UK's only resident swan is the Mute Swan. Bewick's Swans and Whooper Swans over-winter in the UK. Bewick's tend to favour the southern half of the country, and Whoopers the northern half. Both Whoopers and Bewick's can be distinguished from the more common Mute Swans by having bright yellow patches on their bills. Bewick's yellow patches tend to be much smaller than those on the Whooper Swan.

I saw these two flying in one autumn day while I was walking along the road through Druridge. They landed on the Budge Fields and spent a long time preening, they may have just finished a long flight.