There is a pair of Mute Swans locally that have attempted to nest by a pond in the middle of a housing estate where I live but there is nowhere suitable for a nest, due to the pond having a fence all the way around it. Last year they went to another local but more remote pond and hatched 7 cygnets. As soon as they were able to waddle, the parents walked the babies back to the other pond where they knew they would get more attention and food given to them. This was maybe a mile or just over and involved crossing several roads. They all made it and now the parents have gone back to their breeding pond and left the 7 offspring on the urban pond.
The corner, top left in this photo, is where the parents tried to build a nest several times previously but it is not solid ground and too close to the footpath.
An older photo of the breeding pond from when it was almost frozen. You can just make out the pair to the right under the bushy tree. Unfortunately, there is a lot of human activity there nowadays. Yoofs seem to have made a large camp where they go to smoke dope and drop beer cans everywhere. Someone has even managed to erect a tent on the island in the middle. No idea how they got there but now it seems to be abandoned. Possibly an angler?
A screengrab of a short video I took last year when they were walking through the housing estate to relocate. Couldn't quite get all 9 in the frame unfortunately.
Ma and Pa just now eating the food I brought them. Someone has taken a Stanley knife to the large tarp drug and drinking den, so well done to whoever that was!
Thats good news they made it. Those are nice photos of the swans exspeacialy the first photo of the Juvinile Swans and the screen photo of the cygnets and the last photo of the parents eating the food you brought aswell
I'll have to remove the audio first as it features me telling the dog about the little one at the rear not being able to walk very well!
I think he (the dog) is the reason the parents are making themselves look bigger in the photo of them feeding. He doesn't take any notice of the swans at all but they don't seem to want him near them anyway.
I think I have another video of them having a fight with their own reflection in a window by the urban pond.