Wednesday 13 April 2011

Swans

There are three types of swan that can be seen in Britain, two of these (the bewick and whooper) are winter migrants and breed in the artic circle during winter and when they do arrive, they are seldom seen in this part of the country.
The only breeding swan that breeds in Britain is the mute swan and a pair have taken up residency on the Ock:
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Like other swans, they pair for life (although rare, divorce can happen) and these are probably the same pair that have nested before on the Ock.
As they glide up and down the river, they present an ideal photo opportunity:
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Although they look tranquil, they are very aggressive birds - one of this pair attacked a water vole as it swam across the river.  So if they intend to build a nest near the ladygrove meadow it will be interesting to see what the local dogs make of them.

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