Burscough, Lancashire, UK 21st December, 2015. UK Weather. The arrival of Hooper Swans and Shelduck is just one of the incredible journeys that signals the late start of migration season. The UK provides the perfect sheltered conditions for birds to find a winter sanctuary, so over the next few months, Wetland Centres like WWT Martin Mere become ‘avian airports’, welcoming tens of thousands of migratory birds, mainly from The Arctic. At the same time, birds that arrived in spring to raise their young are heading south to overwinter in insect-rich Africa Credit: Mar Photographics/Alamy Live N
Several species seen here are resident over the winter months. Hooper swans in particular use the reserve as an over wintering site, being fed twice daily with wheat and other supplements. The three o'clock feed is spectacular with up to 2000 thousands birds being seen in the reserve. The flocks arrival coincides with the autumn harvests of carrots and potatoes which the birds love, but which cause the local farmers frustration as large numbers of birds trample and pollute the local fields. A comprise has been found in that now farmers now donate unwanted root crops to the wetland centre, that being misshapes, and sizes etc. unwanted by supermarkets for whom the crops are grown.
Size: 3600px × 2400px
Location: Burscough, Lancashire, UK
Photo credit: © MediaWorldImages / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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