Bewick's Swan at Slimbridge

These Bewick's Swan shots were taken last Sunday on my way to Norfolk.  Sunday was the only day last week for good photographic light, so as you can imagine, I filled my boots!  Bewick's Swan is an endangered species with numbers of cygnets seriously down on previous years.  The reasons for this are being investigated by the WWT but essentially climate change is thought to be one of the main reasons.  Additionally, breeding habitats are being steadily worn away by development and the birds are also targets for illegal hunters.  At Slimbridge, a peak of 610 was counted on one day alone in January 1979, but now about 300 appear each winter.  On my visit, a count of 316 was made.