WWT is pleased to announce that the release of the report on the migration of whooper swans in relation to offshore windfarms, prepared for COWRIE Ltd., which is now available both on the COWRIE website and on the WWT website (at http://www.wwt.org.uk/files/WWTFinalReporttoCOWRIE.pdf). In brief, the study found that swans tracked from wintering sites in western Britain (Martin Mere and Caerlaverock) all migrated along the west coast of Britain and 95% departed the country over the Outer Hebrides. Swans from southeast England (Welney) were more likely to migrate along the east coast of Britain, with eleven (73%) passing over the Firth of Forth and nine (60%) continuing via the Moray Firth to depart for Iceland from northern Scotland, but four (27%) crossed from southeast to northwest Scotland to depart over the Hebrides. Of 19 swan tracks in the East Irish Sea, seven (37%) passed across or close to existing or consented wind farm sites (Barrow, Ormonde, Walney and West Duddon), but none passed across the proposed Round 3 East Irish Sea zone. Further north, 50% of these same swans passed across or adjacent to the existing or proposed sites in the Solway Firth. Meanwhile, none of the swans following the east coast of Britain passed across wind farm locations; all 15 tracks passed either over land or within the inner areas of the Wash, thus avoiding overlap with proposed Round 3 wind farm zones in the North Sea.

But what of the swans still being tracked? We are pleased to report that the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has agreed to support a 1-year extension to the study, which will include continued monitoring of Whooper Swan movements on this website. Only a small number of swans are now carrying operational satellite-tags, but these continue to provide interesting information on the birds’ movements. For instance, Super Whooper Rocky, who over-wintered in SE Iceland, moved back to the fjords of NW Iceland in early June, close to where he spent the summer in 2009. Gordon is on the coast about 16 km west of Borganes in SW Iceland, where he’s moving between the mainland and an offshore island. And swan S3T is on a small remote lake 16 km NNW of Eiriksjökull, where he may perhaps be breeding. We hope to learn for certain when he returns next winter!