Going, Going, Gone ? - Farewell my Lovelies

Last year the cygnets left on the 12th february, today our current brood have gone exactly one month earlier ! This appears to indicate that the weather dictates what the adult Swans do, severe winter started about a month early this year. Maybe were in for an early spring ! This morning two swans flew into the river and at first I thought it was our resident pair having got rid of the cygnets. When I got closer I realised it was in fact two immature swans, and after taking some pics of them and looking at them on the computer I think they are from last years brood ! One of them had facial markings almost identical to our pen, they also flew in over the bailey bridge and landed like they knew the place very well. They were only in for about 10 minutes when our resident pair started coming in from the sea followed about 50 yards behind by the 4 cygnets. The cob took off just under the bailey bridge and chased the two visitors up river and away, then turned his attention to chasing the cygnets back out to sea. Later in the afternoon 3 of the cygnets came back and were allowed to eat briefly before being chased again. One of them went up to the merryton bridge and had a lonely vigil beside the Heron ! Later last night there was only one cygnet with the parents but they would not let it enter the harbour, I am fully expecting all of them to be gone by morning.