Aber Ogwen Black Swan (1 Viewer)

[Victor Meldrew]

The last time I visited Aber Ogwen (near Bangor, N. Wales) there was a Black Swan with 100+ Mutes. I sort of assumed this was an escapee and known to the locals as it hadn't appeared on any of the bird reports. Can anyone confirm this please?

Thanks.

 

[James]

It would be a bit knackered if it had flown in from Australia!

'Fraid you can't count this escapee.

Are you THE Victor Meldrew, I thought you were dead!

James

 

[Michael Frankis]

Who is "THE Victor Meldrew"?

 

[birdman]

You're gonna have to get a TV Michael!!!

(Check's evening listings.... hmm... MAYBE NOT!!!)

 

[Michael Frankis]

You're gonna have to get a TV Michael!!!

Nah - you can't get BirdForum on TV, and BirdForum is far more interesting! :king: :king: :king:

Michael

 

[gordon hamlett]

Black swans are breeding in the wild but haven't formed a self-sustaining population yet so can't be counted.

Did you go to the Spinnies while you were there? We counted nearly 40 roosting little egrets, 6 greenshanks, redshank, kingfisher etc while we there - a nice surprise on our first visit - didn't know the reserve was there.

Gordon

 

[Victor Meldrew]

Did you go to the Spinnies while you were there?

Yup, I think so, if that's the two-sided hide overlooking the sea on one side and the small lake on the other. I saw plenty of Egrets flying over but didn't see them roosting. There were 11 Greenshank on the island in the lake and the Kingfisher was very obliging, posing on his perch in the sun.

As for the Black Swan, it says in the Collins Guide that "introduced self-sustaining populations exist in Britain, Iceland, Poland and Netherlands."

 

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Victor,

Unfortunately the Collins guide is a bit ahead of itself there - the situation with Black Swan (and a whole lot of other introduced birds) was examined 2 or 3 years ago by the BOU, and they concluded that Black Swans were not (yet) established and self-sustaining, so they weren't allowed on the UK list.

Michael