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'Swan man' urges 'idiot' drivers to slow down

BBC David Elston has a long grey beard and brown moustach. He's wearing a flat cap and is surrounded by swans. BBC
David Elston is known as "swan man" having cared for the bird for more than 40 years

Motorists are being urged to drive carefully after more than 150 swans descended on a field that backs on to a country road.

David Elston, from Boston in Lincolnshire, has cared for the birds for more than 40 years and is known as the "swan man" by locals.

The 70 year old said he is "worried all the time" about their safety.

"Most vehicles slow down, but you get some idiots who don't," he said.

A man with grey hair and beard is looking into a road. He has a brown cap and green coat. The road runs between two fields, and has a silver car driving down it. Swans are in the road and on the grass.
Mr Elston said he is worried about the swans' safety due to the large number near a road with passing traffic

Mr Elston said the swans, which have descended on Harkerley Road, between Carrington and Frithville, are often "misunderstood".

"They have more right to be on this road than we have," he said.

The swans are a big part of his life and the time he dedicates to caring for them is as good as a full-time job.

"I see them lay eggs, I see them hatch and I see them die," he said. "I am the swan man."

He also met his late wife after she saw him on the news talking about swans.

"That brought her to me. I found love through the swans," he added.

Mr Elston keeps a daily log of the birds' visits and a record of the injured ones he has nursed back to health.

He has even known one, which he has named Shannon, for 11 years.

He added: "She's a good mother. She's only got one wing but she still takes herself up to the nest and lays her eggs. She's my favourite.

"Last year, I saw a swan lay two eggs, I was there and it felt great."

Three swans stand on the edge of a road overlooking a small river, which has other swans in.
Mr Elston has named some birds, Shannon, Battleship and Whiskey

The current influx is higher than usual, but that could be down to the location as well as the welcome they receive each time.

The area is ideal for mute swans, one of the most common breeds in the UK, to congregate in large groups.

Matthew Capper, from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, said: "The winter flocks often have younger swans with them and can provide protection against predators.

"The younger birds are footloose and fancy free, they'll be wandering around. It's also a good place to do a good bit of dating."

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