Systematic List MUTE SWAN Cygnus olor Common resident. Amber List. Categories A and C. Found throughout the county with the main bulk of records still coming from the southeast, where, as in 2011, there were very few breeding records compared with the sightings. The number of breeding sites and pairs has been fairly consistent in recent years and 2012 was no exception, while it was pleasing to report an increase in young noted. The number of breeding sites was 32 involving 48 pairs and a total of 108 young. Principal breeding sites include both Flixton Gravel Pits and Oulton Marshes with three pairs, Castle Marshes, North Cove with four breeding pairs, Minsmere with eight and Orfordness with three pairs but only three or four young fledged. Other breeding records of note include a pair with four young on the River Deben at Melton, two of which were 'polish' morphs and a pair with downy cygnets from a late brood on September 9th at Lackford Lakes. Peak monthly counts at selected sites: Jan Feb Minsmere 48 38 North Warren 29 32 Orfordness 6 6 Aide WeBS 135 107 Debcn WeBS 141 127 Orwell Estuary LW* 24 10 Stour WeBS 357 383 Lakenheath Fen WeBS 82 25 * LW = Low Water
Mar 17 25 12 76 153
Apr 5 --
10
Sep 11 25 9
Oct 37 24 10 89 97
-
-
120
70
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
22
-
76
61
Nov 32 15 18 102 93 62 357 32
Dec 59 11 26 132 149 57 380 24
The main sites with regular monthly totals are listed in the table above. Elsewhere large herds could be found at Somerleyton Marshes with 78 on March 22nd, and 91 at the same site the following month. Further herds with over 50 birds were at Oulton Broad, Thorpeness Meare, Boyton Marshes, Bawdsey East Lane, Kirton Creek, Corporation Marshes, Felixstowe and Sudbury Common Lands where, in a herd of 90, there was only a single juvenile. At Loompit Lake, Trimley St Martin on December 24th there were two adult 'Polish' morph adults. TUNDRA ( B E W I C K ' S ) SWAN 9 f "f ' Cygnus columbianus bewickii J ; Fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant. W*sÂŁ Jt Amber List. Regular herds, but of a smaller size compared with 2011, were present in January and February on the coast, SuGough M u t e swan predominantly the same flock either at King's Farm in Westleton or Minsmere with highest respective counts of 40 and 56. Elsewhere there were smaller numbers on Breydon Water South and Shipmeadow, Beccles and Barsham Marshes. At Mendham Bridge two flew north-east on February 7th and there were three nearby roosting in the early morning on ice at Weybread Gravel Pits on February 9th. Emigration was noted from February 14th when three flew north at Lound Waterworks and two days later 15 flew out to sea at Lowestoft South Beach. The following week further emigration was in progress when 74 flew east at Bradwell on February 23rd with another 217 east the next day at Breydon Water and two more large flocks heading east out to sea, 70 over Kessingland on March 1st and 30 over Lowestoft on March 7th. 41