More thoughts about the Swans

I think I might have messed up here.

Still no Bewick's at Slimbridge, or anywhere in the country, and my doubts have won the day.

When I first picked them up they did look big, and I wouldn't have been too surprised if they had turned out to be Mutes. But once I realised they had yellow bases to their bills the identification was allowed to rest solely on my perception of the shape of the yellow bill patches. But they were still distant and the yellow was obvious. Could I really have seen if the yellow reached a sharp point? My thoughts about neck length relies on a very subjective analysis and probably shouldn't carry much weight.

On balance I now think they were probably Whoopers, but I'll have to submit them as wild Swans spp.

Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory!