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The number of mute swans in Britain has increased dramatically since the mid-1980s, and the population rose from 19,000 birds in 1983 to 31,700 birds in 2002. Conflict between mute swans and agricultural interests can occur in winter, when swans switch from feeding on freshwater habitats to feeding on land, with oilseed rape the preferred crop. In eastern areas of Britain, from the Tweed Valley in Scotland south to Sussex, mute swans are reported to cause grazing damage and consequent reduced crop yields, puddling of fields and trampling of crops, soil compaction and contamination of land from droppings.