"What's that white thing?" I said to myself as I peered through our rather less than kempt bushes which are supposed to shield us from the river. I meandered somewhat further down the garden. "Oh, only a swan," my thoughts continued as I rounded the bushes. But wait a minute; what was that grey smudge beside it? In fact there are as we speak a brace of swans - presumably a couple - and two tiny cygnets treating the bottom of our garden as their home. The cygnets looked as though they'd only just been born. "Why are they not in their nest?" I wondered.
My first thought was that the family had decided on our garden as a sort of second home. After all, they've got a great view up or down stream, and they are right by the entrance to the backwater which forms the island at Sunnymead if they want an alternative bit of water to swim about in. The attraction of this spot seemed to be confirmed on my second visit to inspect the family when I'd seen the parents grabbing bits of willow and piling them on the lawn. But then the house-building appeared to stop. Lack of planning permission? Certainly we would object - messy things, swans, even without a nest! But then I realised that a more likely explanation is that they've been flooded out of their original home - after all, the river has risen a couple of feet with all the rain we had last week. In fact I was surprised to see that people are still punting when I was cycling near the Vicky Arms shortly after I made my swan discovery.
So, presumably until the young get a bit bigger, or until the river drops and they buzz off back home again, we've got (as birds go) some fairly large neighbours, or perhaps that should be uninvited guests? Am I supposed to tell the Queen? She does own them, after all. Certainly we'd better not harm them, otherwise she will not be amused. I wonder what the punishment is?
One problem is mowing the lawn. This is a job it's a bit difficult to do quietly. I have gone as close as I dare, and the parents just stare at me warily. They don't budge though, and I'm wondering if I can mow a little closer. Or perhaps wait until they go off for their morning constitutional? They do go off for the odd paddle, but never when I'm there poised with the lawn-mower...So in short the lower lawn still looks a bit of a mess.
I'm not anti-swan, mind you. A few years ago we did have a proper nest and together with our neighbours witnessed 8 eggs hatched: they even sent an Oxford Mail photographer along. But that family were on a sort of promontory amongst the weeds and nettles, not scrunching up our lawn! Other wildlife includes mallards, terns and Canada geese, and we had a large heron the other day. I keep a constant look-out for water voles, but I suppose they've gone for ever as I haven't seen one for years. Some say this is because some mink escaped into the river, but I haven't seen one of those either for some years.
So it's all go on the banks of the Cherwell. Watch this space for further developments.
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