Mute Swan Census - Phase 2

Phase 2  UPDATED 14/09//2015

14th September 2015

Received yet another report of Mute Swans with Cygnets in Russborough House in Blessington.  Confirmed breeding pair no. 42!  Thank you Vincent - yet again.

5th September

It is proving slow work getting around to sites and then trying to relocate Swans and Cygnets.  Parks are easy but waterways, Canals and Rivers are proving difficult.  Completed the Peples Garden in the Phoenix Park today.  3 Cygnets first noted 25th May and still 3 Cygnets.

Re finding Families is proving to be harder than expected.  Couldn't find yet another family this morning.  The other odd thing that is happening is the number of nests we missed.  Had a report that a friend Canoeing down the Liffey came across a Family of Swans near Celbridge.  So there is another pair and nest we appear to have missed.

Studying Mute Swans is learning curve for me.  I have noted that the reason I am trying to gain Cygnet numbers in week 12 is that after week 12 Cygnets can leave their parents.  Today I went to Bluebell.  It is 12 weeks since I first recorded Cygnets, but 13 weeks ago I recorded Swan on nest, so I can't be sure if they are 12 or 13 weeks.  Today there were only 2 cygnets and no adults.  Have the family split already?  I will keep searching the canal for the missing swans.  As they are un-ringed it will be difficult to relocate them.

Cygnets at Corkagh Park at 12 weeks.  Stretching of wings first observed at 3 lolcation all at 12 weeks.

Phase 1, the nesting census has shown that the number of successful breeding pairs has increased over the last 25 years.  Attention is now being focused on phase 2 cygnet survival.  At 12 weeks old the first Cygnets have been known to move away from the parents.  So August will be an important month in gathering cygnet numbers in order to calculate survival rate.  Already the first broods have reached the 12 week mark and in the 1st 4 nests we are getting about 75% survival.  But data drives statistics and would love to get a complete picture.

Location Sub Location 1st Date of Cygnets No of Cygnets Date of Resighting No of Cygnets 12 weeks = 84 days 1 Naas Pond 1 Naas Nr Town 04/05/2015 8 07/07/2015 7 64 2 Charlesland  Golf Club 07/05/2015 6 12/08/2015 6 97ü 3 Tymon Park Lime Kiln Big L 07/05/2015 7 06/08/2015 4 91ü 4 UCD Belfield O'Reilly Lake 11/05/2015 4 09/08/2015 4 90ü 5 Tymon Park Tymon North 12/05/2015 3 02/08/2015 3 82ü 6 Ballycragh Firhouse 14/05/2015 7 05/08/2015 4 83ü 7 Ploopluck Bridge Naas 14/05/2015 9 Missing 8 Corkagh Park Fiseries Lake 16/05/2015 6 09/08/2015 4 85ü 9 Ashtown Royal Canal 20/05/2015 3 25/07/2015 3 66 10 War Memorial Island Bridge 20/05/2015 7 20/05/2015 7 0 11 Tymon Park Lime Kiln Mid 21/05/2015 4 22/08/2015 3 93ü 12 Blanchardstwon IT 23/05/2015 3 29/08/2015 2 98ü 13 St Stephens Green 20/05/2015 4 25/07/2015 3 66 14 Ard Clough Grand canal 24/05/2015 9 22/08/2015 4 90ü 15 Peoples Garden Phoenix Park 25/05/2015 3 05/09/2015 3 103ü 16 Tymon Park Spa Well 25/05/2015 5 26/08/2015 5 93ü 17 Clongriffen Park Fr Collins 06/05/2015 6 08/09/2015 6 125ü 18 Athgarvan Bridge Liffey 26/05/2015 6 20/06/2015 4 25 19 Naas Pond 3 Naas 26/05/2015 8 07/07/2015 3 42 20 Luttrelstown  Golf Course 26/05/2015 2 26/05/2015 2 0 21 Hermatige Golf Club 20/05/2015 4 28/05/2015 0 22 Kilcoole 30/05/2015 3 04/08/2015 1 66 23 Inchicore Bluebell 01/06/2015 7 23/08/2015 2?? 83ü 24 Broadmeadows Estuary 02/06/2015 2 25/07/2015 1 53 25 Marley Park Lower Lake 06/06/2015 2 03/07/2015 2 27 26 Skerries Mill 04/06/2015 8 25/07/2015 8 51 27 Kilcoole Golf Club 08/06/2015 3 11/08/2015 0 28 Druids Glen  Golf Club 09/06/2015 3 11/08/2015 1 63 29 Druids Glen  Golf Club 09/06/2015 5 11/08/2015 4 63 30 Druids Heath Golf Club 10/06/2015 4 10/06/2015 0 31 Lake side Newbridge 05/06/2015 5 07/07/2015 4 32 32 Castleknock Stn Royal Canal 20/06/2015 5 20/06/2015 5 0 33 Broombridge Royal Canal 20/06/2015 3 01/09/2015 3 73 34 Tolka Valley Park Finglas 20/06/2015 1 06/09/2015 1 78ü 35 City West Business Park 20/06/2015 7 09/09/2015 5 81ü 36 Blackrock Park Booterstown 20/06/2015 5 06/08/2015 5 47 37 Basin Grand Canal 21/06/2015 2 13/08/2015 1 53 38 Blessington Demanse 24/06/2015 4 27/06/2015 4 3 39 Star Dust Memorial Coolock 24/07/2015¬ 5 08/08/2015 5 15 40 Tolka River Drumcondra 03/07/2015¬ 3 24/07/2015 1 21 41 Tolka River Fairview 03/07/2015¬ 7 24/07/2015 7 21 42 Russborough Blessington 01/09/2015¬ 5 01/09/2015 5 0  Total Number of Cygnets 203 141

Sharp eyed followers of the blog will notice I have added 3 broods to the data base whose nests were never discovered.  At the Star Dust Memorial Park in Coolock, and on the Tolka River at Drumcondra and Fairview swans turned up with cygnets!  I'm not missing any pairs so these are being treated as missed successful nests.
¬These dates are not approximate hatching dates, but first reported dates, therefore 12 weeks will not be needed.

Swan and 3 Cygnets at Tymon, Lime Kiln Mid lake today

Tymon Lime Kiln Mid lake.  Hatched 21 May as 4 Cygnets.  Since June 14th the count has remained 3 Cygnets.


Please keep the sightings coming in.  I will be emailing all observers to date to request a last look. The interim reports of cygnet numbers have been very interesting with the most vulnerable period being week 1+2 and then survival remaining high..  I could have guessed this but without the interim observations, we couldn't never have been sure.