The Cygnets Have Arrived.

The cygnets have arrived. Once again we have two families. One has two cygnets and the other six. We are hoping this year that all will survive and war will not break out.The Cob from last year that caused all the trouble is not on the pond this year so maybe these two families will tolerate each other.

Poor Little Cygnet.

Yesterday we stopped by Hatchetts Pond on our way home from walking the dogs. The Swan family was way over the other side of the pond, but the sun had come out and it was drying our wet clothes , so we decided to have an Ice cream. We were just about to leave when we noticed a solitary cygnet at the back of the carpark.He looked very forlorn , but we persuaded him to go back down to the pond thinking he had just got separated from the family. The Cob who had been ignoring the people who were feeding the gulls (This was very unusual as he is very greedy) steamed across the pond , feathers puffed up intent on attacking the little cygnet. The little cygnet fled across the carpark and hid. Some holiday makers told us that they had been at the pond two days ago when they saw the cob trying to drown one of the cygnets. The cygnet did not seem sick or injured just very frightened. We tried ringing the Forestry Commission to speak to a keeper , but when they seemed disinterested and unable to give us the number of Swan Rescue we decided to get it ourselves. A quick phone call to Karens Husband and we had the number.They said they would send some one out.meanwhile the poor little cygnet was being worried by some dogs, someone picked the cygnet up and another person had a box so we were able to keep him safe. Eventually a Forestry Commission Keeper arrived , having been alerted by Swan rescue and took the cygnet away.
Today I rang Swan Rescue and was told that they had the cygnet, there appears to be nothing wrong with it and in the Autumn when it can fly they will release it at Christchurch. Until then it is being kept with several other rescued cygnets and will be looked after.
If you remember back in May I told you there was another Swan family at the other end of the lake with three cygnets and Swan rescue told me that the cygnets had been killed by this same cob and they had to relocate the Parents. Sadly this is normal behaviour for Swans when a pair invades anothers territory, however swans are normally good parents and they do not know why this cob should now attack its own cygnet. Yesterday there were only 5 cygnets with the parents so another one is missing, because there were 7. Swan rescue are keeping an eye on the situation anyway because they had to remove a fishing hook from the Pens foot about a week ago.

Down at Hatchetts Pond

There were plenty of ponies down at the pond trying to scounge food off the tourists. There is a penalty for feeding the ponies as it encourages them to congregate near cars and on the roads. Sadly many tourists ignore this and the ponies can become a nuisance in the popular spots. more seriously if they stay near the roads they are knocked down and killed.

The seven cygnets are doing well and have grown a lot since our last visit.

Sunday Afternoon at Hatchetts Pond.

It was very bsy around the pond today and their were several dogs running lose and playing in the water near the swans. The cob was guarding his family.
All seven little cygnets are doing well and growing fast. they are now about 6 weeks old.

There are also plenty of waterlilies, white , pale pink and a deeper pink covering the smaller ponds.
This rather bedraggled juvenile Jackdaw was perched in a tree, he didn't seem to be able to fly too well and I wonder if he will survive.

A Sunny June Morning

Taivas Missy and Raffles pose on our early morning walk. it was very warm and sunny at 8am this morning.
On our way home we stopped off at Hatchetts moor Pond to see the lilies and watch the damsel and dragon flies. There was no sign of the little swan family and I think they must have relocated them somewhere away from the other swan family.
On the main pond the seven cygnets are all doing welland the attentive parents were close by

In the garden at home the Goldfinches were having a snack

Swan Wars?

After our walk on Thursday Morning we drove up to see the Swans. The family down at hatchetts Pond are doing well, but something seemed amiss at Hatchetts Moor. This is the Cob and he seemed to have abandoned his family. Their nesting site was at the far end of Hatchetts Pond out of site of the other family, but on Thursday the Pen and the cygnets were on the nest and dad was down in the little lily pond. We watched for about 30 mins and he just stayed put. In the afternoon i slipped back and he was still sitting on his own. Swans are usually very protective of their young and i was a little concerned. I phoned one of the Forest keepers and he said he would drop by and have a look. The problem is that Male swans will fight and he thought that the other male may have warned this one off, as they have had trouble in the past when more than one pair have chosen to nest on the same pond.
When I returned on Friday the family was reunited but they are now all down by the lily pond. This is a very small pond and I wonder how they will fare here.

The Seven Cygnets on Hatchetts pond are all doing well

Some of the cygnets

Mrs Swan at Hatchetts Moor with her three cygnets

Cygnets above and Daddy swan below

The Abbotsbury Swannery

Abbotsbury Swannery conserves the only manged colony of nesting Mute swans in the world.Mute Swans are usually fiercely territorial by nature and it is therefore rare to see so many nesting swans in such close proximity to each other.but there are up to 150 pairs on a 2acre nesting site.There are often more than 600 adult swans on the site. In England the crown claims ownership of Mute swans with only three exceptions one of which is Abbotsbury. In1543 the Strangways family was given the right to claim ownership of all the nesting swans on the site and the family still own the swannery today,

Cygnets in a cosy bed.
New born cygnets and swans eggs
Riding a white swan.
feeding time for the non breeding swans

Cygnets

The Weekend in The Forest

On Saturday I slipped up to Hatchetts Pond and found the second pair of swans now have three little cygnets.The Pen was still sitting on the nest on Thursday so these are fairly young!
Today we walked along Dockens Water, one of the small streams in the Forest. Along the banks the pretty little speedwell was in flower.
This broad Bodied chaser was prowling up and down
and these large red damselflies were getting rather friendly!
Back at the pond the goslings and ducklings are all doing well and the Irises are in flower

The Young Ones

It is still very warm in the Forest and today after walking the dogs early we took a ride through the forest stopping off at the ponds along the way. We Now have two families of Canada geese on Cadmans pond.Goslings are so cute. The little ducklings were everywhere , lost count of the number of families we had, they are several different ages now.
By the side of the road we came across some sweet looking calves.Calves are so pretty and yet they seem to lose it as theygrow up.
Down on Hatchetts pond the 7 little cycgnets are all doing well. There is a second pair of swans,at the far end of the pond but no sign of cygnets there yet.
There are plenty of foals now on the forest and again we have different ages. The earlier foals are about 6 weeks old now, but they will continue to appear until September.

The Swan Family at Hatchetts Pond

This afternoon we went back to the pond to see if we could get some photos of the cygnets

We walked round the pond until we could see the Cygnets in the reeds , we waited and waited and eventually they came up on to the bank

The swans are very good parents keeping constant guard over their 7 little cygnets

They are just so adorable

A small foal at pigbush
Cockchafer beetle (maybug)
Swan family at Hatchets Pond
Little Goslings at Cadmans Pond and some of the ducklings