Swan diary

There are lots of swans at Rushden lakes. This is a series of gravel pits that now is home to a outdoor shopping and leisure destination and nature reserve with walks all rolled into one. I probably walk around the lakes every day.

There is a pair of swans that have built an amazing nest next to a coffee shop in an area that usually stays dry. This winter and spring the lake has been extremely high and the area has attracted the swans.

They spent weeks together biting off reeds and completing a platform and then started laying amazing blue eggs. Eventually there were nine eggs.

Watching these swans everyday along with passers by has been wonderful and we are waiting for the arrival of the cygnets.

The male spent time on best maintenance.

At about five o’clock a couple of nights ago I watched the swan change over. The female stood up and spent time carefully covering the nine eggs with the layers of feathers and down. She moved off the nest and swam off . The male climbed in to the nest but didn’t sit on the eggs he stood as if on guard. This was the first time we had seen this change over.

Along with the swans there is also a pair of coots very close by . They have seven eggs .

There are a lot of swans at the lakes and there are several nests as you walk around. Watching there behaviours on a walk as they see off geese and ducks and younger swans is always really interesting.