After deciding where to go, all good days in the field need to start with a hearty breakfast so a slight detour on the way to Welney set up for not just the day but pretty much for the rest of the week!!
Before we had even left the bright lights of Ten Mile Bank we came across out first (of many) groups of whooper swans; a nice mixed flock of 24 adults and grey juveniles. Once we got further out into the fields there were groups of whoopers dotted all over the place. In the end we had over 1300 birds including herds of 420 and several of over 200.
Most of the groups of swans were very distant from the road but one group just past the Welney visitor centre were nice and close allowing decent views. Once we stopped it looked like there was a smaller bird amongst them. The bird turned out to be Bewick's swan and so did the rest of the group, 42 of them with a couple of whoopers mixed in - a nice comparison.
We carried on to the main road in search of a couple of cattle egrets that had been seen recently with a group of sheep. Somehow we managed to miss the sheep of the first drive past and it wasn't until we came back that we spotted them on the riverbank. The sheep were distant to start with and the egrets were feeding in the tall vegetation and only showing in flight to start but as the sheep slowly moved closer then became easier to see. The talk was made easier when a dogwalker spooked them causing them to fly around and land on top of the bank.
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