Swan “upping” is a hot, wet, messy job.

Swan Uppers try to catch a swan and its cygnets (babies). (Steve Parsons/PA Wire/AP)
Swan Uppers count the swans every year. (Steve Parsons/PA Wire/AP)
Uppers tag a swan. (Steve Parsons/PA Wire/AP)
Uppers measure a swan. (Steve Parsons/PA Wire/AP)
Boats carry Uppers on the River Thames. (Steve Parsons/PA Wire/AP)

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The Queen of England owns the swans near her home. “Swan Uppers” pull the swans up out of the water.

They check, count, and tag each bird. Then the swans swim away.

Read More: Queen Elizabeth II lives in Windsor Castle. It is on the Thames River. She owns the swans that live there. It is important to know how many new swans (called “cygnets”) there are. The people who check the swans are called “Uppers.” Can you guess why? The new birds usually are counted in July. It was a hot day this year when the Uppers did their work. They also made sure the birds did not have fishing lines around their feet. Swans mate for life. They are a picture of what the Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 7:10, “To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband.”