The Meeting

Popeye was the only one initially to turn up for his feed this evening, but then Penny turned up about 15 minutes later with the cygnets in tow.

Although this pair have been together at least 10 years, 

protocols still have to be observed when meeting - no matter how long they have been apart.

All At Sea - Swans Protocol

An anxious few hours for Penny this morning as Popeye took the Cygnets on an extended sea journey - well along the coast.

Penny was pacing up and down the river calling for her beloved family for over 2 hours. Eventually I spotted them about half a mile away, with Popeye leading them back home.

After entering the river mouth, the cygnets did a short run - flight up the river after spotting Penny who was heading down stream to meet them.

An aggressive posture was adopted by both parties until the usual swan protocols were observed and bonding was complete.

Valuable knowledge was no doubt gained by the cygnets.
Series of pics tells the story.