Another 24 year old reaches Britain!
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 today that Caper is not the only old timer – it seems that another oldie has made it to our shores! On Sunday, ornithologists Charlie Liggett and Martin Lucas spotted a bird that was ringed (UBS) at Martin Mere in 1990! He was first seen as an adult so we know that he is at least 24 years old and possibly even older than Caper! The oldest Bewick’s swan ever known lived to 29 years before it was shot dead.
The 260 swans at Slimbridge are dividing their time between grain feeds, grass and maize, making the most of the food available to them in the last few weeks before they depart on spring migration back to Russia...
