PIC by: Julia Shutt
Have you seen the two new mega-cute Mute Swan cygnets at our award winning Victoria Park, Widnes, which hatched in mid June to much ‘egg’citement.
The youngsters are proving very popular with visitors to the award winning Halton Borough Council green space, and never far from their mother!
So we have decided to run a social media competition to name them. Follow HaltonBC on Facebook or Twitter to enter. Or click on
https://halton.me/name-that-swan/
Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for the Physical Environment, Ron ‘Cygnet’ Hignett, said: “The swans are proving quite an attractions with people stopping to photograph them.
The mute swan, when adult, is a very large white waterbird. It has a long S-shaped neck and an orange bill with a black base. It flies with its neck extended and regular, slow wingbeats.
The population in the UK has increased recently, perhaps due to better protection of this species.
The problem of lead poisoning on lowland rivers has also largely been solved by a ban on the sale of lead fishing weights.
Some birds stay in their territories all year, while others move short distances and form winter flocks. In cold weather, some birds arrive from Europe into eastern England.
Read more at https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/mute-swan/#6kRtmemAH5GWi5PG.99
Last year Victoria Park in Widnes, run by Halton Borough Council, was announced by Green Flag Award as one of the winners of the 2018 People’s Choice vote, beating hundreds of others to be in the top five in the UK.
It is the only park in the whole North West of England to make the cut.
Runcorn Hill in Runcorn, Cheshire, was in the top 25. Making it a double success for Halton. The parks are among those in Halton again awarded Green Flag status this year.
The winners will get a certificate and the pride of knowing their choices were used to name the swans. Judging takes place from September 10. Judges include Cllr Hignett and park volunteers.