Photo by Caroline Loudon
Brighid and Siegfried proudly welcomed eight cygnets into the world last weekend. The cygnets were born on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May. The nest by the causeway has already been abandoned, and taken over by some opportunistic ducks! The swan family can now be found sleeping on the grass at the top of the pond. You may also see the new ducklings and moorhen chicks swimming around with their parents.
The cygnets’ grey down will gradually be replaced with brown feathers once the cygnets are about 6 weeks old. They will learn to fly when they are about 4 months old. Some will leave the pons in the autumn; others may remain until next year’s breeding season. Mute swans typically mate for life and can live for an average of 12 years. Our breeding pair Brighid (the female, or pen) and Siegfried (the male, or cob) are both seven years old, and this is their third year of nesting at Craiglockhart Pond.
Dog walkers, please keep your dogs on the leash and out of the water when walking through the grassed area at the top of the pond.
Photo by Caroline Loudon