Whoopers

We went up to Tunstall reservoir this morning, on a cold, bleak spring day. Our main purpose was to see if we could watch the courtship of the great crested grebes that nest there every year, but the visit was enlivened by the arrival of ......

.... four whooper swans ........

..... that had chosen to stop off here on their migration back to Iceland.

They were wary and kept well offshore, but we had some good views, and we also ....

.... saw the great crested grebes. There are two pairs there this year. This pair were fishing on the main reservoir .....

.... and this pair were courting in the nature reserve at the head of the valley.

Whoopers

This flock of whooper swans was cruising the small lake that forms behind Warkworth Dunes on the Northumberland coast this afternoon.....

.....all adults except for one juvenile.....
















... with a lot of noisy calling .......wonderful wild sounds that you can listen to by clicking here......

..until they all took off and headed over to the cereal fields to feed....