Within our herd of 163 wintering Whooper Swans there has
once again been an old friend – a single returning Bewick’s Swan - best
looked for with the herd from the hides at North Duffield Carrs. During
the 1970’s and 80’s numbers of wintering Bewick’s Swans regularly numbered
between 100-250 (occasionally 300+), spending the winter in our
relatively mild conditions compared to those on the breeding grounds on the
Russian tundra. However, since the 1990’s numbers have fallen sharply with
only a mere handful of birds recorded most winters over the last decade or so – the
reasons however are likely to lie outside of the valley. The population of Bewick’s
Swans have experienced a large decline across their range, with birds now wintering in the Low Countries in Europe, possibly in response to climate
change - there is no longer the need to fly all the way from Russia to the
LDV if you can spend the winter feeding on enough food in, for example, the
Netherlands. However, maintaining good conditions for them is always important
should a cold snap on the continent force herds back across the North Sea.
Family party - December 2014
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