A family party of four Bewick's swans on Frodsham marsh today, off Lordship
Lane, were my first for four years and brought my 2021 year list to a nice
round 250 species. They've really declined over the past couple of decades, at
one time they outnumbered whoopers at Martin Mere with 500 there as recently
as 1997 and my record count was 818 in 1990. Even more impressive, when I
visited Welney in Norfolk in 1990, there were 2000+ Bewick's swans. I doubt
there are 2000 Bewick's in the whole of the UK these days. It's a real shame,
they're such lovely petite swans.
The best place to view these birds is from the footbridge over the M56,
accessed from Smithy Lane, Helsby.
Also today, 20 whooper swans and three marsh harriers.
Three species of swan, Bewick's, whooper and mute.
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