Migratory swans in Parton Bay

A pair of swans (Bewick or Whooper, I am not sure) were easily spotted this afternoon during high tide conditions, bobbing about and feeding below the water. They were close to the slipway and easy to watch. My first thoughts were of migration as these birds are not normally seen here. Some internet learning led to finding out that unlike the mute swan which is resident here, whooper and bewick swans migrate as winter visitors from the Arctic. They both have erect necks unlike the mute swan which has the S curve. They can also be distinguished by their bill as they have yellow and black bills whereas the mute swan's bill is orange and black. My regret is I didn't have any paper or camera to record my findings, so I will never know if they were Bewick or Whooper swans. John Muir never went anywhere without journal paper to scribe on so let that be a lesson to us all!