Mute Swan Survey - 2004

The North West Swan Study Group is responsible for ringing Mute Swans in the North West of England, roughly from the Manchester Ship Canal in the south to Grasmere in the north and east to west from the Pennines to the coast.

We are keen to obtain the help of members of LDBWS to undertake a survey during the coming months, the primary objective of which is to locate breeding pairs of mute swans in our area, and to examine sites that we have not looked at before, i.e. new fishing ponds, etc. We are aware that some pairs of swans are now starting to nest on quite small bodies of water that they haven't previously occupied which we would be keen to have included in the survey.

The secondary objective is to locate any swans in our area, whether they are ringed or not, and if there are and you can read the rings, it will be of great assistance.

As well as metal BTO rings, the study group uses mid blue, plastic rings engraved with 3 white characters, either a number and 2 letters (eg 4AU) or 3 letters (eg AFF). Less frequently other colour/number combinations from other study groups may also occur which we would also be interested to receive details of.

Details required are as follows :-
1) Date seen
2) Site - name and grid reference ( if possible).
a) Please note the nearest car access/appropriate footpath.
b) Site owner or contact.
3) Swan identity ( if ringed).
4) Whether in the company of other swans (ringed or un-ringed)
5) Date of egg laying and hatching and relevant numbers would also be appreciated if available
6) With respect to mobile pairs eg on rivers and canals, if possible follow up information as to numbers of cygnets surviving and their location in early to mid August would assist us in locating them for ringing. Records would be appreciated until the end of the year, as ringing often continues into September and October.

Contact can be either by letter, by telephone or by e-mail (email preferred) :-
Sheila & Mac Cooper,
8, Kirklands Road,
Over Kellet,
CARNFORTH,
Lancs. LA6 1DP
Telephone number 01524 - 733787
E-mail: sheilaandmac at northwestswanstudy.org.uk

If possible, it would be very helpful if the nest site could be monitored and success/or otherwise of breeding recorded.

We would appreciate information from yourselves, or your friends, perhaps from your favourite walks. Even any background knowledge that at XYZ, there's often a pair nesting, particularly if the location is "off the beaten track" may be of assistance.

We would respect any "privacy" requirements and always contact the owner to seek permission to access a site.

The ringing details of each swan reported will be supplied to each recorder at the end of the survey.

For further details about the North West Swan Study, please contact the group leader, Wes Halton at the address below :-

Wes Halton,
6 Hilary Grove,
Farnworth,
Bolton BL4 9NA
Tel 01204 709302 or 07971 074522.
Email: info at northwestswanstudy.org.uk