While Most of Europe is being inundated with Snow, we are still blessed with a mild winter...so far !
Climate change is affecting the whole planet, and none of us know what the future will bring.
Meanwhile Penny and her offspring are still chilling out on the river, and some signs of the cygnets changing -
Hi Joe, Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThere are two new swans on our local canal, although we know from their leg rings that they were born on the canal in May 2015 so not 'new' in that sense!
They have returned and claimed the canal as theirs in the absence of the previous male who has flown away having lost his mate last summer.
We also know that Frodo and Beatrix are brother and sister! Last year they built a nest on a local lake but did not lay any eggs.
They are now mature enough to breed.
My question is; will siblings mate and breed successfully or will the inbreeding cause problems in the offspring? Will nature take care of any abnormalities and the cygnets would not survive?
I am hoping that if they breed the cygnets will be strong and healthy. I feed them regularly and they both look in fine shape. Thanks Joe, best wishes Wendy x
Hi Wendy, Happy New year to you also !
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you have 2 swans back on the Canal, especially after last years tragedy. As for them being related and now of breeding age this could be an interesting situation for you to study. Inbreeding is not a desirable situation with any species, and I have no knowledge of the outcome of Swans inbreeding. It could well be that nature will dictate they will not successfully mate and produce young. I am aware that some swans do split up and find another mate if they do not successfully rear offspring. This is something you will just have to monitor and see what happens.
Meanwhile enjoy having them around and see if they get challenged by perhaps another pair before the nest building begins. I will be keen to hear how things pan out. All the best Joe.