Wanstead boasts a thriving swan population and with nesting season underway, local Swan Sanctuary volunteer Louisa Green urges the public to respect the swans’ space
Swan nesting season is upon us. It takes around one to two weeks to build the nest, and then the females will lay an egg every 24 to 48 hours until finished, incubating them for between 36 and 42 days. The average number of eggs is six or seven, but we do have females who regularly lay 10.
Wanstead is home to many swans, in Wanstead Park, on the Flats and on Eagle Pond in Snaresbrook, so here are a few things to be aware of during this important time of the year.
Never throw food onto a nest. The females will have gained several kilos prior to the laying process and will not eat very often during the six-week incubation period. By the time her eggs hatch, she will be close to her original weight. She knows what she’s doing! Food thrown onto nests can attract rats and other predators who can eat the precious eggs.
If you are taking photos, please keep your distance; use a zoom lens rather than getting up close.
Please, please, please keep dogs under very close control during this time (and all year round). Even if your pet is ‘great with children’ or ‘wouldn’t hurt a fly’, you have absolutely no way of knowing how your dog will react to a 12kg bird with a two-metre wingspan protecting their nest in their own environment.
Females do not deserve to be spooked on their nests and there have been national cases in the past of females who remain loyal to their eggs, refuse to leave their nest when challenged by a dog and are then killed. Males will be hyper-aggressive during this time too, and large cobs will not think twice about defending their waters from dogs.
Respect the swans and do not get too close to their nest. It is their environment and we would not think lightly of someone trying to encroach on our space, or hanging over the garden fence with a camera phone! Again, a pen will not abandon her eggs and will remain on her nest, feeling threatened and scared.
Never, ever share the specific location of nests and eggs on social media. There are folks out there who will target these nests for eggs and wildlife crime, and even if you think the swans are safe behind fencing or other barriers, this will not stop a determined criminal. Similarly, please do not share the locations of cygnets, ducklings or goslings. Not everyone is kind.
For more information on The Swan Sanctuary, visit wnstd.com/swans
To report a local injured swan or waterbird, call 07970 404 866 or 07527 750 277
