Swans blown in on winter winds
The first two Bewick’s swans of autumn arrived at WWT Welney Wetland Centre yesterday - after a record arrival at Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire - adding to speculation that we are in for a long and bitter winter.
It is an unusual start to the season this year due in part to weather conditions and wind directions. The first whooper swans only arrived last week; to have the two species arriving within a week of one another is very unusual.
Centre Manager, Leigh Marshall said:
‘It is always very exciting to see the return of the swans in the autumn. We have been eagerly anticipating the first Bewick’s swans from Arctic Russia. With the help of modern technology and a hugely important research project into these rare swans, we have seen satellite-tagged individuals making their way closer to the UK over the last week.
‘On the other hand we had been expecting the sight of the first whooper swan since late September, but we could see that the wind direction would make for a hard journey with it blowing away from the UK. Swans respond to day length and weather when choosing when to start large movements South, but it does make life easier for them if they have a tail-wind!
‘As anybody that has visited WWT Welney in the winter will know, the sight and sound of thousands of swans filling the skies creates memories that last a lifetime.’
Unusually cold weather is currently sweeping parts of Western Russia and Eastern Europe. Temperatures are 5-10 degrees centigrade below average. Peak numbers for this species can reach almost 6,000 in the very coldest winters. Add this to over 7,000 whooper swans and you have possibly the largest concentrations of swans in the UK.
WWT Welney Wetland Centre gives visitors amazing access to some of these breathtaking spectacles through a range of events and activities (events are included in the normal admission price unless otherwise stated):
Winter wild swan feeds, 3.30pm daily from Thurs 22 October
Swan’s awake, Sat 24, Sun 25, Sat 31 October, Sun 1, Sat 28 & Sun 29 November (£10 per adult, £5 per child, extra charge for optional breakfast)
Swans & stars, Wed 28 October & Sat 21 November (£10 per adult, £5 per child)
Floodlit evening swan feeds, 6.30pm every Thursday – Sunday from Sunday 1 November
