Swan pair return unruffled after oil spill ordeal

A pair of swans rescued from a pond in Nottinghamshire after it was contaminated in an oil spill have returned home.

Both birds were retrieved in January close to the River Trent in Radcliffe-on-Trent after they were spotted covered in a black substance.

The Environment Agency (EA) said at the time officers believed about 10 litres of oil had spilled from a container deposited in the water.

After spending two months being cared for by a wildlife charity, the swans have winged their way back to the pond, and are already showing signs of nesting.

"Wildlife in distress I can't cope with, so I got my wellies on to try and find them" said Karen Twine, 41, who was involved in their rescue.

Along with other volunteers from the community, including rescuer Simon Withers - known locally as 'swan man' - the team searched for the swans to no avail.

The next day there was a sighting and the rescue team reconvened for the "massively difficult" process of getting hold of the birds.

"They looked in a pretty sorry state," Twine said.

"They were grey and covered in oil, they had obviously tried to preen themselves but they had spread it around the rest of their bodies."

An Ikea bag was used as a makeshift carrier to transport them to Linjoy Wildlife Sanctuary and Rescue for rehabilitation.

The charity bathed the pair in detergent to remove "vast amount of engine oil from their feathers".

Lindsay Newell, the founder of the sanctuary, said the female was more badly affected than the male with her under feathers being saturated.

The pair were allowed to preen between the final two baths and were tube-fed activated charcoal to help remove any toxins from their gastrointestinal system.

They were kept together throughout their convalescence but were initially quarantined for two weeks due to concern about avian flu.

After two months the birds were given a clean bill of health and allowed to return home.

The swans were strapped into dedicated 'swan bags' and buckled into the back seat of Twine's car to take them back to Radcliffe-on-Trent.

"There were a few chirps and strange noises coming from the back seat," she said.

"A head would pop up every now and then in my rear-view mirror."

Back at the lily pond the swans were carefully released from their straight-jackets, where they gave their tailfeathers a shake before waddling down the path.

Nikki Farnsworth, chair of Radcliffe-in-Trent Parish Council's biodiversity and environment working group, said many people had been devastated by the oil spill.

"It is so lovely to have the swans back in their natural habitat," she said.

"There has always been a nesting pair of swans [here] and I suspect there will be a lot of people popping down to check on them and enjoy seeing them back."

Residents involved in the rescue mission have also been making visits to check on their progress, with Twine spotting signs the pair could be preparing to breed.

"What I think is the male has been gathering straw, grass and woody debris and looked like he's trying to prepare a nest for him and his mate," Farnsworth said.

"My hope now is for cygnets, definitely swan babies."

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