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Over the past 14 weeks of lockdown this has been one of my regular walks with the dog. Through the fields to the UHI campus, down the cycle track to the retail park and back by Ashton Farm.
Before the field was sown we walked round the edge but now we keep to the road
Taking the track to a vet place for doing animal surgery
Inverness UHI campus with Ben Wyvis beyond
Closed college and no students around
Swan lake
I watched this pair of mute swans from before lockdown. First the building of the nest, then the female (pen) sitting on eggs for 36 days while the male (cob) mostly kept watch from the other side. The first time he saw me with the dog he swam over but that seemed to satisfy him we weren't a threat as he didn't check on us again.
Swan eggs are laid over a few days but the idea is to have them all hatch at once. This is important so both adults are available to protect the cygnets during the vulnerable first stage away from the nest. So the female doesn't start incubating until she's finished laying and it's only when they get the warmth from her that the eggs start to develop. Before and during the egg laying she eats far more than normal, building up reserves for the time ahead when she eats very little. Meanwhile the cob may sit on the eggs to keep them from going cold but his under feathers are not adapted in the way the pen's are to give enough heat to start the embryo development.
For those who are interested here are some dates and photos to show how things progressed.
Nest on 18th April
Pen incubating eggs
Cob keeping watch on other side
In all the times I visited it was always her on the nest. I never saw him on the nest, but she must have been off briefly each day to have a quick feed. Usually when I was there she was asleep with her head tucked into her body. I imagine this is the best way of conserving her energy reserves, but the pen will still lose about a third of her body weight during incubation.
30th April and still on the nest
On 3rd May her position on the nest had changed to more spread out and I saw a fluffy head appearing briefly from under her. The next day I felt like cheering to see six cygnets clustered in the water a few feet from the nest and the cob now close by, while she remained on the nest. This meant there were still unhatched eggs, making it a vulnerable time for the day old cygnets as unlike other baby birds they have to learn to feed themselves right away and the sooner the adults can start teaching them this the better their chance of survival.
On 4th May newly hatched fluff balls
What helps to keep them going during the first week is the yolk they absorb in the egg just before hatching. Most cygnets that don't make it will die in the second week, by which time they need to be feeding themselves if they're going to survive.
Cob now in close attendance as small cygnets are attractive to the local gulls if they get half a chance
If the remaining eggs don't hatch soon she will have to leave them
One returning to nest
To safety and warmth of mum
The last to hatch are disadvantaged by having to take to the water immediately and if they can't keep up they can become a liability to the whole brood. The last two eggs did hatch and a week later there were eight cygnets, although one didn't make it as now there are seven.
Back to 27th May, the date of this walk. The cygnets were now three weeks old and the adults were demonstrating aquatic acrobatics done swan style. This involved nose-diving to dredge for weed, but they were careful not to have both of them upended at the same time. There was always one of them with head above water to keep an eye on their brood.
One of the days I was there I bumped into three of the grandsons. This wasn't planned and was before we were meant to meet up with family and friends outdoors, so felt such a bonus to see them! One of them spotted a coot's nest and the tiny cootlings taking their first swim - all magical stuff.
Grandsons
The dog had become used to waiting patiently while I fiddled with my camera but would be quite keen to get walking again so she could have some time off lead. We would leave the swan nursery and cut through some of the buildings to reach a track that leads to a bridge over the railway line.
Over railway line
Cycle track to retail park
Railway line heading to Culloden
Yellow flower but don't know what it is
Retail park during lockdown
Short cut to farm road from Tesco car park
Broom on road to Ashton Farm
Over to Culloden woods
Ashton Farm
There's a collie at the farm that gives us a rapturous welcome through the fence and I think he and Keira might have fallen in love.
Ord Hill on the Black Isle and Moray Firth
Under railway line
So there you have it. A lockdown walk on a beautiful afternoon with the breeding habits of the mute swan thrown in.