Bewick's Blog: Winter 2025/26
Follow the migratory Bewick's swans as they come and go at Slimbridge Wetland Centre this season.
Keep this page bookmarked to check back for regular updates on our latest arrivals!
Do you want a front row seat to see these beautiful birds at feeding time? Book Evening with the Swans here.
6th January
There are 86 Bewick’s now on site, including 6 cygnets!
Domberg & Bourtange arrived overnight with one cygnet (pictured above). The family were new to Slimbridge when they first arrived here with one cygnet in the winter of 2023-24, but they didn't visit us last winter.
Two Icelandic Whooper swans have also been sheltering on the Rushy since the weekend.
30th December
Substantial swan fall over the Christmas period, taking us up to around 78 swans including 3 cygnets. Aggi arrived last week with one of her parents called Ananas. She was ringed and fitted with yellow GPS collar 314T in Germany in November. The swan pictured wearing GPS collar 061T is called Lucy, and she was also ringed in Germany.
Clutton & Cameley were spotted having a rest at Walthamstow Wetlands on Christmas day before making their way to us.
Sunny & Samba are another new family, arriving with just the one cygnet.
The swans do fly out early morning, so hopefully there are more around that we haven't recorded yet!
24th December
44 Bewick's on site by the end of the day.
23rd December
Two new pairs joined us this morning, taking us up to 39.
Galina arrived as the new mate of Slimbridge regular Grinner. Galina was ringed as a yearling on the Russian tundra in August 2005 (yellow 545) by WWT team members Dave Paynter and Sparky (Mark Roberts). She has been recorded in the Baltic states, Netherlands, and France, but this is the first time she has been recorded in the UK.
Fingers crossed this is a sign of more to come - stay tuned for a post-Christmas update!
22nd December
A returning pair arrived overnight! Turlach & Tramore have been a good breeding pair, with nine cygnets together: one brood of 4, one of 3, and one of two in consecutive winters. Turlach also had a brood of 4 with previous mate Turlough.
Last winter only Tramore arrived so there was some concern about Turlach, but luckily they're back together this winter and as in previous visits are top of the pecking order! They haven't brought any cygnets with them this year.
Running total: 35 including 1 cygnet.
16th December
The returning pair Gento (male) and Gentoo (female, pictured above) arrived this morning at 10:20!
Gento first wintered at Slimbridge with then mate Geena on 24/11/2015, and on 19/12/2022 he arrived with his new mate Gentoo.
They take us up to 32 swans recorded so far this winter.
5th December
Still 29 Bewick’s on site. On the same date last winter we had 28, but by the 10/12/2024 the number had risen to 41, & to 58 on 12/12/2024. Here's hoping for an influx of arrivals soon!
27th November
Trotsky arrived - not seen since the winter of 2022-23.
24th November
Two new arrivals taking the running total to 28.
21st November
Five arrivals including Gastro and Roux, who were first seen as a pair in the winter of 2017. We also welcomed Baratheon and Shireen (ringed white BXA on her left leg) - Baratheon's parents were Tool & Times, who last visited in the winter of 2019-20.
19th November
Sabia and his new mate from last winter Sabiana arrived. Sabiana is ringed white BXL on her left leg - all females are ringed on the left and males on the right, so keep an eye out and see who you can identify!
18th November
A further eight arrived, with the group of now 19 seen moving between Tack Piece and the Rushy.
17th November
Eight more arrived by late morning, taking the total up to thirteen. This included a juvenile (cygnet) now named Ahsoka, and some individuals that are well know to us thanks to the bill pattern recognition: 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. Maisie was joined by Maifeld in the season of 2016, and the pair have returned to the reserve every winter since.
16th November
The first three arrivals! Heerlen and mate Olga (4 years old), and George II (3 years old). Heerlen first wintered at WWT Slimbridge as an unpaired adult on 1 December 2020. 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. George II first arrived as a cygnet with his parents Turlach and Tramore in the winter of 2022-23.
16 November is the same date the Bewick's arrived in the winter of 2023, which marked the latest they've returned to the reserve since 1965.
