Dawlish Town Council
The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish, Devon EX7 9AP
Tel: 01626 863388
Email: townclerk@dawlish.gov.uk
Black Swans and other Waterfowl
There are records of black swans being on the Brook in the early 1900s. However, some time between the two World Wars the line was lost. In the late 1940s Captain C. R. S. Pitman, employed as a game warden in Uganda, presented a pair of Black Swans to Dawlish in memory of his late parents. His father Charles Pitman C.B.E. had been a County Councillor and Chairman of the County Education Committee. Charles Pitman and his wife resided at Greystoke, Dawlish. Black Swans have inhabited the Brook ever since and are now managed, together with other waterfowl, by the Dawlish Town Council through the Waterfowl Warden.
The Black Swan has been the town emblem for well over forty years.
Dawlish Water is home to a large selection of waterfowl as well as the famous Black Swans. Species include Lesser White-fronted Geese, Whistling Tree Ducks, African Geese, Barnacle Geese, Carolina Ducks, Bantam Ducks, Red Crested Pochard, Call Ducks, Pintails, Shell Ducks, Mandarin Ducks and Chinese Geese.
The waterfowl thrive under the watchful eye of the wardens who are responsible for their day to day care. They are ably assisted by a willing band of volunteers who also feed the the waterfowl at weekends. If you would like to become a volunteer waterfowl feeder please contact the Town Council.
Waterfowl Adoption
Adopt one of the waterfowl on Dawlish Water and your investment will make a very real contribution to the care and well-being of them all. Feeding, cleaning, veterinary care and heating costs all add up to make the care of the waterfowl a very expensive activity.
If you would like to help, adoption costs £20 for one year for the Black Swans, £15 for geese and £10 for ducks. Please send a cheque for the appropriate amount, together with your name, address and postcode, to Dawlish Town Council, The Manor House, Old Town Street, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 9AP. Waterfowl sponsors have a certificate displayed at the Waterfowl Compound in recognition of their contribution.
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13th December 2011