The birds that love swanning off into town for a snack …
FOR decades, Windermere’s mute swans have had their diet supplemented by bread, chips and other unsuitable snacks thrown into the water by passing tourists.
So when a sign went up banning visitors to the Lake District from feeding the birds, they went into revolt.
Refusing to abandon their unhealthy diets, they began waddling half a mile into the town centre to get their fix.
Now a bevy of hungry swans march uphill from the water’s edge to Bowness town centre every day looking for chips and bread. En route, they rummage in bins and linger outside Tesco Express and Costa Coffee hoping for scraps.
One hungry swan even walked a mile and a half into Windermere town centre and had to be taken back to the lake in a car. The problem began last year when the
‘I dread to think what they are eating’
unofficial sign was put up at Bowness-on-Windermere. Written on a blackboard, it reads: ‘Please don’t feed the ducks, geese and swans bread or fast food.’
ian Wilkinson, who works at Windermere Lake Cruises, said: ‘The problem was that everybody was feeding them and someone, nobody knows who, has put the sign up and now the swans are not getting what they want. i dread to think what the swans are eating up in town.’
Residents in the Cumbrian town are alarmed at the number of swans roaming the streets. They fear the birds could intimidate small children and are at risk of being hit by cars or attacked by dogs.
Annabel Rushton of the RSPB said: ‘ A swan’s natural diet is made up of water plants and grass, small insects and snails. Fast food is not good for them and its grease can get stuck to their feathers, making it difficult for them to preen, which they need to do to keep their feathers waterproof.
‘Bread should only ever be given as a small part of a varied diet. What can often happen is that swans and ducks can end up on a diet of predominantly bread and so can suffer from serious vitamin deficiencies. Better alternatives include birdseed, halved grapes, potatoes and greens like spinach.’
Marian Jones, area ranger for the Lake District National Park Authority, said: ‘One of the reasons swans and other birds are attracted to Bowness is because they’re being fed by locals and visitors. Unfortunately, this can cause health problems for the birds and make them tame, which can put them at risk from traffic and dogs.’