SPORTING ANSWERS
How rare are black swans?
BIRDS
Q For the past two years, a pair of black swans have bred on a lake on our shoot. No one has any idea where they came from. How rare are black swans in Britain?
A The somewhat surprising answer is that black swans are not unusual at all. Fieldwork for the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Bird Atlas 2007-11 produced breeding evidence from no fewer than 111 different 10km squares.
These were mainly in southern and central England, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, with only two records from Ireland. In addition, non-breeding records were submitted from another 145 10km squares. There are several well-established breeding sites, including Devon (Exmouth) and the Norfolk Broads.
These handsome birds are native to Australia and were first imported into Britain at the end of the 18th century. A pair breeding in the wild here was first reported in 1851, when nesting took place at Carshalton in Surrey.
According to the Atlas, “they now occur widely, as introductions or escapees, in a variety of habitats including ornamental ponds, lakes and marshes”. The reason that black swans have not become more numerous seems to be because pairs frequently attempt to nest in the winter, so the cygnets have a low survival rate. DT
Inherited gun handover
LAW
Q I have inherited a shotgun from my late father and I am applying for a certificate. Should I put the details of the gun on
