It's all happening in Leicestershire

After tip offs from local birders of a lone Whooper Swan in a field in Leicestershire, Julie from Watermead CP went in search to see whether it was our bird - Z3G. Apparently the location was not accessible on foot, so Julie along with a friend sailed to the location. Using binoculars, Julie found the Whooper Swan which seemed ''wild'' and after getting closer the bird got out of the water - revealing a nice shiny yellow darvic ring - it was Z3G!

Although in the company of two Mute Swans, he's now doing what a Whooper Swan should be doing - eating grass and not begging for handouts!

For the record, heres what we have on his movements.
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25/05/2009 - 22/10/2009 - Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria.
30/10/2009 - 03/11/2009 - Kingsmill Reservoir, Nottingham.
11/11/2009 - 17/12/2009 - Watermead Country Park, Leicester.
24/01/2010 - 24/01/2010 - Near Cossington Mill, Rothley, Leicester.
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Thanks as always to Julie (and others) for keeping us posted on this bird and for the above photo.

Whooper to Watermead and now Coot to Watermead!!

Many thanks to Dr Colin Hewitt for getting in touch with me with a sighting of a colour ringed Coot. Whilst Colin and Garry Barker where out catching Coot & Mute Swans at Watermead County Park in Leicester yesterday, they noticed a colour ringed Coot - Red over BTO / Black over Light Blue in the water. This bird was ringed just 9 days ago at Southport Marine Lake making it a distance of 167km to Watermead Country Park!