Observant members of the public helped the fate of the Queen’s swans by reporting injured birds during lockdown, the Queen’s Swan Marker has revealed.

David Barber said alerts to swans in distress in and around the River Thames ensured they were rescued and helped avoid unnecessary suffering.

The Queen’s Swan Marker is preparing to carry out the traditional Swan Upping ceremony, the annual census of the swan population along the river in July.

Last year’s Swan Upping was cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The Queen retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters, but this right is mainly exercised on certain stretches of the Thames.

Queen attends annual Swan Upping
The Queen with a cygnet during the Swan Upping census in 2009 (Sang Tan/PA)

Mr Barber said: “Members of the public have been extremely observant during the Covid-19 lockdown and have reported many injured swans.

“This has enabled them to be rescued and treated promptly, which has avoided unnecessary suffering.”

However, he warned there had been a rise in pollution in the Thames over the past year.

“We have seen a vast increase in the incidence of pollution on the river over the same period; engine and diesel oil deposited in the water along with other debris and pollutants cause serious problems for swans and other water borne wildlife,” Mr Barber said.

Swan Upping
The Queen’s Swan Marker David Barber (Jonathan Brady/PA)

“These situations are entirely avoidable and have a devastating impact upon both the wildlife and the environment.”

Mr Barber said his year’s breeding season had been successful in terms of cygnet numbers and there was a decrease in the number of dog attacks on nests.

The Swan Upping ceremony dates back to the 12th century when the ownership of all unmarked mute swans in Britain was claimed by the Crown in order to ensure a ready supply for feasts.

It is the duty of the Queen’s Swan Marker to count the number of young cygnets each year on certain stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries, and to ensure that the swan population is maintained.

This year’s Swan Upping will start on Tuesday July 20 from Eton Bridge, Berkshire, and finish at Moulsford on Thames, Oxfordshire on Thursday July 22.