Britain faces longest winter in 50 years after earliest ever arrival of Siberian swan

Bewick swan [image credit: Maga-chan / Wikipedia]

That’s what Daily Telegraph headline writers are saying anyway. Seasonal weather predictions have a mixed record.

Britain is facing its longest winter in 50 years after the earliest-ever arrival of a Siberian swan which traditionally heralds the start of the season.

Each year around 300 Bewick’s swans migrate 2,500 miles from Arctic Russia to escape the approaching cold weather which follows closely behind them. They flock to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve at Slimbridge, Glos, where their arrival has been recorded since 1963.

The first bird arrived on Sunday – a full 25 days earlier than last year and the earliest date on record.

It coincided with the first frosts of the autumn in the area and experts say its early return could be a sign of a long, hard winter ahead.

The premature arrival of winter in many European countries has encouraged Bewick’s swans to flock westwards earlier than usual.

Full report: Britain faces longest winter in 50 years after earliest ever arrival of Siberian swan – Telegraph

Alternative Daily Mail report: The swans that say we’re in for a freezing winter: Arrival of Russian Bewicks from Siberia is earliest for 50 years and could herald harsh weather