(20 Jul 2021) LEAD IN:
Britain's royal swan census is back, a year after it was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The annual count of the River Thames' swan population began in Windsor, west of London.
Swan Upping is conducted each year to tally swans, and in particular their young cygnets, all claimed by the Queen.
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The tradition, dating back to the 12th century, was originally a way for the monarchy to ensure a supply of swan meat to serve at feasts and banquets.
These days, the census is carried out in the name of conservation, explains David Barber, Queen Elizabeth II's official swan marker.
"Swans in those days were a very important food and of course they were eaten. Today, though, Swan Upping is all about conservation and education," he says.
During Swan Upping, cygnets are plucked from the water, wrestled to shore, measured, weighed, checked for disease, and marked with a number.
Data from the census is collected to assess the growth of the swan population.
"We will weigh them, we will measure them, and we will check them for any injuries," explains Barber.
Barber says that while last year's count was cancelled due to the pandemic, the majestic birds have faced increased threats with more people spending time by riversides as a break from coronavirus lockdowns.
"We've seen more problems with shootings of swans in the lockdown period than we've ever seen before, and we've had pollution problems, which is being higher than ever before," he says.
Getting caught in fishing tackle or attacked by dogs are other hazards swans face.
Local conservation group, Swan Support, takes care of swans along the banks of the Thames.
Swan Upping provides an opportunity to rescue swans ensnared by fishing lines, says Wendy Hermon, the group's rescue coordinator.
"At the moment, our biggest problem is pollution. We're having a lot of cooking oil incidents, diesel in the river. We've had a lot of those in the last few months," she says.
Last year's traditional swan census was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, it has been shortened from five days to three.
"Going up the river again is absolutely brilliant and, of course, all the men enjoy it," says Barber.
"It's hard work, as you can see, it's a wonderful day, but it's very, very hot. So, it's hot work. But it's good and we're looking after the population of swans. And that's what we're here for, to make sure that the swan population survives for the future."
Barber says last year was just the second time the annual count had been cancelled in centuries, even going ahead during the Second World War. It was also cancelled in 2012, due to flooding.
The annual Swan Upping is also a popular event for onlookers strolling down the River Thames' calm waterways.
"It's the ceremony, isn't it? It's the colour, it's the history that all lie behind the event. So, yeah, it's great to be here to see it," says local Anne Booth, who purposely timed her walk to spot the Swan Uppers.
"I think it's a really lovely British traditional thing. We've been before and we've seen them before. It's just lovely to see the pageantry of it," says local Christine Emerson.
"They're doing good work because they're checking on the health of the swans."
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