Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)
Breeding:
Before 2008 known to breed regularly on the River Stour on the southern border.
Adult with very young cygnet on Longham Reservoir North, 22nd June 2008 (Trevor Thorpe), and still there in July.
2010: Pair with 5 young on 6th June 2010 (bred on large island in LR South).
2011: Pair with 5 young on 17th June on LR South, then pair seen with 6 cygnets on 24th June (Trevor Thorpe). 6 cygnets also present in September.
2012: Pair with 2 cygnets, plus adult on nest in island at LR South, 9th May. 1 nest on The Marsh, 28th May.
2014: A pair with nest on Stour on south side, 15th April. A pair present with 4 cygnets on 20th June 2014 (Trevor Wilkinson).
2016: A pair with 6 well-grown juveniles on 28th November, but no young recorded in the breeding season.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2003 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 46 | 11 | 41 | ||||
| 2005 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 28 | 54 | 2 | |||
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 3 | |||
| 2007 | 23 | 29 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 5 | 18 | ||
| 2008 | 2 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 17 | 10 | |||
| 2009 | 7 | 45 | 50 | 33 | 17 | 23 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2010 | 10 | 20 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 20 | ||
| 2011 | 30 | 47 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 26 | 36 | 43 | 64 | 52 | 17 | 19 |
| 2012 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 45 | 31 | 41 | 56 | 55 | 38 | 15 | 43 | 12 |
| 2013 | 20 | 34 | 48 | 17 | 35 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 65 | 51 | 62 | 71 |
| 2014 | 67 | 27 | 46 | 29 | 7 | 27 | 42 | 32 | 26 | 28 | 74 | 60 |
| 2015 | 69 | 26 | 26 | 60 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 30 | 27 | 21 | 28 | 38 |
| 2016 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 8 | ||||||
| 2017 |
Alan Pearce took a picture of a colour-ringed bird flying over the Lakes on 12th March 2011, and received the following history from David Stone: Many thanks for your report of the orange-ringed swan L8D flying into Longham Lakes, which I have received via WWT. The bird was ringed as a first year bird on 20 July 2008 in Christchurch as part of my long-term study of the swan population in the Avon valley. It was next seen in September 2009, also in Christchuch, then in February 2011 it was feeding in the meadows near Ibsley. Large numbers of young swans congregate in Christchurch in July for their annual moult when they become flightless and easily caught for ringing. Following the moult they disperse east or west along the coast, up the Avon or Stour valleys and occasionally across to France.
Birds of Longham Lakes
