A family of Bewick's Swans, two adults and two young, have been roosting at North Cave Wetlands since the 4th of December, with a large flock of Whooper Swans. Bewick's swans migrate from their breeding grounds in the Northern Siberian tundra to winter in the UK and other NW European countries. They are an amber listed species, with a strong decline in the UK wintering population since the 1990s, now amounting to about 4000 individuals. Although I had visited the roost a week ago, I missed the Bewick's, which would be a lifer for me. Today, it was an early start to try and catch up with my last wild UK swan species as the swans usually depart before sunrise to their feeding areas.
I got to the reserve at 7:15, still pitch dark. The Bewick's seem to have favoured to roost at Island Lake in the last few days, so I headed that way, walking fast towards turret hide. When I got to the hide, Fozzy was there, waiting for the light to be good enough to distinguish the swans. After some squinting it became apparent that the Bewick's were at the far end of the lake, their size noticeably smaller. There were 43 Whoopers, arranged in discrete family groups. The only Mute Swan present served as a good comparison of the three UK swan species. At some point two Greylags on an island were near the Bewick's, and it was amazing to realise that both species are of similar size.
The Whooper families were starting to become itchy, with much head bobbing and vocalising as they prepared to take off. Their arrangement reminded me of a busy airport runway, with planes in a queue ready to leave. We watched as two flocks left Reedbed Lake, and soon they were followed by the first departing Whoopers from Island Lake. Turret Hide offered a high vantage point, allowing from great views of the spectacle that was the departure of each group of swans. As they flapped their wings and paddled with their feet on the water, each swan family left parallel trails on the water, then the swans taking off and gaining hight as they flew near the hide. The increasing light made the Bewick's a bit easier to distinguish, but conditions for photography were still borderline before dawn. It was a clear day with little wind, ideal flight conditions for swans, so not very surprising that they left quite early, at 7:43, flying just in front of the hide, before turning west.
I did a circular walk around the reserve. Many Redwing and a flock of Siskin, a wisp of five Snipe over and half a dozen Curlew on North Field were the highlights. I wanted to see the swans feeding, and hopefully try to see the Bewick's in better light, so it was time for a road trip.
The swans had been seen feeding during the day in stubbles around the Bursea area, about 5 km from North Cave Wetlands. After driving around the narrow lanes in the area, not finding any swans, I decided to head back via Tollingham, and on a field, by the long shadow of a wind turbine, I spotted the large swan flock. The entrance to the turbine's service road made for a convenient parking spot, out of the way of lane traffic, and distant enough from the swans that they wouldn't be disturbed. I lowered my window and used the car as a hide. Some of the swans eyed me, but they carried on doing what they were doing. A slow scan revealed that there were no Bewick's amongst the 76 Whoopers visible. I spent some time watching the swans, there were occasional squabbles, but they were mostly relaxed, loafing or feeding, occasionally vocalising. Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls and Starlings had joined them in a flooded part of the stubbles. A Meadow Pipit flew to a hedgerow and a Skylark chirped overhead.
Then, four swans flew low towards me, the Bewick's! They carried on, East, and I managed a few flight shots.
After about 20 minutes, the Bewick's family returned, and landed towards the left of the field. Unfortunately they were mostly obscured, I only managed to photograph their heads over the stubble. Still, I was quite pleased to catch up with them, a lifer for the end of the year is not bad!
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