Intruders - Solo's Family ?

High Tide brought High Drama on the river today when two swans and a cygnet turned up close to the Swans island.

Popeye and Penny were not amused and proceeded to chase them around with the intention of making them leave !  I have a strong suspicion that they might well be Solo's parents and sibling, the cygnet looks exactly the same age as Solo, 

and it's not often you see a pair with only one cygnet in tow. 
Solo is now ready to be released and is no longer limping,  I was about to run home to bring her down to the river when the intruders were chased off, leaving the poor cygnet on it's own.

They headed over towards lochloy direction, I think the intruders thought this was a flock and decided to leave theirs to join our eight. Needless to say popeye and Penny were having none of it, and chased the cygnet up river then back down again towards the sea. 

Tomorrow I will release Solo back to the estuary, the tides are suitable this week to find seaweed feeding at low tide, and the possibility that it will meet up with either it's siblings or parents. 

After 10 days of TLC, Solo is in good health and should be strong enough to meet up with other cygnets somewhere along the coast.

High Tide High Hopes

With the Springlike temperatures and March rapidly approaching, Penny is getting moody and broody. She is searching out Algae and roots of which there is precious few. She calls her mate when he disappears on patrol down river, and likes him to be close by at this pivotal time of year. All the signs are that they will start nesting within weeks - barring a return to severe winter weather. Yesterday she kept calling her mate but he was nowhere to be seen, so I followed her as she set off downstream looking for him. She finally saw him guarding near the river entrance and called him. Although some 100 metres away he responded to her call and immediately took off to join her quickly. Mute Swans are audible when they want to be. Penny takes to the island more often now watched over by her mate, and I expect them to start nest building sometime soon.