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).
Numbers have held up at Slimbridge with 220 birds recorded on some days but have so far remained considerably lower on the Ouse Washes in Norfolk where no more than 1,140 birds have been recorded. This falls short of the 5,000 birds expected although there is still time for more to arrive (WeBS). A big swan count next week should let us know whether many more have dropped in since the last survey in December...
The mild weather across Europe this winter will have encouraged some birds to remain further east. Julius Morkunas reported Bewick’s wintering in Lithuania, a country usually used for stopping off on migration and ordinarily too cold for wintering. And, despite much improved breeding success this year, we cannot rule out the possibility that numbers in the Northwest European population have continued to decline.
So what’s in store for the start of 2013? A change to some much colder weather according to forecasters! The Met Office has warned that swathes of the UK will be hit by snow over the weekend so keep your eyes to the skies, more swans could be on their way...
