Duke has lost all his flight feathers and will now have to wait until September before being airborne again.
Penny has regrown her full plumage and is ready for flight about now.
The cygnets wings are developing fast and they are virtually the same size as Mum and Dad.
River is still in drought condition and still no sign of any significant rainfall yet.
Weegie is still in splints, and will have a check up on Monday, I have been giving it antibiotics for the past 5 days and hoping it will get the benefit.
The Mother and 7 siblings are still surviving and taking advantage of the long summer.
I've had a ringed Racing pigeon arrive in my garden, and it appears to have joined the Town pigeons, he is a lovely specimen and very tame.
2 comments:
It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that we have lost the pen and half of this year's cygnets to botulism. I was away in South Wales visiting family when a member of the public contacted the RSPCA about Venus, the pen. An officer came and and she was euthanised the same day. A cygnet was found dead in the water by a dog walker. When I returned I contacted Dan Sidley, the founder of the Yorkshire Swan and Wildlife Rescue Hospital and he very kindly came all the way from Leeds to rescue Vulcan and his remaining four cygnets. A very poorly cygnet died overnight. Two other cygnets are still being treated for the symptoms of botulism. Vulcan and one other cygnet are now cured and recuperating at the sanctuary before their release back to the wild. Would you advise that they were released far away from our canal which is obviously infected with this deadly disease rather than to return them here? We hope that Vulcan will go on to find another mate as he is still a young swan. It is heartbreaking though to realise that we will never see Venus again or know what happens to Vulcan, after over two years of watching and loving them since they arrived in Newton-Le-Willows. Hope you pair and their offspring are faring better x
Wendy, what devastating news, heart breaking indeed. The price of an exceptional summer and the effects of global warming showing it's consequences. Sadly canals, ponds, and small lakes where water is diminished and stagnates, is highly susceptible to botulism running riot. Until we get heavy rain and water levels restored to winter levels botulism is likely to be a threat. Warm weather and low stagnant water with any dead animals in it are a lethal breeding ground for botulism.
I would be heartbroken if we were affected in such a way. Fortunately we have a running river, although the lowest level in my lifetime with no real rain for months. I have on occasion removed the odd dead animal from the river to avoid any disease.
I suppose you have no choice but to release Vulcan and the cygnets to an area which is clean, try and avoid any lakes where they fish, as fishing tackle is a big threat to swans. If a sanctuary can be found to care for them until your Canal is refreshed, then perhaps they could be returned there.
I am sure when the canal is refreshed there will be Swans gracing the water once more.
My sympathies to you and all the love and care you have given to the Swans, I hope will be rewarded with another pair in the not too distant future.
xx Joe.
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