I'm not a serious birdwatcher by any stretch of the imagination, a political career tends to mitigate against it (though in my early life before I entered Maggie's government I did do a few lectures on owls in Kent to local societies, while observing a very unusual sight - during one very cold winter I actually saw a snowy owl pass not very far from me on a walk). However myself and my fiancee were out for a meal in a local restaurant this afternoon watching swans on the river Medway. They were actually swimming against the current, which struck me as rather silly behaviour; as I said, I'm not an ornithologist except when it comes to owls, but I don't think I've ever seen any water-fowl try to beat the current. The swans seemed to prefer to paddle backwards even if they let the current take them on its way.

I've heard that at points of political stress, birds often feel the atmosphere in a country or county and imitate the local humans (for example, the Elbe in Germany became a virtual blackbird graveyard as the local flocks descend on each other in a mock-up of the human war in progress at the time, or just about to start). As a politician who is concerned about the behaviour of all three parties (while being a senior member of one - as a minister in Maggie's government I have been lucky to survive thus far, but never mind that, I'm not here after votes, just to relax a bit), it strikes me as if the swans want to convey a message to the locals - "try swimming against the tide, it seems to work for us!" The swan in literature and folklore represents the leadership and king/royalty, so perhaps the monarchy might also be at risk.

When the ravens start leaving the Tower, I'll let you know.

Here come the Wols...

 

Of course, it could be a simple explanation, in that by swimming upstream, they can more easily see the food coming downstream towards them.

Rolf

 

You could be right. As I said, I'm not an expert, but I do watch water-birds a lot (the river at Hythe is quite swift and the ducks and geese there I have always seen swimming with the current not against it), though not swans particularly. I find them very calming to watch, but the swans looked uncomfortable and one of them had a broken foot and was finding it even harder to keep on a straight course.

Here come the Wols...

 

.. but the message, in today's climate could be "..swimming against the tide is good exercise and will stop you getting fat"