A new Chapter has begun in the life of the Nairn swans. As I suspected on my previous post, Penny has returned today with a new partner after a weeks absence.
My observations have proved correct and all is now clear what has actually happened since the Death of Popeye last year.
Duke is in fact the son of Popeye and Penny.
How fortunate for Penny that Duke was close to hand after Popeye died, she had a son to keep her company and prevent her losing her island home to another pair of Swans.
Duke of course was sick a couple of times and had to be rescued, but now back to full health. Penny continued with her life and laid 8 eggs in the spring, but nature decreed that these would be infertile between Mother and son.
As winter starts, Penny led Duke away to join a flock, as she would have done with any cygnets that might have hatched this year.
Obviously Penny used the opportunity to seek out a new mate at the same time, and after the last week appears to have succeeded.
However Duke will need to be persuaded to leave the territory, but Penny will do it gently and gradually as her new mate looks on.
This is a remarkable tale on the life of a remarkable Swan. Hopefully she will be able to hold onto her new mate and produce another new generation of cygnets next spring.
He is a handsome fellow and I get the impression that this will be his first mate as an adult, which makes him about 4 years old.
If his markings are anything to go by, I do not think he is related, Penny seems to have chosen well.
Unlike Duke he is not accustomed to human contact and is wary, which is no bad thing.
He is very healthy and slim...which I think might be a good name for him - Slim
as the last photos show, Interesting times ahead !
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