Skip to content

Six swans a swimming after town centre rescue

Alice Cunningham
The Waterfowl Sanctuary Two white swans and four grey cygnets in the back of a car. The swans have been placed in blue bags.The Waterfowl Sanctuary
The family of swans were swaddled up safely and transported in a vehicle back to their home

A family of swans spotted sitting in a town centre resident's garden "as if they were waiting for their taxi" have been safely transported to a nearby lake.

The two adults and four cygnets were first seen swanning around near a bowling green on Occupation Road, Corby, Northamptonshire, on Saturday.

When charity volunteers arrived from Cambridgeshire the next day, they found the birds sunning themselves on Hazelwood Road.

After being safely rounded up into big blue Ikea bags, they took a back-seat trip to a lake about a mile away.

When they arrived, Graham Porter and his colleague, from The Waterfowl Sanctuary in Godmanchester, had to first work out where the family had come from.

He said the boating lake - about two miles (3.2km) away - was ruled out when reports suggested there was not normally a family of swans based there.

Instead, they opted for Pen Green lakes, about a mile (1.6km) away, which seemed their most likely home.

The Waterfowl Sanctuary A family of swans rest in the front garden of a property. A white car is parked on the driveway.The Waterfowl Sanctuary
Graham Porter said the birds were seen on Sunday in a front garden "waiting for their taxi" home
The Waterfowl Sanctuary A row of six swans crossing a street in Corby, with a house and road sign visible. The Waterfowl Sanctuary
The swans were seen crossing Tanfields Grove like it was Abbey Road

Porter said after getting themselves ready to bag the bevy, "we told the parents what we were doing and started wrapping them for the journey".

"The poor babies were sleeping as I drove," he said.

"We sussed out the lake first and found someone looking perturbed as to why the swans weren't there, and he was greatly relieved to hear we had them and so helped us carry the six from the car."

The Waterfowl Sanctuary A woman crouches on the grass in front of a lake. She is releasing a family of swans from blue bags. She has short brown hair and is wearing a blue top and black trousers.The Waterfowl Sanctuary
The birds were taken to Pen Green lakes, where it was believed they had come from

Porter said while at the lakes, he cleared various brambles and fishing lines from the area.

The pair then wished the family well before heading back home.

The Waterfowl Sanctuary Ducks and swans swimming on a lake on a sunny day.The Waterfowl Sanctuary
The swans and their cygnets swam off after their adventure through the streets of Corby

Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Stories like this
Related internet links