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Swan Upping |
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Upping starts on Monday in the third week of July at Sunbury lock. The swan uppers now get towed much of the way along the river by the accompanying motor boats. As well as a small outboard dinghy, a searcher on the bank goes ahead by bicycle on the towpath to scout out swans with cygnets and where possible attracts them to a suitable landing point on the bank. The small flotilla of five skiffs creates an impressive sight in the locks along the way. | |
| Crown and Vintners boats in the lock | ||
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The skiffs line up on the river side of the birds and bring the front and back boats in to the bank to create an enclosed space, manouevering the boats to reduce this to a small patch of water. They have to close any gaps rapidly as the birds make a bid to escape. Uppers then reach out and grab the adult birds, bringing them out of the water and getting hold of the base of their wings. Once properly held the swans immediately stop struggling, and although one upper suffered a head wound while I watched, the birds were unharmed and apparently happy to be handled. The uppers have lengths of twine hanging from their belts which are used to tie round the birds feet. | |
| Queen's Swan Master in his randan - the centre upper has two sculls | ||
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The cygnets are then similarly trussed and laid out for inspection. They are measure, weighed, ringed and entered into the record books as belonging either to Crown, Dyers or Vintners. The adult swans are also given a quick health check and their details noted; they are given an identity ring if they do not already have one. When all the birds have been recorded, the uppers take a bird each, untie the string and release them into the river together. By the time the uppers are back in their boats and casting off, the swan families seem to be going about their normal life as if nothing had happened. |
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| The
flotilla in Penton Hook lock. more pictures |
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