Bewick Swans (cygnus columbianus) At Stithians

A long day at cold Stithians Reservoir payed dividends today, John Swann and I arrived at the res to find the warden doing his excellent work and clearing the paths to the hides. Asking if the Bewicks had been seen, the answer was a resounding "no" they have only been seen in the afternoon. So it was chin up get in the hides and lets see what comes and go. The morning drifted by with some nice local species, one being a stunning Sparrow Hawk allowing JS to grow his already large year list. By lunch time and the onset of hypothermia, and no Bewick Swans ,we decided to have a look around the fields of the dam, to see if we could find out where they may be feeding.

Unsucessfully we returned to the Stuart Hutchens hide and there they where all eight of them, four adults and four juveniles.