As I was working yesterday I wasn’t able to go for the Bewick’s Swans at the Water Park so had decided to get out there early this morning. I managed to get to Eysey at not long gone eight o’clock to find the swans were not there. All there was on the pit were over two hundred Mallard and a dozen Lapwing on the adjacent flooded field. Guessing that the swans were probably feeding out in the fields i decided to have a little drive around. Round House had two Green Sandpipers and a Little Egret, Whelford Pools a Green Sandpiper and two Bullfinch, Lake 126 a calling Water Rail and the meadows at Lechlade, eight Mute Swans and around two hundred and sixty Canada Geese. So I headed home with no Bewick’s but having had a pleasant drive around. Later in the morning, almost inevitably I received a text from Pete saying that the swans were now at Eysey. At the time I was preparing a Boeuf Bourguignon so I put it in the oven three-quarters ready, got my bike gear on and headed out again. Just over twenty minutes from receiving the text I was back at Eysey and watching the five Bewicks, four adults and a juvenile. A UK and Wilts year tick. Also seen were a Peregrine and a Little Egret. Later on a Whooper Swan was found at Lake 132, good to have three (four if the Black Swan is still around) Swan species in the park at the same time.
- Four of the five Bewick’s Swans
wiltshirebirder 