Swan count
Dawn swan count:
WWT Welney
Whooper swans - 2684
Bewick's swans - 933
Ouse Washes total
Whooper swans - 5284
Bewick's swans - 1009
Staff and volunteers came in before dawn to count all the swans on the Ouse Washes before they started flying out to the fields. Early December has become the time of year when an international effort is made to count the whole Bewick's swan population and get a tally of cygnets to see how successful the breeding season over the summer has been. The reserve team and swan volunteers are out in the fields around the Ouse Washes today counting flocks of swans and brood sizes.