Whooper Swan at Hornsea Mere? (1 Viewer)

Pete Mella

Getting there...

• Mar 25, 2007

• #1

I saw a Whooper Swan at close range at Hornsea Mere today, and got quite excited until I realised it was honking loudly at a door, and waiting to get fed by the wardens there. I'm guessing it's "untickable"!

Does anyone know this swan's story? Is it a well-known resident there, or one that arrived this year and got a bit too used to the ready supply of duck food?

 

Stephen Dunstan

Registered User

• Mar 25, 2007

• #2

Was it ringed? Many years ago I saw an overly tame Whooper there which had a metal ring on. I am guessing this is a different bird but you never know.

Stephen.

 

Pete Mella

Getting there...

• Mar 26, 2007

• #3

It wasn't ringed, which surprised me, but I had a look at the entry for the site in 'Where to Watch Birds in Yorkshire' last night and it mentions the resident, pinioned Whooper, that can be a menace to visitors and sometimes attacks cars!

Case closed, methinks!

 

KnockerNorton

Well-known member

• Mar 26, 2007

• #4

There was a crippled (pinioned through injury) whooper there since at least the mid 1980s to about 2000 at least. It did have a thin metal ring on one leg, although this may have been lost now if it's the same bird. It was brought there, possibly from West Yorkshire, and released.

It attracted the occasional wild whooper, but was usually more keen to hang around Kirkholme Point and get fed. each spring, he (and it was a he, dubbed Harry or Sammy I think) used to sulk and head off to Decoy Bay for a week or two, presumably trying to find a mate.

As a child, i'd had my fingers nipped by that bird many a time!

As whoopers can live for well over 30 years, it's possibly the same bird. Although someone may have given him a chum who was similarly incapacitated.

 

N

nickupton

Well-known member

• Mar 31, 2007

• #5

I don't know the origin of the Whooper Swan at Hornsea but it appears that it is unable to leave the area. I have seen it there all year round since 2004. Wasn't sure about it myself until I saw it there throughout the summer in 2005.

 

Gomphus

Well-known member

• Apr 2, 2007

• #6

Hi all,

Many years ago I unsuspectingly sat down on the sill of the open boot of my car to eat a sandwich at Hornsea Mere.... next thing I knew the Whooper Swan was at eye level,about 6inches away, mugging me for my sandwich! I ended up falling backwards into the boot, much to my mates amusement! Wondered recently what happened to this bird, would be interested to know if this is still that bird, still going strong and mugging people!? Or if there is another incapacitated bird there?

cheers

 

phyllosc

Well-known member

• Apr 3, 2007

• #7

I'm glad to hear he/she is still around after all these years. It would seem to have done well from mugging visitors for food. Could be up for an ASBO!

Dave C

 

Henstooth

Well-known member

• Apr 10, 2007

• #8

I have just come back from Cumbria and there was a Whooper on Lake Windermere. I spoke to the RSPB rep at Hawswater (site of the Golden Eagle) who said that this Whooper was well known and had been injured some time back and just didn't / wouldn't / couldn't leave. I did have to take a second look when I saw the yellow bill. I have put it down on my tick list however.
Pete

 

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nickupton

Well-known member

• Apr 11, 2007

• #9

I was at Hornsea yesterday feeding the ducks/geese/swans and no sign of the Whooper Swan!

 

KnockerNorton

Well-known member

• Apr 11, 2007

• #10

nickupton said:

I was at Hornsea yesterday feeding the ducks/geese/swans and no sign of the Whooper Swan!

Click to expand...

He'd always go up the other end of the mere and try to pair with a mute swan at this time of year. He'd go awol for a couple of weeks, in an area not viewable from the shore.