Spring migration begins and love is in the air!
The Bewick’s swans have begun their long migration back to the Russian arctic! The lengthening daylight hours have signalled the start of the migratory period and small numbers of swans have been making the most of the south-westerly winds to kick-start their journey. At Slimbridge, numbers have dropped from 139 swans recorded on Sunday to 118 today and many of the others are showing signs of pre-migratory behaviour. This generally involves a lot of sitting around or ‘loafing’, probably a strategy for saving energy in preparation for their long flight ahead. We have also been afforded the wonderful spectacle of ‘practice’ flights where the swans have been stretching their wings and flying around the reserve in large groups, honking away as they pass. Three of our transmitter swans have also begun moving east with Zolotitsa travelling from the Ouse Washes to Denmark and Pola and Hope now in Germany. It’s only a matter of days before the rest of the UK wintering flock are behind them!
We are also very pleased to report that one of our long-time singletons, Pazazz, flew into Slimbridge last month with her first mate, a bird named Paz! Pazazz has been visiting Slimbridge since 2002 and is now 14 years old. Our long-term study of more than 4,000 pairs has found that Bewick’s swans usually form partnerships from the age of 3. Bewick’s swans have great loyalties to each other and usually pair for life where they can. The longest known partnership of wild Bewick’s swans was between two swans called Limonia and Laburnum who visited Slimbridge together for 21 years! We hope that Pazazz and Paz follow suit!
