MOTORISTS are being warned to be on the look out for low flying swans.

The warning comes off the back of a number of incidents involving inexperienced juvenile swans.

Trevor Weeks, from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service, explained that it is the time of year when adult swans push away their young to start thinking about next year’s offspring.

The young swans try to put their flying training into practice but are often not experienced to deal with the conditions.

He said they will often misjudge distances and wind speed and even get caught out by turbulence.

Many simply can’t get high enough and are colliding with cars.

He added: “Some swans are also being forced to walk away from ponds and lake by their parents chasing them away, meaning they walk out onto roads.

“We have been to a number of incidents recently last week when a young swan was found wandering along a road on the Pevensey Levels near Normans Bay.

“The swan was sat in the middle of the road and probably been caught out by the wind or turbulence and crashed.”

The swan was taken to the non-territorial flock of swans at Princes Park Eastbourne and released.

Last Wednesday the team was called to a swan which crashed at Five Acre Field in Eastbourne. And there have been other calls around Eastbourne’s Princes Park Lake and Hampden Park’s Decoy Pond as well as in Lottbridge Drove and Sevenoaks Road Eastbourne and near to Alfriston.

He added: “People used to think swans crashed on roads thinking they are rivers, but often it is because of other factors, like experience and turbulence.

“Some areas like Lottbridge Drove and Princes Park areas suffer a lot from turbulence affecting the flight of the swans.

“You will also notice at parks that swans are fighting. Parents having a go at this years youngsters and chasing off any adults which fly in. Generally they sort themselves out, but if concerned don’t hesitate to call.

“We are advising people who come across a swan to report it as soon as possible to your local wildlife rescue. If it is causing a road hazard you can also call the police. Please don’t just walk them to water. Often crashed swans will break their breast bone or have other internal injuries which won’t be visible and could be fatal if not treated.”

Visit wildlifeambulance.org.