Whooper Swan

Terrible pic I know 

They'll be heading North soon, if not gone already. I don't know Wigan area really, but Martin Mere has them visit each Winter. 

50 odd at St. Aidens south of Leeds Sunday last. Not an uncommon winter visitor to the UK. I understand that the majority of the expanding Iceland population overwinter in the UK.

There are a small breeding/nesting population of Whooper Swans that nest in Northern Scotland as indeed I saw a pair of Whooper Swans with young in 2019.

Whooper Swans nest every year in Spring/Summer  of around 24 pairs, of course up and down in breeding pairs from year to year in Northern Scotland. as always has been the case at least in my life time. Just as a small nesting/breeding population of Redwing as well and a very small nesting/breeding population of Fieldfares both species breeding in Northern Scotland. But Fieldfares are breeding in very small numbers.

Yes, I know. What time of year were you on the islands seeing the young?

Into June on the Outer Hebrides in 2019 the year before Covid. Whooper Swans have also have bred and had young on RSPB reserves as well I saw the pair of Whooper Swan at a local reserve on one of the two main islands on the Outer Hebrides.

It is reckoned that a number of the breeding birds stay due to ill health/lack of mobility. Get the odd ones and twos further south, incl seeing one at Caerlaverock one Summer. Must have been small cygnets in June.

https://www.bto.org/understanding-birds/birdfacts/whooper-swan

Whooper Swan | BTO - British Trust For Ornithology.