HER MAJESTY The Queen's very own band of swan counters returned to Oxfordshire today on their annual tally of the beautiful birds on the River Thames.

Royal Swan Marker David Barber once again led his team up the river through Oxfordshire in the traditional skiffs.

The grand occasion was captured as it reached Abingdon today in these glorious photographs by Oxford Mail Camera Club member and Abingdon resident Becca Collacott.

Oxford Mail:

Mr Barber and his team set off on this year's count from the London suburb of Sunbury on Monday.

They have spent the entire week gradually rowing upstream in their tiny skiffs, with swan flags waving, counting the numbers of mute swans on the river.

Oxford Mail:

The centuries-old tradition sees the upping team collecting data, assessing the health of young cygnets and examining them for any injuries.

Cygnets are extremely vulnerable at this early stage in their development and Swan Upping gives an opportunity to help both adults and cygnets that might otherwise go untreated.

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According to ancient English law, by prerogative right, the British Crown enjoys ownership of all unmarked mute swans in open water.

Rights over swans may, however, be granted to a subject by the Crown.

Oxford Mail:

At last year's Swan Upping, the number of birds counted along the Thames rose from 72 in 2016 to 134.

David Barber said then that the rise was a 'pleasant surprise', but the numbers from this year's count have not yet been revealed.

Oxford Mail:

Mr Barber, above, told the Oxford Mail last year the population had been steadily declining in recent years, but he and his colleagues had been working to educate the public on the importance of the birds.

He said then: "We've had so many school pupils come along on the trip and during the year we have held talks at fishing clubs and other organisations involved in the river.

Oxford Mail:

"All the people who go along [to watch] enjoy it; it's a wonderful thing to do. It's hard work and a long journey, but we are preserving the swan population for the future, which is brilliant."

The tradition of Swan Upping on the Thames is estimated to date back some 800 years.

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