Black Swan in Reading

[OldGoat]

Derek Porteous, on 22 Jul 2016 - 09:38 AM, said:

Interesting, Jerra. What do the Swan Upping flotilla do on their annual cruise up the Thames.?We have been following them since Teddington. Have to confess to not seeing them with swans, but fellow boaters/moorers say they have been corralling young swans. Do they just count or do they ring as well?

I have little knowledge about the Thames 'Upping' - other that some of it an excuse for an upmarket pub crawl. The real work is done by folk in less posh boats who do as you say. The cygnets are ringed and I assume detailed records are kept. It's one of 'our' British traditions and I for one would be sad it the procession disappeared.

A reasonable article is here:-

http://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/jul/21/royal-swan-upping-in-pictures

 

 

billS, on 22 Jul 2016 - 09:52 AM, said:

I wonder why we are not knee deep in swans. This is unresearched but from observation of our local pair, they mate for life and bring up on average 5 cygnets per year. The cygnets almost invariably survive till adulthood (unlike the local ducklings who have a high attrition rate) so our pair has produced 70 swans in the 14 years we have been watching them.

Again, I'm talking off the top -

Swans are very territorial and need a lot of space to survive. Watching their behaviour as we boat, they fight for territory and youngsters are driven away to pastures new - so I suppose the total population is much of a constant.

Compare that with the other Canadian immigrants (joke - occupant of a building in Threadneedle Street) whose numbers grow and grow and now deemed a pest. They proceed in swarms and cause real damage to crops, not to mention their poo - they love pontoons and decking.....

[Drayke]

We did the K & A in 2012, and there was a huge group of black swans on the Kennet between the entrance and the first lock.

We were told they were resident in that area.

 

The Boiler Man's down that way. He'll know if they're still there.

 

Rog

In past years some of the black swans have been removed for one reason or another, so the population remains small. Yes they are around the entrance to the K & A and general area. We in the Thames & Kennet Marina you quite often see the black swans chasing after the white ones, sometimes all the white swans will leave the marina other times both black & white will be together in the shallows cleaning themselves.

There is quite a large colony of black swans in Dawlish(Devon) they have been there years.

[magnetman]

In past years some of the black swans have been removed for one reason or another, so the population remains small.

 

.......

I think they have been stolen to order

(Not a joke BTW. They are very attractive birds in my opinion and worth nicking)

[Drayke]

I think they have been stolen to order

(Not a joke BTW. They are very attractive birds in my opinion and worth nicking)

No not stolen but removed by the swan help line people. The black ones have been known to drown the white chicks. cygnets

Edited July 22, 2016 by F DRAYKE

[magnetman]

That's my theory blown out of the water then

 

They are beautiful birds though

[Jerra]

I think they have been stolen to order

(Not a joke BTW. They are very attractive birds in my opinion and worth nicking)

Well they are in this country because landed gentry felt they were sufficiently attractive to have on the "lake" in their grounds, so you are in good company.

[Bunny]

There were a pair of black swans in Newbury quite a few years ago . The resident swans became extremely aggressive towards them and the pair were removed to Reading . Maybe these are them , so to speak . Bunny

[Tiller1]

Saw one near Heyford on the South Oxford a year or two ago.

[Stilllearning]

I don't know, those black swans coming over here, (well there actually, as I live in France), taking mute swans' bread.....

[Thorfast]

I don't know, those black swans coming over here, (well there actually, as I live in France), taking mute swans' bread.....

Let them eat cake?