The last week has been perfect for visitors who wish to brush up on their swan identification, or enjoy the rare opportunity to see all three UK swan species in close proximity, with counts of up to 12 Whooper and 11 Bewick's Swans joining the resident Mute Swans on the Scrape.
Mixed flock of swans and ducks on East Scrape
The two "wild" swans (those that migrate to the UK for the winter) can be tricky to separate, especially at distance when the key features are harder to distinguish - bill pattern and size in particular. However, when they are seen together, as in the photo above, it's easier to separate the species. Even allowing for the effects of perspective and distance, you can easily see that the five Bewick's behind are smaller. This is even more obvious in the picture below, showing a Bewick's Swan behind a Whooper.
The above photo also perfectly illustrates the differences in bill pattern. On Whooper Swans the yellow always extends beyond the nostril, about two thirds of the way along the beak, and ends in a point, like a wedge of cheese. On Bewick's the yellow is much more variable but never extends beyond half way and usually looks more blunt-tip, like a blob of butter.
The close up photos below illustrate these differences even better.
Whooper Swan (above) and Bewick's Swan (below)
Of course, there is a third swan, but Mute Swans are much easier to identify, and much more familiar to most of us, with their orange bill with a large knob at the base. They are a similar size to the Whoopers, but even heavier. Immature Mutes are also brown tinged, whereas young Bewick's and Whoopers are grey.
Mute Swan coming in to land
There have been some even bigger counts of ducks on the Scrape this week, including record counts of more than 350 Pintails and 650 Shovelers, as well as large flocks of Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Wigeon and Shelduck. How many species can you identify in the photo below?
The eagle-eyed among you may also have spotted two species of wader in the above photo. With more islands appearing, there has been a better variety of waders this week, although after yesterday's rain some of these islands are disappearing again! Waders seen this week include up to 40 Dunlins, several Turnstones, Snipe, Curlews and Black-tailed Godwits, the odd Redshank, Oystercatcher or Ringed Plover, and several hundred Lapwings.
Other wetland birds to look out for this week include both Yellow-legged and Caspian Gulls on the Scrape; Great Egrets and Kingfisher from Bittern Hide; Bittern, Water Rail and Water Pipit at Island Mere; and Common and Velvet Scoters and Gannets offshore.
The ringtail Hen Harrier continues to be seen daily, especially around Bittern Hide in the afternoons, and there are regular sightings of Marsh Harriers, Buzzards, Sparrowhawks and Kestrels, plus the occasional Peregrine or Raven.
Up to 30 Redwings are feeding in the leaf litter around South Belt, and a huge flock of Siskins is mobile between the Rhododendron Tunnel and South Belt Crossroads. Nuthatch and Great Spotted Woodpecker are regular on the feeders, and it's great to hear Song Thrushes singing now, joining the growing chorus.
Song Thrush
The sunny weather on Monday tempted the first Adder out from hibernation, although sightings are likely to remain sporadic for a few more weeks yet, and they're certainly not going to be seen on dull, wet days like yesterday.
Finally, some really important information for you if you are visiting this week. Firstly, with higher water levels again following yesterday's rain, the Sluice Track is again flooded, and is likely to remain so for a few days. Secondly, due ot essential maintenance the cafe will be closed from 1 pm on Sunday for the whole of next week, reopening on Saturday 17th.