Photo by David Cummings

Cheshire Swan Study Group Report

2015

By

David Cookson.

RINGING INFORMATION 2015

MUTE SWANS

CYGNET

S

SECOND Y

EARS

THIR

D Y

EARS

ADULT

S

TOTA

L RIN

GED

RETR

APS

CONTR

OLS

RINGING SITES

ACRE DELL,CONGLETON 5 1 7 13 5 2

ALSAGER AREA 5 5

AUDLEM AREA 5 5

CHESTER AREA 7 7

CONGLETON AREA 2 1 3

CREWE AREA 1 1 1

DODDINGTON POOL 1 1 1 3 1 1

LANCASHIRE 2 2 1

MACCLESFIELD AREA 10 1 11

MIDDLEWICH CANAL 13 1 5 19 4 3

NORTH CHESHIRE 2 2 1

NANTWICH BOATING LAKE 1 4 2 7 14 3

NANTWICH AREA 26 26

NORTH WALES 2 2

SPIKE ISLAND 6 4 6 16 6

STAFFORDSHIRE 4 4

TARPORLEY AREA 5 5

TOTALS 72 31 4 31 138 14 14

TOTAL OF DEATHS REPORTED 48

Comparative Breeding Results for the Borough of Crewe and Nantwich

TOTAL

PAIRS

TOTAL PAIRS

WITH EGGS

TOTAL

CYGNETS

HATCHED

TOTAL

CYGNETS

FLEDGED % FLEDGED

1999 26 19 57 40 70

2000 32 21 69 40 57

2001 36 16 60 34 56

2002 35 17 82 45 54

2003 27 15 48 33 66

2004 29 13 54 33 61

2005 24 19 74 38 51

2006 22 15 43 25 58

2007 23 15 30 16 53

2008 24 16 56 33 59

2009 26 15 41 25 61

2010 22 10 35 24 68

2011 21 15 63 33 52

2012 22 14 23 20 87

2013 23 13 46 15 32

2014 21 14 47 28 60

2015 17 11 49 27 55

BREEDING SITE DATA

TOTAL TOTAL

CYGNETS CYGNETS

Crewe & Nantwich Area HATCHED FLEDGED

1 Aquaduct Marina, Church Minshull = 5 5

2 Bache House Pool, Nantwich = 7 5

3 Barbridge Canal, Nantwich = 5 5

4 Baddiley Meres, Nantwich = 4 0

5 Combere Mere, Whitchurch = 5 5

6 Doddington Mere, Nantwich = 5 4

7 Hack Green Fishing Pool, Nantwich = 4 2

8 River Weaver, Nantwich = 7 1

9 Woolfall Pool, Audlem = 7 0

TOTALS = 49 27

OTHERS SITES

1 Acre Dell Pools, Congleton = 8 0

2 Christleton Canal, Chester = 5 2

3 Little Moreton Hall, Congleton = 5 2

4 Pikelow Farm, Marton, Macclesfield = 9 5

5 Shady Oak Pool, Tiverton = 5 5

TOTALS = 32 14

RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre Swan Report 2015

2015 admission numbers were up slightly again to 390 however the number from Cheshire has dropped slightly to 112, some of the other counties are hovering around similar numbers Staffordshire 52, Shropshire 26 and Lancashire 23 where as Merseyside has doubled to 80 from 40 in 2014 Table below details admission reasons

Total admissions Cheshire admissions

General injuries 49 15

Sickness/lethargy 8 4

Grounded 18 8

Lead poisoning/fishing injuries 31 8

Oiled/other contaminate 12 2

Weakness/starvation 83 24

Orphan 17 1

Attack by other animal 17 4

Shot 4 0

Caught/entangled 9 2

collision 36 12

Other reasons 106 29

Total 390 109

Fishing litter and high lead levels have again been the problem for two swan families in particular, one family from Warrington and one from Chester. The swan family from Warrington were form a place called Ackers Pitt, we had 2 adults and 4 juveniles all had lead levels ranging from between 254 up to 650, after successfully being treated I am pleased to say they all went on to be released after consideration it was decided to relocate the family and they were released at Spike Island in Widnes on 17

th October 2015, they were all ringed here at Stapeley and their darvic numbers are: CHP4, CHP5,

CHP6, CHP7, CHP8 and CHP9. The family from Chester consisted of 2 adults and 4 juveniles, they were from the same stretch of canal as 2 years ago when we had similar issues, the site of the old lead works, lead levels this time were not quite as high but still ranged from between 650 and 154. The outcome for this family was not quite as happy unfortunately, 1 of the adults was euthanized and 1 of the juveniles died, however the other 4 went on to recover after treatment and were released, again we relocated to spike island 2 went on 17

th December 2015 and 2 went on 2

nd February 2016.

We would like to thank David Cookson for all his help over the year and for the ringing he has done here at Stapeley, and to all the other organisations and individuals who have helped in the rescue and release of the swans that have been in the care of the centre over the past 12 months. Wendy Burrows Wildlife Supervisor RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre

SITE COUNTS JANUARY TO APRIL

Acre

Dell

Po

ols

, C

ong

leto

n

Ba

dd

iley M

ere

s n

ea

r N

antw

ich

Bu

rleyd

am

poo

l,W

hitch

urc

h

Co

mb

er

Me

re n

ea

r,W

hitch

urc

h

Ch

olm

ond

ele

y E

sta

te

Co

ole

Pila

te n

ea

r N

antw

ich

Do

dd

ingto

n M

ere

nea

r N

antw

ich

Fro

dsha

m M

ars

h

Ince B

ank,

Fro

dsha

m

Mid

dle

wic

h C

an

al, M

iddle

wic

h

Na

ntw

ich

Bo

atin

g L

ake

Sa

nke

y V

alle

y C

P,W

arr

ingto

n

Tab

ley M

ere

, K

nuts

ford

Wo

ols

ton E

ye

s,

Wa

rrin

gto

n

January

1st 6 15

2nd 6 52

4th 72 2

5th 4 10

10th 41 11

17th 3 18 28

18th 2 5 9 16 10 28

21st 34

25th 72 20 12

31st 7 16

February

3rd 85 13

7th 36 12

8th 76 8 14

10th 9 15 1 14

15th 44 15 10

17th 15 16

18th 29

21st 72 17

25th 28 15

MARCH

2nd 9 13

8th 52 19 8 2 17 31

9th 1 1 18

11nd 22

14th 7 20 4

17th 25 20

30th 22 8 19

APRIL

1st 19

8th 6 19 19 12

12th 42 11 18 3

19th 41 22 2 7 1 7 7 19 17 3 22

25th 22

28th 7 20

SITE COUNTS MAY TO AUGUST

Acre

Dell

Po

ols

, C

ong

leto

n

Bu

rleyd

am

poo

l,W

hitch

urc

h

Co

mb

er

Me

re n

ea

r,W

hitch

urc

h

Ch

olm

ond

ele

y E

sta

te

Do

dd

ingto

n M

ere

nea

r N

antw

ich

Fro

dsha

m M

ars

h

Ince B

ank,

Fro

dsha

m

Mid

dle

wic

h C

an

al, M

iddle

wic

h

Na

ntw

ich

Bo

atin

g L

ake

Sa

nke

y V

alle

y C

P,W

arr

ingto

n

Tab

ley M

ere

, K

nuts

ford

MAY

3rd 6 19

9th 54 10 20 2

13th 16

17th 46 20 6 10 6 24 9

19th 6 15

22nd 7 17

30th 17

31st 3 15

JUNE

2nd 15

6th 46 16 9

9th 9 22 16

14th 47 14 19 2 2 17 3

17th 27 20

JULY

4th 19

7th 28 17

12th 51

19th 53 23 26 4 7 15 10

21st 18

27th 17

AUGUST

1st 18

2nd 29

5th 18

8th 16

9th 52

10th 26

12th 18

13th 6

15th 19 7

16th 49 24 18 4

19th 18

29th 15

SITE COUNTS SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER

Acre

Dell

Po

ols

, C

ong

leto

n

Bu

rleyd

am

poo

l,W

hitch

urc

h

Co

mb

er

Me

re n

ea

r,W

hitch

urc

h

Ch

olm

ond

ele

y E

sta

te

Co

ole

Pila

te n

ea

r N

antw

ich

Do

dd

ingto

n M

ere

nea

r N

antw

ich

Fro

dsha

m M

ars

h

Ince B

ank,

Fro

dsha

m

Mid

dle

wic

h C

an

al, M

iddle

wic

h

Na

ntw

ich

Bo

atin

g L

ake

Sa

nke

y V

alle

y C

P,W

arr

ingto

n

Wo

ols

ton E

ye

s,

Wa

rrin

gto

n

September

4th 16

6th 46

8th 16 13

13th 45 36 4 16 8 3 15 12 16

26th 6 14

28th 6 13

October

8th 16 15

11th 50 14

15th 14

18th 50 44 2 3 2 14 13 36

19th 14

26th 8

31st 13

November

8th 25

11th 52 13

15th 51 9 47 12 21 4 34

17th 5 12 9

22nd 12

28th 5 9

December

6th 55 26

7th 3 9

8th 17

12th 16

13th 58 7 12 15 3 23 9 46

15th 4 4 10

22nd 11 9

27th 16

28th 6 9

POPULATION TRENDS 2000 TO 2015.

Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council Area

YEARS WINTERING YEARS SUMMER

FLOCK MOULTING

COUNTS FLOCK

COUNTS

2000/2001 167 2000 118

2001/2002 181 2001 141

2002/2003 111 2002 148

2003/2004 93 2003 106

2004/2005 88 2004 88

2005/2006 110 2005 108

2006/2007 50 2006 112

2007/2008 65 2007 63

2008/2009 49 2008 66

2009/2010 70 2009 74

2010/2011 46 2010 90

2011/2012 82 2011 100

2012/2013 54 2012 92

2013/2014 73 2013 92

2014/2015 41 2014 86

2015/2016 62 2015 69

Acre Dell Pools near Congleton

WINTER SUMMER

FLOCK MOULT

COUNTS FLOCK

COUNTS

2011/2012 70 2011 52

2012/2013 50 2012 44

2013/2014 50 2013 41

2014/2015 68 2014 49

2015/2016 58 2015 49

All totals are resulting from mean counts.

SELECTED MOVEMENTS

RING AGE RINGING PLACE RINGED SIGHTING PLACES SEEN DISTANCE

NO SEX DATE DATE

CX48 3 F 17/10/2008 Hankelow Mill, Audlem 01/06/2012 Middlewich Canal,Middlewich 20 Kms

(G) 08/03/2015 Fleet Pond near Farnborough, 224 Kms

Hampshire

CCS4 1 F 03/08/2012 Wychwood Golf Course, 24/12/2012 Madeley Heath near Crewe 6 Kms

(G) Weston, Crewe 09/08/2014 Middlewich Canal,Middlewich 15 Kms

21/02/2015 Southport Marine Lake, Lancs 78 Kms

08/04/2015 Southport Marine Lake, Lancs

CDH7 5 F 23/05/2013 Cheswardine Hall, 24/05/2013 Cheswardine Hall, Mk. Drayton

(G) Market Drayton, Salop 15/02/2015 Sefton Park, Liverpool 66 Kms

CFT6 3 F 06/10/2014 Hankelow Mill, Audlem 09/11/2014 Hankelow Mill, Audlem

(G) 22/10/2015 Newborough, Anglesey 125 Kms

FOUND DEAD

66A(O) 5 ? 11/06/2011 River Severn, Worcester 28/05/2012 Comber Mere near Whitchurch 96 Kms

07/10/2015 Burleydam Pool near Whitchurch 94 Kms

RD7(B) 5 F 30/07/1989 Budworth Mere, Northwich 21/08/1989 Vale Royal Locks, Northwich 2 Kms

14/10/1989 Bottom Flash, Winsford 3 Kms

EX 2HU 07/01/1990 Nantwich Boating Lake 24 Kms

(B) 07/06/1990 Lilleshall Area, Telford 60 Kms

20/01/1997 DIED HIT POWER CABLES

at Lilleshall Grange, Newport.

10/11/2015 Taken to Taxidermist for Preserving

Sold at Brettells Auctioneers,

Newport, Shropshire for £320.

LONGEVITY REPORT

RING AGE RINGING PLACE RINGED SIGHTING PLACES SEEN DISTANCE

NO SEX DATE DATE

UXV 7 F 24/11/1996 Winterley Pool, 21/04/1997 River Weaver, Nantwich 11 Kms

(B) Sandbach 20/07/1997 Budworth Mere, Northwich 21 Kms

15/04/1998 Rostherne Mere, Knutsford 17 Kms

TO

10/03/2007 Rostherne Mere, Knutsford 17 K ms

03/12/2007 Dunham Massey, Altrincham 30 Kms

11/03/2015 Lymm Damm near Warrington 30 Kms

FOUND DEAD

AGED 23 YEARS

C966 3 F 17/12/2000 Canal, Middlewich 20/07/2002 Redes Mere, Macclesfield 15 Kms

(G) 25/04/2015 Knypersley Res, Biddulph 21 Kms

18/10/2015 Holden Lane Pool, Stoke 24 Kms

AGED 15 YEARS

CN31 3 F 19/10/1997 Petty Pool, Northwich 04/11/1997 Shakerley Pool, Holmes Chapel 11 Kms

ex 31/05/1998 Nantwich Boating Lake 18 Kms

TYO 13/08/2002 R. Clwyd,Rhyl,N. Wales 60 Kms

(B) 27/02/2003 Westport Lake, Stoke 31 Kms

01/11/2011 Acre Dell Pools, Congleton 21 Kms

17/03/2014 Westport Lake, Stoke 31 Kms

21/09/2015 Westport Lake, Stoke 31 Kms

AGED 18 Years

CHV9 8 F 12/01/1991 Westport Lake, Stoke 02/02/1991 Nantwich Boating Lake 20 Kms

ex 13/05/2009 Poolside, Blurton, Stoke 9 Kms

P2N 08/10/2015 Poolside, Blurton, Stoke 9 Kms

(B)

AGED AT LEAST 27 YEARS

CFY9 1 M 26/10/1997 Acton Bridge Canal, 01/02/1998 River Weaver, Nantwich 24 Kms

(G) Northwich 28/08/1999 Bottom Flash, Winsford 12 Kms

ex 13/12/2014 Acre Dell Pools, Congleton 24 Kms

TZV 11/01/2016 Middlewich Canal,Middlewich 15 Kms

(B) NOW AGED 19 YEARS

7EIF 7 M 05/08/1990 The Mere, Ellesmere, 07/11/1990 River Severn, Shrewsbury 23 Kms

(B) Shropshire 27/11/1991 Springfield Mere, Shrewsbury 24 Kms

ex TO

2TT(B) 01/12/2015 Springfield Mere, Shrewsbury

BREEDING

AGED 27 Years Old

CYGNET SURVIVAL DATA

YEAR Tota

l C

yg

ne

ts R

inge

d

Tota

l F

em

ale

s

Tota

l M

ale

s

Tota

l D

eath

s in 2

01

0

Tota

l D

eath

s in 2

01

1

Tota

l D

eath

s in 2

01

2

Tota

l D

eath

s in 2

01

3

Tota

l D

eath

s in 2

01

4

Tota

l D

eath

s in 2

01

5

Tota

l S

een

in 2

01

0

Tota

l S

een

in 2

01

1

Tota

l S

een

in 2

01

2

Tota

l S

een

in 2

01

3

Tota

l S

een

in 2

01

4

Tota

l S

een

in 2

01

5

2010 75 40 35 5 5 3 0 0 0 75 27 16 9 8 6

2011 70 36 34 5 2 0 2 2 70 41 23 21 16

2012 70 33 37 2 3 4 2 70 37 31 20

2013 66 40 26 3 5 0 66 34 10

2014 49 30 19 1 6 49 26

TOTALS 330 179 151 5 10 7 6 12 10 75 97 127 135 143 78

RINGING TOTALS AUGUST 1988 TO 2015

YEAR Cygnets Adults Totals YEAR Cygnets Adults Totals

1988 35 16 56 2002 72 33 162

1989 55 38 140 2003 39 26 104

1990 84 32 169 2004 35 17 102

1991 90 21 140 2005 94 25 151

1992 85 12 128 2006 87 36 174

1993 91 11 118 2007 62 32 144

1994 116 13 166 2008 57 12 84

1995 133 36 228 2009 71 15 112

1996 149 37 263 2010 75 24 134

1997 194 34 310 2011 77 29 151

1998 155 38 259 2012 71 13 124

1999 144 24 229 2013 66 18 129

2000 77 23 191 2014 49 16 86

2001 72 16 177 2015 72 31 138

Total Swans ringed in Cheshire = 4346

Total Swans on Swan Database = 6012

SWANS IDENTIFIED 2013 TO 2015

2015 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTALS

Acre Dell Pools, 50 49 35 35 38 32 34 37 37 42 41 31 96

Congleton

Nantwich Boating Lake 18 16 23 22 23 21 19 20 17 20 15 9 47

Middlewich Canal, 8 17 5 9 7 4 1 0 12 6 15 9 61

Middlewich

Cheshire Monthly Totals 104 106 91 98 93 85 83 100 112 144 120 80 327

2014 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TOTALS

Acre Dell Pools, 44 43 54 37 47 48 35 33 40 44 53 45 109

Congleton

Nantwich Boating Lake 21 25 20 20 21 15 12 13 15 13 17 21 42

Middlewich Canal 9 10 15 7 8 5 4 3 12 16 15 10 51

Middlewich

Cheshire Monthly Totals 122 118 142 112 111 98 101 100 113 122 108 112 352

2013 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTALS

Acre Dell Pools, 28 29 29 29 40 31 29 25 31 36 40 44 73

Congleton

Nantwich Boating Lake 17 18 21 28 15 19 15 15 16 26 32 19 63

Cheshire Monthly Totals 106 90 88 117 101 115 117 101 119 151 171 127 363