Psilos Wildfowl Photography |
Bewick swan (Cygnus columbianus) |
The smallest swan in the UK they arrive
for the winter in mid October after spending the breeding season in
Siberia. More goose like in shape they have more black on their bills
than the Whooper swan. Here it can be found on low-lying wet pastures,
flooded grasslands, saltmarshes, lakes and reservoirs. Its diet consists
of leaves, shoots and roots. They go back to their breeding grounds
in March. All the birds photographed below are wintering swans seen
at Slimbridge,UK January 2006. |
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The yellow markings on the top of the Bewicks
beak are very variable between individuals and no two birds have the
same pattern of markings. The late Peter Scott devised a way of recording
them through drawings so that individuals could be named and recognised
each winter. It is still undertaken today. |
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A juvenile Bewick swan |
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