We’re delighted to confirm that not only has swan S3T made it safely to Iceland, but Drangey (swan NA3, who was fitted with a transmitter in Iceland last summer) has also made the crossing. Swan S3T was last seen to be two-thirds of the way to Iceland overnight on 5th–6th April. He set off again at 07:00 h on the morning of 6th April and came in over the Icelandic coast near the Öræfajökull glacier at 19:00 h the same day. After just one night recuperating he started tracking west through southern Iceland and is now about 20 miles northeast of the town of Selfoss, in the southwest part of the country.

Readers of this blog will recall that Drangey (NA3) was last reported at WWT Caerlaverock on 2nd April with his mate and four of his five cygnets. Having made good use of the fields around Caerlaverock for nearly a month, he continued on his way at around midnight on 3rd April, spent much of 4th April at the top end of the Mull of Kintyre, and from the evening of 4th April to the morning of 7th April was in the Outer Hebrides. On finally embarking on the overseas crossing he made good progress. It took him just 14 h to fly from Lewis to southeast Iceland, arriving at midnight on 8th April, hopefully with his family in tow. Meanwhile, his remaining cygnet (X6T) has been seen by Sheila Stubbs at Ruthwell, near Caerlaverock, and should also migrate to Iceland mid-month.

The last of the tagged whoopers to depart, ringed H6F, was last recorded at WWT Martin Mere at midnight on 8th April. From 01:00–05:00 h he rested on the Ribble Estuary, but at 06:00 h he was heading northwest near Barrow-in-Furness at 55 kph. He then spent a couple of days in southwest Scotland from 8th–10th April before pushing on to reach North Uist by mid-morning on 10th April. The next data downloads should show whether he’s made the crossing…