The Swan Food Project

The Swan Food Project is a completely volunteer-led organisation that not only feeds the swans in Worcester, but also tags them and keeps an eye on their health, footing the bill for any medical treatment they may need. There are approximately 250 swans that make Worcester their home, and are fed 365 days a year by members of the Swan Food Project. During summer months their work is less vital as in warmer weather there are many passers by that enjoy feeding occasionally, however in winter when natural food is scarce and the general public aren't having picnics by the river, these swans rely on the volunteers for survival. It is also critical that swans are fed properly during their moulting season when they are unable to fly, and during egg-laying. A natural diet for a swan would be water plants, but these are often scarce in large rivers and canals. The flock here are fed on a variety of things by the volunteers, as well as whatever the general public decide to feed them. Grain is bulk-bought with money generated through fundraising. Local stores and cafés sell small bags of specialised swan food pellets to people wanting to be involved, and this raises funds for the grain. The local cricket club donates grass cuttings which also form part of their diet. Leftover bread from supermarkets is also used, but only as a last resort as it is far from a natural diet for a bird. Problems come when the well-meaning public make mistakes such as putting too much food out which then rots and picks up harmful bacteria. Swans that eat rotting food can end up with severe and fatal poisoning. Large vegetables or lumps of bread that hasn't been cut up can cause choking. A group of pensioners volunteer to break up the bread into small bitesize pieces, a job that previously took up the entire of the swan-feeders' evenings. This way, even more members of the community can become involved, even if they can't come and physically feed the swans themself. Most of the swans in the Worcester Sanctuary have a tag around their left ankle, which can identify where they have originally come from and can be used to keep a medical history of any swans who have needed veterinary treatment. This may be needed due to food poisoning, entanglement in fishing lines or hooks or lead poisoning from old fishing weights. Sometimes injuries are severe enough that a wing needs to be amputated. This is something that many organisations would not be willing to pay for and would simply have the swan put to sleep. However, swans can survive fine with only one wing, despite sometimes needing to be rescued if they swim somewhere flooded and become stranded when the water goes down. Despite a wide-spread cultural fear of swans being dangerous, they rarely attack unless provoked, and territorial displays designed to show off to other swans are often mistaken for aggression. Generally they are pleasant, sociable birds.

David and Marilyn, two regular volunteers, spotted a swan who had swallowed fishing line. Due to the regularity of such unfortunate occurances, David is skilled enough to be able to remove a line once the unlucky swan has been caught. Had it been left, it would have caused a complete blockage of the gullet and she would have starved to death.