The Bewick's Swan.

It was my latest of many magical birding moments to find 2 Bewick's Swan at Cockersand 10 days ago on 20 November. 

I will always remember the comment by my mentor John Leedal the day we found them many years ago, when he said....'how privileged we are, to have such beautiful creatures fly thousands of miles from the Russian tundra, to visit us in Lancashire during the winter months'.

The Birds of Lancashire Clifford Oakes 1894 - 1965

I've been digging into the past about the Bewick's Swan, starting with some records from his book published in 1953. 

In the book, Clifford Oakes says the Bewick's Swan is a frequent winter visitor to Lancashire from November to April, they are seen in moderate numbers, but sometimes in herds of thirty and occasionally in larger numbers. He goes on to say, 'it is a more regular immigrant and more widespread than the Whooper Swan....F.S.Mitchell 1850 - 1929 writes of the Whooper Swan as being 'very rarely seen'....Oakes claims this is more likely to mean the winter range of the Whooper Swan has changed during the last half-century.

The most interesting account in Oakes book, was of an assembly totaling nearly 100 Bewick's Swan near Oldham in March 1940. He then records the species as being almost unknown at Leighton Moss, and goes on to say, it is an occasional visitor on the coast of Morecambe Bay and the Lune Estuary. There is a record of 9 Bewick's Swan seen as 2 adult and 7 juvenile at Bolton-le-Sands in November 1948, and closes his account of the Bewick's Swan with 'this is the most recent offshore occurrence'.

.............................................................

2005.

Twenty years ago in January 2005, the wintering population of the Bewick's Swan in Britain stood at little more than 7,200. By then the swans had abandoned Martin Mere WWT, and most were feeding and roosting on and around the River Ribble. The only record in our local recording area in 2005, was of 4 Bewick's Swan on Aldcliffe Marsh late November.

The status in 2005 in our recording area was that of a scarce winter visitor, the only records were of one at Glasson on several dates in Jan/Feb, and two at Pilling Lane Ends in February. Autumn records consisted of no more than 6 birds at two sites.

2015.

Ten years ago in 2015, the status in our recording area took a slight but welcome upturn from scarce to that of an uncommon winter visitor. Throughout January, up to 19 Bewick's Swan were in and around Jeremy Lane. The first to return in the autumn was a single bird at PLE at the end of October, and no more than 4 birds at two sites.

Summary.

One of the most interesting claims in the book by Oakes....'it is a more regular immigrant and more widespread than the Whooper Swan, whilst F.S.Mitchell writes in his book....'the Whooper Swan is very rarely seen'. Another notable record in 2015, was that of 19 Bewick's Swan around Jeremy Lane throughout January, this peaked to 22 by mid-February.

The Bewick's Swan status in Lancashire and nationally, is that of an uncommon and declining winter visitor. Up to 1/3 of the worlds population winter in the UK, and is a bird included with another 70 bird species on the BTO Birds Of Conservation Concern Red List, and apart from reading about Oakes 'herds of thirty Bewick's Swans' in Lancashire, there appears to have been little change in their status, and certainly not since the start of the 21st century, since when it has declined and continues to do so.

My Records Read....The fact that 2 Bewick's Swans have been and are still resident at Cockersand since Thursday 20 November is beyond wonderful.

Thanks to Paul Ellis for the header image of the Bewick's Swans at Thurnham in 2024.