Welcome to Southwater and Horsham Swan Rescue
I am passionate about rescuing swans and waterbirds in need of help and care. Operating in Southwater and Horsham, I cover many lakes and waterways in the surrounding areas.
About Me - Sally
At Southwater and Horsham Swan Rescue, I pride myself on my commitment to swan and Waterbird rescue.
I spend a great deal of time feeding and regularly checking and monitoring all the birds in the area to ensure they are healthy with no signs of illness or injury ensuring these beautiful creatures receive the help they need.
I am also a volunteer rescuer for the Swan Sanctuary in Shepperton who provide vital medical care and rehabilitation for injured birds and provided my training.
How you can help...
Below are a few tips to understand how you can help our feathered friends stay fit and healthy and what to do if you find a bird in distress that needs help...
Birds in Distress
If you find a bird in distress, please call for urgent assistance.
Having a location & postcode ready is very helpful and if you do not get an immediate response please Text or What's App as much detail as possible.
If the bird is off the water and in danger of dogs and predators and you are able to it is always best to stay with the bird until help arrives.
Thank you for seeking help.
Feeding
If you wish to feed swans, they like a varied diet to complement the natural food they derive from the lake or waterways. Swan and Duck floating pellets are high in energy and rich in nutrients, leafy greens such as chopped lettuce or spinach and peas and sweetcorn are popular but please ensure it is defrosted before feeding. Fresh wholemeal or seeded bread chopped into small pieces is fine but please do not feed mouldy bread as this is poisonous to them. Grain such as wheat or corn and dried mealworms are also very beneficial.
In all cases please feed swans on the water where it is safe and they can swallow down with a nice drink.
How you can help
My rescue time is purely voluntary and is not funded in any way. Any donations you make helps keep me on the road travelling to various rescue locations, provides necessary equipment and supplies to protect and care for swans in need. Each and every contribution will be used to directly help save the lives of our local wildlife.
Please visit the Donate page where I have a wish list on Amazon which contains vital supplies and also details how you can make a direct donation to Southwater and Horsham Swan Rescue.
Many thanks in advance for your kind generosity.
Monitoring
I spend a lot of time not only monitoring the swans for signs of injury and illness but also clearing up the waterways they inhabit to try and prevent distress. One of the biggest reasons for a rescue call is discarded fishing tackle and line which can easily become lodged in a beak when feeding, or any other part of the body and is often trailing fishing line which can be swallowed or become tangled around wings, preventing flight. It can become entangled around legs which when pulled tight can lead to lack of circulation and blood flow with devastating consequences and in some cases when a bird is tackled and cannot free itself often leads to drowning.
Contact us - Please only use email for general enquiries & NOT rescue purposes
Telephone: 07823531234
E-mail: enquiries@southwaterandhorshamswanrescue.co.uk
Address: Southwater, West Sussex