Bewick's Swan at Par beach pool compared to the Stithians birds

Adult bewick's Swan at Par beach pool



Every Bewick's Swan has a different bill pattern, similar to a human finger print.





These three adults (above)  and fourth adult below, are part of the original flock of eight at Stithians Res.  A close look at the bill pattern shows the Par bird to be a different individual.  There is a unique black mark on the Par bird's bill not shown in any of the adults above.



Bewick's Swans at Stithians Reservoir

Eight Bewicks Swans at Stithians reservoir represent the highest county total since 1999, when nine were recorded at Tresillian River.  Bewick's Swan are by no means annual in Cornwall, there being at least two absent years in the last ten.  (Farley Rice originaly found seven birds at Stithians with the eighth appearing later, possibly the bird from Porth Res.)

Eight Bewick's Swans; four juvs and four adults.

Bewick's Swan at Slimbridge

These Bewick's Swan shots were taken last Sunday on my way to Norfolk.  Sunday was the only day last week for good photographic light, so as you can imagine, I filled my boots!  Bewick's Swan is an endangered species with numbers of cygnets seriously down on previous years.  The reasons for this are being investigated by the WWT but essentially climate change is thought to be one of the main reasons.  Additionally, breeding habitats are being steadily worn away by development and the birds are also targets for illegal hunters.  At Slimbridge, a peak of 610 was counted on one day alone in January 1979, but now about 300 appear each winter.  On my visit, a count of 316 was made.