In Pictures: Swan Uppers take to the Thames for annual census

The ancient ceremony of Swan Upping, the annual counting of swans on a stretch of the River Thames has been taking place near Windsor.

Swan Uppers in red shirts, using a flotilla of boats, lift the birds from the water and check their health, and the young cygnets are ringed with individual identification numbers.

The Queen still retains the right to claim ownership of any unmarked mute swan swimming in open waters.