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Mallard Duck on the Ice
by the Activity Centre
Our resident Swans
Pen in front, Cob at rear
Snipe
The water level of the lake rose very quickly this autumn, which meant that the mud flats were not exposed for as long as usual. I did however spot a few Snipe feeding up there, along with a large group of Lapwings, the odd Curlew and the usual Herons prowling around. It was good to see the Snipe prodding around with their long bills. They used to be very common when I was younger but numbers seem to have declined in recent years. Snipe are lovers of wetland and are normally found where there are marshes and reed beds as well as mudflats.
RedwingA number of Goosanders both male and female have bee paying regular visits. These diving ducks with their saw bills can catch a considerable amount of fish in a day. They are being seen on a regular basis at most of our local lakes and ponds, and are certainly not welcome at the local trout farms.
Drake Goosander
Goldeneye Drake near the damThe Life Cycle of the Mute Swan
The Mute Swan is the common variety you’ll find at your local lake or pond. They are resident and normally pair for life. Their elaborate courtship ritual includes the famous heart shape they make with their necks. Pairs usually start to breed in their fourth year.
The male or cob is larger than the female or pen and when seen together the longer thicker neck, larger web feet and larger black berry on the bill make identification easier. Male swans weigh up to 9 to 18 kgs and females 9 to 12 kgs. They are our largest flying bird and can fly at up to 60mph.
Many young swans die but if they get through the first two winters they can live up to 25 years.
Pen
Cob
These are our resident Rudyard Swans
Note the thicker neck on the Cob
The cob will establish a territory large enough to supply his future family with sufficient food and will vigorously defend this against all comers. Swans are protected birds and it is illegal to harm them or steal their eggs.
The pair chooses the nest site together and use any materials within about 20 metres to make the large nest. This is normally on an island or some other remote spot. Resident pairs will use the same site year after year and are very difficult to persuade to move even when there are problems.
The pen will lay two to twelve eggs the average being about 6. The eggs are laid every other day and only when the final egg has been laid does incubation begin. I took the following Swan photos at our sister reservoir at Knypersley, I sincerely hope that our Rudyard Swans will follow suit this year!
Pen on the nest
Mother and baby!
Cygnet at 3 weeks
The incubation period lasts around 35 days during which the pen will only come off the nest for short periods to stretch her legs and drink. The cob takes over after a head lifting ceremony. He will vigorously defend the nest against foxes, mink, dogs and humans. The cygnets take to the water 24 hours after the last one has hatched usually in May. The parents do not feed the youngsters, but paddle with their feet to bring food to the surface and pull out reeds and grass which the cygnets cannot reach. One parent will always be on guard and they often swim in a line with one parent at the front and the other at the rear. The Pen sometimes carries the cygnets on her back.
Swan families are very close and if a cygnet goes missing they will look for it for up to a week!
Nature has been very clever with the Swans moulting period. Breeding pairs moult at different times. First the pen normally in August followed by the Cob in September. The moult takes around 6 weeks during which the birds cannot fly. This cycle assures that one parent can defend the young at all times.
The cygnets learn to fly after their flight feathers have grown at around four and a half months usually around September. This is a dangerous period for the cygnets as they are inexperienced flyers and sometimes hit overhead cables, or injure themselves with crash landings.
Many cygnets don’t make it through their first winter; if food is scarce the Cob will drive off the young to fend for themselves. Most cygnets however stay with their parents until early spring, when the Cob will drive off the remaining cygnets, which will fly to a new location and join other non breeding flocks. This is where they will eventually find a mate. The cygnets have by now lost their brown fluffy down and changed into adult plumage. Juveniles can easily be identified by their paler beaks and bits of brown still showing in the plumage. The whole cycle will now begin all over again!
What to look out for
The next few weeks will see the return of hundreds of frogs and toads to the lake. Look out for masses of frog spawn especially near to reed beds and sheltered bays. Toad spawn is not so easy to spot consisting of a long string like row of eggs fixed to a reed stem or branch that is hanging in the water. Most birds will be pairing up ready for the new season. The Rooks that nest in the tall beech trees by the car park have already started nest repairs. Some of them will have to start from scratch as sadly a number of the trees have been felled due to them being decayed and dangerous.
Beech trees have a life of around 150-200 years and many of our magnificent specimens are now nearing the end of their days. I have cleaned out and repaired some of the nest boxes and hope to finish this task soon. By the time I write my spring report many of our summer visitors will be here.
I have a new “Spring at Rudyard Lake” video in production, which I will publish here with my next column. For the time being enjoy the autumn one, link below, it has had over 200 viewings to date so I hope everyone got pleasure from watching it.
Peter J Durnall
Autumn Reflections at Rudyard Lake from Peter Durnall on Vimeo.
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