Quackers

Quackers, the new white knuckle ride opened this morning on the River Derwent. The resident swans stupidly decided to take their 2 cygnets to see it.

Up to the edge of the weir they swam and over the cygnets went !!  The equivalent of Disneyland's Splash Mountain. At the bottom the little ones swam in opposite directions, dazed and looking for safety. The adult peered over the top calling forlornly over the crashing sound of water, trying to prevent the same disaster as last year.  After 5 minutes or so the female belly flopped over the weir to the bottom and began the search. She can't fly whilst molting her flight feathers.

She quickly found the first baby, got her onto land and both dried off. She then decided it was time to look for #2. She swam away with #1 sticking to her side like glue before hopping on her back for added security. Together they went down river and very luckily found #2, some way down and well out of sight. When all the fun was over the male swanned down :)

They now have to stay on the lower river, away from their nest and the gardens they are fed in, until they can all fly.

Quite an anti-climax going to work after all that.
I have added photos in extras that tell the story better than me.