By Lauren Beavis
The first pair of “sacred” Bewick’s swans have touched down in the UK – heralding the start of winter.
The birds – pair Heerlen and Olga accompanied by single swan, George II – arrived at WWT Slimbridge in Gloucestershire early on Sunday.
Bewick’s are small white swans with a black and yellow bill and every winter they return to the UK to escape the Arctic winters of Russia – traveling an epic 3,500 km journey.
The arrival of the Bewick’s is spurred on by the onset of colder weather on the continent, north-easterly winds, and their need for access to ice-free wetlands.
WWT Slimbridge Reserve Manager, Martin McGill, said: “As a young visitor I appreciated the Bewick’s swans flock at WWT Slimbridge, but it wasn’t until I began working on the reserve that I realised just how sacred these special birds were.
“WWT Slimbridge is a unique place where you can see these swans up close.
“This is due to a relationship we’ve build on trust, and that bond has grown over the many decades the swans have been visiting the reserve.”
Heerlen first wintered at WWT Slimbridge as an unpaired adult on 1 December 2020 and Olga first visited the centre as a cygnet with her parents, Orkney Reed and Doodles, during the 2021-22 winter season.
Heerlen and Olga then went on to form a pair in the winter of 2023-24.
Just a day after their arrival (Monday 17 November) another eight Bewick’s, including regular visitor Maisie, swiftly followed and arrived at the wetland center – bringing the total to 11 swans, including one cygnet.
Maisie first wintered at WWT Slimbridge in 2014 as a two-year-old, and on 19 January 2015 she was caught and fitted with a tracker.
She was joined by Maifeld in the season of 2016, and the pair have returned to WWT Slimbridge every winter since.
Bewick’s swans were first monitored by WWT founder and conservationist Sir Peter Scott in 1964.
Since then, more than 10,000 Bewick’s swans have made WWT Slimbridge home for the winter.
The team have said the Bewick’s swans are an ‘iconic part of the winter soundscape and spectacle’ at WWT Slimbridge.
