Swan Upping

Today, a trip on the river Thames to witness the Swan Upping between Caversham Lock and Mapledurham Lock. Any cygnets are weighed and checked, then ringed.  The Swan Upping is carried out by Swan Uppers for the Crown and two livery companies, the Worshipful Company of VInters and the Worshipful Company of Dyers, each travelling in their own skiffs.  Any swans belonging to the Crown are recorded by the Marker of the Swans who is dressed in a red coat with a swan feather in his hat; his skiff is rowed by members of the Company of Watermen and Lightermen, formed in medieval times to protect those working on the rivers.  The Swan Uppers only found one swan family on our stretch of river, close to Mapledurham marina, tucked away on the bank.  There were two adults and around 6 cygnets, one of the adults was in a skiff having a quick check over when we arrived, before being put back on the bank.  After all the weighing and checking, the female swan was put back into the river, she counted all her cygnets in and after being joined by her mate, they all swam off out of sight.  The cygnets belong to the same livery company as their parents, any swans belonging to the Crown have a lightweight ring from the British Trust for Ornithology.  It was a lovely morning on the river and on the return journey we saw another swan family who had evaded the Swan Uppers, three small cygnets with their parents who had been tucked away in a garden on the river.