no swan song for swan count

Thank goodness! For a moment there I thought the British might give themselves over to a full-bore feeding of the starving, housing of the destitute, or healing of the wounded.

But not to fear -- no great tradition has been undermined by such efforts.

The counting of the queen's swans will not be overlooked or its funding rerouted.

LONDON (AP) -- Teams of census-takers have taken to the River Thames for the colorful annual count of Queen Elizabeth II's swans - a blend of science and ceremony that dates to the 12th Century.

Swan wardens and zoologists count, measure and mark the swans in order to safeguard the population and determine its health in an event known as swan upping. By tradition, the monarch owns all the swans found in Britain's open waters, and the event assesses their overall well-being.