Walmore Common (21 January 2011, contributed by Mike Smart)
Today at Walmore, the flooding was fairly extensive, but mainly iced over. There were eighteen swans present: nine Mute (six white and three cygnets); three Whoopers (two adults and a cygnet, clearly the birds that were at Minsterworth until ten days ago and not there today); and six Bewick’s (five adults and one cygnet). None of them were ringed. Interestingly, they were all on the brightest green bit of grass, alongside the main cross (north/south) ditch. The landowner, Mr Hyslop, says that this is the freshest grass around; it’s an area of spoil from ditch-cleaning which he reseeded last autumn with a rye grass mixture, to prevent docks and other weeds springing up.