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 thinking about moving in the other direction as the days lengthen. January quite often yields peak numbers at sites in Britain and so it’s a fantastic time to grab your binoculars and head out to your nearest swan spot.
We’ve just had news from Steve Wiltshire, our reserve warden at Welney, that 3,012 Bewick’s were counted across the Ouse Washes in Norfolk this morning, a marked increase from the 1,140 recorded in mid-December (WeBS). It seems that the recent cold weather encountered across Northwest Europe encouraged more swans to venture across the North Sea to British shores.
At Slimbridge, around 200 swans are attending the grain feeds every day and if you have a keen eye and a bit of patience, you may be able to spot a few characters in the crowd.
ORBIT only arrived a few days ago, probably after escaping colder weather in the east. She first visited the reserve with mate Orb in 2007 and has spent every winter here since. Sadly, she arrived without Orb this winter. She has a very distinctive bill pattern and is quite often in front of the Peng Observatory.
At 24 years old, CAPER is our oldest known bird. Having visited the reserve 22 times since 1989, he really is a creature of habit. With mate Gambol, they stand on the same peninsular to the left of the Observatory, expectantly waiting for food. It’s incredible to think that Caper has flown over 110,000 miles to and from Russia over his lifetime!
Look out for our most dominant family, HUGO and GEENA with their three cygnets. Being a large family, they often occupy the best feeding spots on the lake and fight for territory just outside of the Observatory. Hugo and Geena have been visiting Slimbridge since 2002.
With CROUPIER’s arrival this winter, we celebrated the continuation of the powerful ‘gambling dynasty’, a family lineage that has been in existence since Sir Peter Scott recorded Croupier’s great grandparents in the winter of 1969.
Croupier is now 21 years old having first visited the reserve as a cygnet with parents Casino and Punter in 1991. At 27, his mother Casino was the longest lived Slimbridge Bewick’s swan for many years until she was pipped by 28 year old Winterling. Croupier brought mate Dealer to Slimbridge in 1998 and over the years they have brought a staggering 24 cygnets back to the reserve! Two of their offspring, Wager and Croupie, have brought cygnets of their own this winter. It looks as though this faithful dynasty will be visiting Slimbridge for many years to come.
