A GROUP of cute cygnets are bringing delight to south Swindon

Seven baby birds hatched just over two weeks ago on Shaftesbury Lake and all are thriving.

Gail Collins, who is one of two volunteers behind The Friends of Shaftesbury Lake group which helps maintain the area, said: “It’s absolutely brilliant to see them. They’re getting quite big now, they’re growing so fast so hopefully they will all survive now.”

If the hatchings continue to flourish, they will be the first full set of siblings to survive on the lake in the last four years.

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“I think this year the parents have nested on the island in the lake, which was a good thing because for the last few years the swans have been nesting on the kerbside by the road,” said Gail.

The success of the Shaftesbury Seven – as the cygnets are known locally – comes after a difficult time for the birds in the area.

“Last year we had two survive, but each year something seems to happen to the cygnets,” said Gail. “They’ve got so many predators. Herons will eat them, cormorants will eat them. Apparently big gulls as well. And of course we get a lot of those over there.”

Gail added: “I used to get really upset when you’d go each day and there would be one less each time.”

In 2018 a female swan attempting to hatch eggs died having been suspected of being poisoned.

“Something killed her, said Gail. “We don’t know what. Apparently there were no injuries so they think she was poisoned. I was gutted because we’d been watching her on her eggs.”

She added: “I’m not too worried about the cygnets now because they’re getting to the stage where I think they’ll be safe.

Gail said wildlife round the lake is thriving, with the new family growing up alongside broods of mallard ducklings and moorhen chicks. Larger animals such as muntjac and roe deer have also been seen there.

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“It’s absolutely brilliant to see,” she said. “We’re so lucky that we’ve got that beautiful lake and all those trees. When your there it’s hard to believe that you’re in the middle of two housing estates.”

Gail added:“Most people are being very respectful of everything which is good. So many people are out there looking after the ducks and cygnets this year. It’s just lovely to see.”

Lee Peachey took his wife and three-year-old daughter to the lake last Saturday.

“We didn’t know about the babies,” he said. “We just went for a walk with the little 'un and came across them. I’d just got a new camera so we were just on a walk to see what we could see.

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“They were very friendly and the parents were being protective,” said the Pinehurst dad.

“My daughter absolutely loved seeing them. I think it’s brilliant, especially with everything that’s going on, they’ve had time to just be left alone and get on with.

“It’s brilliant having nature like this pretty much on your doorstep,” Lee added.

Nine swans could now live around the lake for the next year or so until the parents start to nest again and chase this year’s offspring away.

“I’m sure we’ll go down there a few times to keep an eye on how they get on,” said Lee.

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