Bewick's Swans returned to Slimbridge today

I went to the Wildlife and Wetland Centre at Slimbridge late this morning to check on some information I needed about who to contact with regard to a future local project.  But I couldn't help pick up on the buzzing excitement in the main entrance and overhear that the first pair of returning Bewick's Swans  had arrived two hours before following their 3000 km flight from the Russian Arctic. Notwithstanding that they also had their cygnet with them so there was a new addition to the rather endangered flock. These swans are iconic, and were some of the first birds that Peter Scott concentrated on when he began establishing this sanctuary at Slimbridge.

I rushed out to the lake where I was told they could be seen which was luckily one of the nearest.  They even kindly were swimming very close to the hide so that I could get reasonable pictures, as I hadn't bothered to bring my long zoom. There was a lot of competition for the food as two other bird breeds, the Pintail and Pochard ducks had also recently arrived for their winter holiday.

There was a fair bit of niggling between the birds and the cygnet was rather more aggressive than its parents. They spent a lot of time with their heads on the bottom of the lake feeding on the food that staff had already provided for the ducks in some quantity. It was delightful to see them again, as they are one of my favourite types of swan being much less aggressive than most of the others.

But I also delighted in seeng a Pintail duck in great close-up detail as it waddled ashore and looked up at the window which I was looking through. It then proceeded to search diligently and find a few worms in the grassy bank of the lake. I shall have to return to see more of the Bewick's in the next few weeks.