SAVE Our Swans! - that is what the Driffield Times & Post has asked a power company to do by helping to stop the majestic birds flying into and being killed by overhead cables near the town’s canal.
Our call comes after the discovery of four dead swans near Wansford Road within the past six weeks - a startling statistic which has alarmed one local ornithologist who fears for the areas’ future swan population.
The bird expert, who lives near Wansford Road, told the Driffield Times & Post: “People think that swans just swim about but they are very mobile and they do a lot of flying but they can’t always see these wires, particularly if there’s a glare.”
“They can’t sustain a death rate like this and they have all been adults and have probably been breeding pairs. They take about five years to get up to maturity, to get around to breeding, and they have enough problems with nature as it should be,” he added.
RSPB spokesman Chris Collett said swans seem to be particularly prone to hitting power cables compared to other birds, such as geese, but there are steps that power companies can take to prevent it from happening.
“We often find they happen in the same sort of area and it could be that it’s close to water or it could be on one of their flight routes.
“It’s normally swans rather than geese, swans seem to be more susceptible to it then geese, but we’re not really sure why,” Mr Collett added.
Mr Collett said the problem can be tackled by marker buoys being fitted to the power cables.
There are two types of markers - orange buoys which are more commonly found in coastal areas or on high ground, or reflective discs which make the lines more visible to the birds.
“Our experience is that power companies would be happy to do this because it’s going to help them because it’s dangerous and could cause damage to the power cables,” Mr Collett added.
With some of the overhead cables in that part of town already fitted with markers the Driffield Times & Post has asked National Powergrid to extend the scheme and fit more of the potential swan saving devices.
“We will never stop bird strikes but the vast majority can be eliminated by putting up these markers.
“This can be fixed very cheaply, very quickly and easily,” our local ornithologist added.
**Call in with National Powergrid**
Swan Factfile:
•Swans are the largest members of the duck family Anatidae, and are among the largest flying birds.
•The largest species, including the mute swan, trumpeter swan, and whooper swan, can reach lengths of over 1.5m and weigh over 15kg, while their wingspans can be almost 3m.
•Swans form socially monogamous pair bonds that last for many years, and in some cases these can last for life.
•To this day the Crown retains the right to ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water, but The Queen only exercises her ownership on certain stretches of the Thames and its surrounding tributaries.
•According to the RSPB Collision with overhead power lines is one of the main causes of swan mortality.