Cygnets Away

The final parting of last years cygnets took place yesterday, it was inevitable after Popeye and Penny decided the time was right and spring is on it's way. They have been chasing the cygnets around for some time, and mostly been apart from them over the past week or two. Enclosed the last photo of cygnets taken the other day, and Popeye and Penny now enjoying each others company in isolation !

The snowdrops are out, snow is melting, hints of spring to be seen here and there.

Another casualty turned up at my door this morning, a young pigeon with a horrendous affliction. It's top mandible was crushed through it's lower mandible effectively locking it's beak shut ! It was pitiful to see this pigeon watching all the other pigeons eat and it could not, it was starving to death ! Fate seemed to have intervened for it entered my doorway and I managed to shut the door before it could escape. It was only when I picked it up I could see the horrible injury and smell the decay of it's locked mouth. I managed to force the upper mandible out of the lower one, exposing a badly infected tongue with yellow pus, the poor bird must have been really suffering. I washed it's beak and mouth with salt water, and have given it some antibiotics left over from a previous pigeon casualty. 

I can only hope it is not too late for the  treatment to work, the next few days will tell.