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Mute Swan Cygnus olor
Distribution
of records received in 2004
 | Palmer and Ballance, in The Birds of Somerset
(1968), give the following historical perspective; "In 1247, provision
for the King's Christmas festivities at Winchester included 40 swans, to be
procured from six counties, including Somerset (Ticehurst, 1957). In 1420,
'divers men' were paid 10d by the Bailiff of the Manor of Porlock for taking
cygnets 'by order of the lady' from 'le lac' - evidently what is now Porlock
Marsh (Chadwyck-Healey, 1901). A 'gaine of swannes', 'to the nombre of XL
couple', on Meare Pool was named in the 1553 Survey of the Temporalities of
Glastonbury Abbey (cited by Payne-Gallwey, 1886). In 1588, Sir John and Sir
Andrew Luttrell, of Dunster Castle, owned swans 'at the mere by
Glastonberrye'. |
| Cecil Smith, in The Birds of Somersetshire (1869),
wrote "like the Pheasant this bird has been so long introduced into
this country (since the reign of Richard I, who is said to have brought it
from Cyprus), and has so well adapted itself to the climate, breeding and
rearing its young with little or no artificial protection or food, even in
the hardest winters, that it may now be considered a British bird, and must
consequently be included in my list of Somersetshire birds, as hardly any
large pond or piece of water in the county is without a pair or more of
these beautiful birds." |
| Palmer and Ballance, in The Birds of Somerset
(1968), state the Mute Swan is mainly resident and locally common, while SOS
add, in Birds of Somerset (1988), that they are resident, summer and
winter visitors that are locally common. |
| Comments on distribution, in Birds of Somerset
(1988), include "some birds evidently go to moult at the Abbotsbury
Swannery in Dorset, and either winter there or return north to the levels
after their moult. In mild winters, some remain on their breeding waters,
for example at Dunster Hawen, but most gather in herds on the levels. The
areas they frequent and their numbers vary greatly from year to year. North
of the Poldens, herds of up to 120 may be found on Tealham Moor and
(recently) on the South Drain near Catcott and on Westhay Moor. To the
south, larger numbers often occur, on King's Sedge Moor, on West Sedge Moor
and the South Levels; up to 150 have been recorded in each area." |
Pictures © Nigel Milbourne
22 February 2005
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SOMERSET ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY