18 June, 2024

Mike Averill was lucky enough to be able to observe and photograph a charming small flotilla of Mute Swans, consisting of 6 cygnets accompanied by one adult parent bird. Mike suspects that this family came from the annual Swan nest at the Riverside Pool, north of the town bridge in Bewdley.

If you are struggling to count 6 cygnets, you should know that the sixth has hitched a ride on the back of the attentive adult.

Mute swans are highly territorial, especially during the breeding season. They can become aggressive to defend their nesting sites from intruders, including other swans, birds, and sometimes humans!

Mute Swan – Cygnus olor  – on River Severn, Bewdley

Photograph by – Mike Averill