Swans overwinter at eastern Japan bird sanctuary

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:07 JST, January 7, 2023

Overwintering swans stretch their wings at a pond in the Hakucho no Sato sanctuary in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture. The first two arrivals of the season were observed on Oct. 20, and that number had swelled to 803 as of Thursday, according to Motono Hakucho o Mamoru Kai, a local group that keeps a tally of the visiting waterfowl. “We’re keen to continue maintaining the area’s natural surroundings so the swans will continue to sojourn here,” said 74-year-old Teruo Ideyama, the group’s head. The birds are expected to stay in the area until around the end of February.