Peckish swans drop in for meal at A41 burger van
A?family of swans braved a busy Shropshire road when they dropped in for breakfast at a burger van this morning. Kenneth West owns the burger van which trades in a layby on the A41 just outside Cosford.
Mr West said he had seen the swans wandering in the road at about 8.30am.
He said: "There was a mum and dad and four chicks. The chicks were only about three weeks old, maybe two weeks, and they were just walking in the road.
"I was a bit worried about them so I was feeding them bread to try to keep them out of the road. The police came past at one point and shooed them out of the road again.
"The nearest water's about a mile away so I don't know why they were here."
Mr West managed to keep the birds safe from traffic until shortly after 11am, when they were collected by Cuan House Wildlife Rescue from Much Wenlock.
Anna Nicholas, from the rescue centre, said if Mr West hadn't called for help the cygnets could have died.
"The cygnets were so young and were so cold and wet that they wouldn't have really lasted much longer," she said.
"They must have walked because the cygnets couldn't have flown. It can often cause problems because they're so young, and the weather hasn't helped."
The family of swans will be kept at Cuan House Wildlife Rescue for the next few days while the cygnets build up their strength before being released.
Ms Nicholas said she hoped they would be able to find out where the birds had come from before then.
She said: "It was a real way from water where they were found.
"There isn't any water that they would have come from, but the female has got a ring so we can hopefully find out where she's from and how old she is."
The RSPB recommends that if swans are found on the road or trapped on a central reservation, the traffic police should be informed before a rescue is attempted.
Swans occasionally land on busy carriageways and, as they need a long run before taking flight, they may be unable to take off again if there is insufficient space. The birds are very attentive parents, and take good care of their cygnets.
