![[A picture of Megan and George]](img/megan_george.jpg)
This is a picture of Megan & George
This website has been set up to highlight problems facing wildlife in the Wallington & Carshalton area of Surrey
This is a picture of Megan & George
Their territory is the River Wandle from London Road Wallington to River Gardens Carshalton
Two pairs of swans have graced this territory over the past 8-9 years. They have chosen to live here with us and, for our part, we should do all we can to protect them and ensure that they are able to nest safely and reproduce their young, ensuring the survival of the Mute Swan species in this area.
This idyllic picture will not be repeated.
The first two swans to arrive on our stretch of river were Harry & Sally.
![[A picture of Harry and Sally]](img/harry_sally.jpg)
Harry & Sally on their nest in Wilderness Island 2001
![[A picture of Harry, Sally and cygnets]](img/cygnets.jpg)
Harry & Sally with their 6 cygnets 2001
These idyllic pictures will not be repeated.
Just after the left-hand photograph was taken Harry had his wing broken by an 11 year old boy when he tried to protect his mate Sally who was incubating her eggs on the nest. Harry was taken to London Wildcare for urgent treatment and surgery in which a titanium plate was fitted to repair the wing. Sally remained on the nest incubating her eggs. She was very vulnerable, having no mate to help her so a team of dedicated local volunteers mounted a dawn-to-dusk patrol of the area. Despite being alone Sally managed to hatch all six eggs and Harry was then returned to his ready made family.
The reunion was to be short as a month later Harry tried to fly down the river and broke his wing again. This time it could not be repaired and he had to undergo an amputation, making him unsuitable for return to the wild.
Sally died the following year, presumably as she had been parted from her long-term mate. During their time together Harry & Sally produced on average 4/5 cygnets per year that survived to adulthood.
Megan and George joined us a couple of years ago, taking over the territory previous occupied by Harry & Sally
In mid April they laid six eggs on a nest they had constructed on Wilderness Island in Carshalton.
On 23rd April 2005 they were driven off their nest, the nest destroyed, and all the eggs taken.
The local Police were informed of the crime against the Wildlife & Countryside Act, also the Police Safer Neighbourhood Team, the London Borough of Sutton Wildlife officer, the local Wildlife Trust, the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime Officer and our MPTom Brake, all of whom registered their concerns and promised support and help to prevent a repetition.
The swans later returned to their nest, reconstructed it and laid a further three eggs.
It was hoped that with regular police and warden patrols, together with local residents visiting the island, these two swans would be protected sufficiently to ensure they were able to incubate the new eggs.
This was not to be. They were both brutally shot in the head and their eggs taken at the end of May.
Following many months of treatment, Megan was returned to the River Wandle in September. George sadly died at Christmas as he never recovered fully from his injuries.
We hope that Megan will in time find another partner and breed again in a safer environment.
As you are obviously interested in wildlife, please visit the UK Safari website:- http://www.uksafari.co.uk
This website offers a free monthly newsletter and many interesting articles about wildlife nationwide. It also features wildlife photography and is a very useful source of information.
Other Wildlife to be found in the area include:
The local wildlife is an important part of our lives and a legacy for our children. What will be here next year?
To campaign for the best protection of all wildlife in the Wallington & Carshalton areas of Surrey.
To raise awareness of all local residents to the beauty that surrounds us. The London Borough of Sutton, and this area in particular, has a wealth of natural beauty with many parks, wildlife reserves and waterways.
To provide information to local residents on how to ensure a safer environment in which all wildlife will thrive.
To ensure that additional measures are put in place that will protect wildlife habitats in the future.
To ensure that wildlife thrives in the area and to reverse the current decline in numbers.
To co-operate with local representatives of London Borough of Sutton, the Police, the Wildlife Trust, London Wildcare Wildlife hospital in Beddington Park, and motivate local residents to lobby for a better and safer environment for wildlife in the area.
Christine J Lindsay
SWANS-WILDLIFE-ACTION!
8 St Mary Avenue
Wallington
SM6 7JH
020 8647 3000
christine@swans-wildlife-action.org
©2005 Christine J Lindsay. All images and content on this website are protected under international copyright laws.