Observations Of Bewick's Swan Kent 2018 to January 2019.
Peak Numbers.
Sound by Stanislas Wroza
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Bewick’s Swan numbers in Kent for the year’s 2018 and 2019 for the WWT coordinated count in January has been just over the fifty mark in both years. In 2018 the four which took the Kent total over fifty were a few days after the WWT count, these four adults arrived in the Stour Valley commuting between Grove Ferry (roost) and Worth Marshes (feeding).
December 2018 the Kent running total was again just under the fifty mark until early January until a family of two adults and three juveniles was spotted on Worth Marshes.
December 2018 the Kent running total was again just under the fifty mark until early January until a family of two adults and three juveniles was spotted on Worth Marshes
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Fifteen Bewick's Swan North Kent. This Number Last Seen In North Kent 2016.
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Location.
For the last few years the main sites in Kent have diminished to less than a handful, as in previous years the main site has been Walland Marsh, feeding on surrounding farms on a diet of oil-seed rape and roosting at the ARC pit adjacent to the RSPB reserve at Dungeness.
The next site with the highest totals has been between two sites which are very close together on the Hoo Peninsula on the banks of the river Thames, these being RSPB Cliffe Pools and grazing marshes at St Mary’s and also at times roosting between the two sites at Decoy Fleet on the RSPB reserve at Northward Hill. The grazing marsh is very close to Cliffe Pools as the crow flies, this site was once arable but is mainly grazing marsh which holds Mutes both in winter and summer non breeding. In winter Mutes with rings have come from Weston Turnville Reservoir 98 Kilometers away.
Worth Marshes and Grove Ferry is the next site to hold totals of Bewick’s Swans which feed on Worth Marshes and roost on the water at Grove Ferry. Both these sites have numbers of Mutes but of late decreasing.
Mute Swan 4BSN. February 2018 St Marys Marsh, Previous Sighting 896 Days At Weston Turnville Reservoir, 98 Kilometers Away.
Feed and Roost
Walland Marsh oil seed rape. Roost very close ARC pit.
Cliffe Pools grazing marsh and saline pools. Roost, very close, Cliffe Pools, St Marys marsh.
St Marys Marsh grazing marsh. Roost, very close Decoy Fleet or Cliffe Pools
Worth Marshes winter wheat. Roost Grove Ferry 10 to 12 Kilometers.
From the 03/01/19 the Worth Marshes family did the commute back and forth between Grove Ferry and Worth Marshes which was between 10 to 12 kilometers each way. From mid-February to early March this family stayed on pools on Worth Marshes, was this due to extra water on the surrounding fields and thus providing safety for roosting and saving energy by not commuting back to Grove Ferry
Cliffe Pools grazing marsh and saline pools. Roost, very close, CliffeClick to edit text. What do visitors to your website need to know about you and your business?
Grazing Marsh Providing Food and Roost.
Europe To UK
By October stop-overs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have large numbers of Bewick’s Swan, large flocks are also observed in Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands and then the UK.
Kent is not getting the numbers it used to. Is this down to the following.
Milder conditions and better pasture in Europe and in the Ouse Washes and surrounding Fens.
Stop overs and staging sites in North Western Europe with milder temperatures and access to food with greater energy levels allowing longer time to build up fat reserves.
Better pasture in the Ouse washes and surrounding fens.
Feeding on mainly agricultural root crops such as Sugar Beet and Potatoes.
Large explosion of wind farms off Kent affecting the line of flight into Kent.
London Array Is Located 20 km Off The Kent Coast In The Outer Thames Estuary And Seen From An Aeroplane Flying Into London City Airport. Picture and quote from Wikipedia.
WWT Coordinated Bewick's Swan Age Assessment Count Jan 2018 & 2019
| Sound by Jarek Matusiak. | ||
Jan 2018 | Jan 2019 | Feed |
Walland Marsh: 34 Adults | 36 Adults | Oil Seed Rape |
8 Juveniles | 3 Juveniles | |
Total 42 | 39 | |
St Marys Marsh: 7 Adults | 6 Adults | Grazing Marsh |
Total 7 | 7 | |
Grove Ferry/Worth Marshes: 4 Adults | 2 Adults | Winter Wheat Worth Marshes |
3 Juveniles | ||
Total 5 | 5 | |
2018 Total 44 Adults | 2019 Total 45 Adults | |
8 Juveniles | 6 Juveniles | |
Total Bewick's 52 | 51 |
Kent and WWT Slimbridge Coordinated Counts.
Is there a similar line of flight Bewick’s coming into Kent on route to WWT Slimbridge, even though satellite tagged birds that winter and depart from Slimbridge do not go through Kent.
Difference in numbers between wintering Bewick’s in Kent and Slimbridge for the January are below.
2018 Kent 52. Slimbridge 137.
2019 Kent 51. Slimbridge 146.
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Ring sightings in Kent and further sightings in UK
XVL was spotted at Cliffe Pools on the Thames Estuary on the 30/11/17 being the first ring sighting in the UK for the winter of 2017/18. XVL a yealing female and caught and rung by Kane Brides of WWT a few months earlier in Nenetskya on 08/08/17.
The day before XVL being spotted on the Thames Estuary she was seen on the Plodder near Amsterdam. Along with three others they arrived overnight at Cliffe Pools on a very strong North West wind for a stopover. Later that morning we saw the four departing heading north.
XVL was later seen in January by Wim Tijsen at Ten Mile Bank near the Ouse Washes and surrounding Fens, The latitude between Cliffe Pools and Ten Mile Bank is very similar.
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Sequence Below Of Photos Which Resulted In The Sighting Of XVL
Four Bewick's Swan. No Rings Showing Yet.
XVL In Flight
XVL In Flight
XVL Ring Showing
XVL Taking Off
Two Bewick's Swan
Four Bewick's Swan. No Rings Showing .
Four Bewick's Swan. No Rings Showing Yet.
XVL In Flight
Conclusion.
For the last two years from early to mid-January, Worth Marshes and Grove Ferry have had the last arrivals into Kent, and on both occasions pushed the Kent total over fifty. In 2018 a party of four adults and in 2019 a family of two adults plus three juveniles arrived and wintered between the sites.
Are these late arrivals into Stour Valley birds that are coming into UK because of the cold weather in Europe or was the pasture better or worse where they were.
The timing of the Bewick’s Swan arriving into the Stour Valley is when the weather turns colder, especially in Europe. If these birds had been feeding on root crops would the crops still provide enough nutrient value after a hard frost and the winter wheat on Worth Marshes may provide a better option especially after the mild November and December that the UK has experienced of late which would also help the winter wheat to grow to a good height.
The number of Juveniles on Walland Marsh and Worth Marshes for the winter of 2018/19 were the same on each marsh.
Walland Marsh feed oil seed rape and Worth marshes winter wheat.
If the numbers increase on winter wheat and numbers decrease on brassica crops such as oil seed rape then this could be one reason for the decline of numbers in Kent. The other options mentioned could be a reason but more time and research is required.
Are the Worth Marshes Bewick’s returning birds or different individuals.
Bewick’s bill pattern may help in future research.
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Bewick's Swan Bill Pattern.
The area above the bill and below forehead can form one of the three definite patterns. Yellowneb. A line of yellow can be traced from the yellow patch on one side of the bill, over the culmen, to the yellow patch on the other side of the bill. Blackneb , In which centreline of upper mandible is black from feathering of forehead to tip of bill. Pennyface, In which a line other than centreline can be traced on black from the feathering of the forehead to the tip of the bill.
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