The River Stour at Bear Mead, near Wimborne Minster, Dorset.
The O.S. Reference is: SY 985-995. This stretch of the river is
about 20 miles from the sea at Christchurch Harbour, and 40 miles from
the source just inside Wiltshire. At Bear Mead there are wide flood
plains on each side of the river, mostly grass pasture or cereals with
very few people.
The Author 
tries to keep track of the many swans
seen on the River Stour near his oak Plantation
at Bear Mead.
Using a pair of binoculars, I read the tag on the birds left leg which (for this area) has an orange background and 3 letters or numbers in black. This big fat tag is called a Darvic. Examples of ID characters are PAY, B7E and KUB. Reading the tag requires patience and accuracy! |
 |
.
Dave writes:"The birds were ringed as part of my long-term study of the swan population on the Hampshire Avon. While the Stour is a tributary of the Avon I must say that, other than the stretch near Christchurch, I visit it rarely. In recent years I suspect that a higher proportion of the swans that moult at Christchurch use the Stour rather than the Avon. Your observations are therefore of interest to me. I presume from your notes that KNC and KUB are a breeding pair - sadly KNC has now been reported dead. Are the others singles or part of a flock? If they are in a flock it would be interesting, in future, to know the flock size".
Dave has kindly sent database records of his sighting histories at Christchurch, of swans I have also seen on the Stour near Cowgrove, Wimborne Minster, Dorset. These records are listed below.