Looked across at the swans, up to 80 or so grazing on the fields between Glasbury and Clyro today as I drove past.
Couldn't believe my eyes when on of the swans was a  black one.  Went back for a second look and although some way off there is no doubt it was  a black swan.  Wonder where that came from and had it escaped from somewhere..Thought they were an Australian species.  Still seeing is believing?

Then I found this;


Australian Black swan.

The birds, which originate in Australia and have escaped from private collections in Britain, are now breeding at dozens of sites across the country.

The number of locations at which the birds are found has more than doubled in the past five years, while the number of breeding sites has more than tripled, new research from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has found.

Because they are more aggressive than other species, there are fears they may "out compete" white – or mute – swans for food and habitat in many areas. They could also breed with mutes – a hybrid has been created in captivity called a blute swan. Black swans are also thought to be more aggressive to humans than other species.

The research suggests th black swan numbers have increased at such a rate that they may now be added to the authoritative "British List" of birds found in the UK. Until now, the black swan population has not been considered large enough to be self-sustaining.

Dawn Balmer, the BTO officer who has been leading the research, said: "They are cropping up all over the place now. We have been surprised by the numbers we have found. It will now need to be looked at to see if the black swan is added to the British List."