'
- Saturday 30 November - New arrivals included 'Rich Hearn' with white ring BVZ, 'Tramore', and pair 'Babaco' and 'Babato'. Babaco first wintered at WWT Slimbridge in 2011 and in 2016 she arrived with new mate Babato and they have been together ever since. In 2023 they returned with their first two cygnets. Tramore first wintered at WWT Slimbridge in 2022 as the new mate of 'Turlach'. They came with four cygnets that winter, then three more the following winter, and in 2023 the pair brought back two more. Sadly there is no sign of Turlach this winter.
- Friday 29 November - Total number of swans counted: 17. A new pair landed overnight: 'Andeg' and 'Anapa'. Andeg first arrived at Slimbridge as a single adult in the winter of 2005/2006, in 2009/2010 she arrived with her first mate 'Swiftsure', they were last seen as a pair in the winter of 2018/19. The pair had two cygnets in 2016, and after 2018 Andeg didn't return to the site until 2022, this time with a new mate 'Kaluma' - they were together for two winters. In 2023 Andeg brought back another new mate - Anapa. Anapa was ringed in the winter of 2023 and is sporting a white ring BSU on the right leg. No sighting of swans swans Kristiansand and Olden today.
- Wednesday 27 November - Total number of swans now at 17. The latest individuals to arrive are 'Dandeeno' and 'Katniss', Dandeeno first reached WWT Slimbridge as a cygnet, with parents 'Danuta' and 'Danut' - along with sibling 'Duna', in 2005. Dandeeno was caught that winter and was fitted with a yellow colour ring 615, he has since lost this. Katniss first wintered at WWT Slimbridge as a single swan in 2018, she did not return until the winter of 2021, where she paired up with Dandeeno. Another pair 'Brule' and 'Chaumes' are now on site. Brule first wintered at WWT Slimbridge with then mate 'Crème', along with a cygnet in 2013 - they were last seen as a pair in the winter of 2017. The pair brought back five cygnets in their time together. Since the winter of 2022, Dandeeno has been paired up with Chaumes.
Bewick's swan Brule
- Monday 25 November - 13 Bewick’s on site at first light. Three more Bewick's arrived today: 'Bronstien', who first wintered at Slimbridge in 2020, with then mate 'Trotsky', but returned on her own last season. New swan 'Kristiansand' arrived overnight, along with 'Olden', another new arrival overnight.
Bewick's swan Bronstien
- Saturday 23 November - Three Bewick's came through during storm Bert: 'Maisie', with mate 'Maifeld' and possibly a cygnet from last winter. The cygnet has now been named 'Mayflower'. Maisie first wintered at Slimbridge in 2014 as a two-year-old, on the 19 January 2015 she was caught and fitted with a tracker and we were able to follow her migration for a couple of years until she lost it. Her journey was followed during the Flight of the Swans. Maisie was joined by Maifeld in the season of 2016 and they have returned to WWT Slimbridge every winter since - bringing back nine cygnets in total. Sadly they have not brought any back this winter. However Mayflower may possibly be one of Maisie and Maifeld's cygnets from last winter, as she is associating with them.
- Monday 18 November - Seven Bewick's swans on site. The four further swans that were on site on Wednesday 13 November have since flown off and none of these individuals were identified.
- Wednesday 13 November - New birds spotted include pair 'Hoorn' and 'Laren'. They first wintered Slimbridge in the winter of 2016, and in the winter of 2021/22 they brought two cygnets with them, including 'Ringin'. Another swan, 'Mannheim' arrived, who first wintered at Slimbridge as a cygnet with parents 'Sabia' and 'Sabian' in the winter of 2022/23, and was at Slimbridge as a yearling in the winter of 2023/24. Four further Bewick's arrived, but are yet to be identified - bringing the total to 11 swans.
Bewick's swan Hoorn
- Tuesday 12 November - Pair 'Gastro' and mate 'Roux' arrived. Gastro first wintered at Slimbridge as a single male on 25 November 2018. In the winter of 2019 he was the first swan to arrive, with his new mate Roux. They have returned every winter since and brought their first two cygnets back in the winter of 2023/24.
Bewick's swan Roux
- Sunday 3 November - the swan season kicks off with the arrival of first pair 'Primero' and 'Piquet'. Primero first wintered at Slimbridge with mate 'Pidro' in 2012 and they were together until the winter of 2014. Primero returned with Piquet the following winter with two cygnets and the pair brought three with them during the winter of 2023/24. This year the pair currently appear to be on their own.
Primero and Piquet on the Tack Piece
