Whooper Swan

I went along to the RSPB reserve at Lochwinnoch where I used to volunteer. While watching the myriad small birds at the feeders by the vsisitor centre- coal tits, chaffinches etc. I saw a male sparrowhawk fly in and perch near the window. I got some shots through the glass.
I walked down to Castle Semple which is popular with visitors who feed the ducks and mute swans. It was a surprise to see this whooper swan there. Whoopers migrate to the UK from Iceland and other northern areas for the winter and are very shy. A notice on a tree explained that this bird had injured a wing. Park rangers attempted to catch it so as to repair the wing but the bird was too mobile and the wing set in such a way that the bird is now a year-round resident and seems happy enough to hang about with the resident muts swans. I did see other wild whoopers on the nearby Barr Loch. More shots here.