BIRDWATCHERS in Saddleworth are ‘whooping with joy’ at the arrival of some welcome winged visitors.
And while temperatures are dropping it is positively tropical for Whooper Swans flying in from Iceland for the winter.
The magnificent birds have been spotted throughout Greater Manchester but locally in the Castleshaw valley and also at Ogden Reservoir in the Piethorne Valley.
No-one is more delighted by the Whooper Swans’ appearance than James Walsh, better known as the Mancunian Birder and author of a new book Greater Manchester Birding City Region.
James said: “These beautiful swans are literally swanning in for the winter from their breeding grounds in Iceland.
“If you are lucky enough to see a Whooper Swan and you are texting people to tell them, you should know that predictive text is likely to give you a Whopper Swan!”
An international survey of Whooper Swans is taking place on January 11 and 12.
Anyone interested in getting involved should email: Kane.Brides@wwt.org.uk or visit the website: monitoring.wwt.org.uk/our-work/goose-swan-monitoring-programme/abundance/isc/
Whooper Swans are different from the resident Mute Swan, recognisable by a big, yellow and black beak compared with the orange and black beak of the Mute Swan.
James’ book is now online as a free e-book via the library network.
“The book is basically a personal introduction to birdwatching in Greater Manchester,” he said.
“We have some amazing sites here and there are so many beautiful birds to see once you really start looking.”
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