THIS WINTER has seen dozens of juvenile swans arrive at the Slimbridge Wetland Centre, making it the most successful breeding year for the threatened Bewick’s swans in two decades. 

At the Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Gloucestershire, a total of 128 Bewick’s swans have arrived at their reserve on the banks of the River Severn.

33 of these 128 swans have included juveniles, making it the most successful breeding year for 20 years.

The arrival of Bewick’s swans is spurred on by the onset of colder weather on the continent, north-easterly winds, and their need for access to ice-free wetlands.

The swans travel an epic 3,500km journey from Arctic Russia to the comparatively warmer weather of the UK.

Numbers of Bewick’s swans at the Slimbridge reserve are currently showing 26 per cent cygnets which is the highest amount of juveniles seen at the reserve, since the winter of 2001-2002.

It is believed it has been a successful year due to the weather conditions on the breeding ground in the Tundra – the weather has been warm and stayed warm with autumn not coming too early.

As the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust celebrated its 75th Anniversary last year, the successful breeding season of Bewick’s cygnets at Slimbridge is a timely reminder to the work of WWT founder, Sir Peter Scott.

Scott dedicated much of his time watching and studying Bewick’s swans.

He was the first person to notice that each bird has a unique bill pattern making it possible to identify individuals.

The WWT conservation team who are based at Slimbridge have been using this technique to identify and record individual Bewick’s swans for more than 50 years.

Over that time, the comings and goings of individuals and family dynasties has led to over 10,000 swans being recorded, one of the longest single species study that has been researched.

WWT works to support field conservation work for the protection of Bewick’s swans and for the vital wetlands they need to survive.