Early Departure This Year ?

October is often departure month for cygnets, and with 3 of our cygnets missing this morning I am wondering if our family are on the verge of an early departure. The Cob and Pen were on their own this morning and I thought the cygnets were all gone until I spotted 6 of them in the distance . They cautiously approached the parents with the wings up, then displayed a subservient stance, until the parents dipped their heads showing acceptance back to the river. (Sequence of pics shows all.) With the tides currently low and settled enough to get at the seaweed near the baths, perhaps the parents will take the opportunity to either chase them or leave them at sea. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming days.
UPDATE : Late this afternoon one more cygnet arrived back, leaving two still missing.