Saturday 5 January 2013

Venus Pool - Bewicks!!

What a sight for sore eyes as I got the main hide this morning. Looking right, I could see 10 yellow billed Swans and clearly many of them were Bewicks! They are scarce enough in Shropshire in recent years but this was a long overdue patch tick for me :-) It's 164 for Venus Pool now :-)

A nice head on encounter from one, swimming in front of the Memorial hide :-)




Quite a variation in the amount of yellow in the bill but never approaching the amount on the nearby Whoopers.





Two juveniles in tow.....


Close up of a typical head.....




An assortment of underwater vegetation was being consumed, hope this doesn't get stuck in the throat!


The camera occasionally 'lies' unless these are aberrant Siamese Bewicks!




Nice to see  them getting into a flap when washing / preening......






Group shots....







Eight Bewicks present plus two Whooper swans also. They stayed all day!  Probably more images  to come......