The two young cygnet swans that took up residence on the river near my work a few weeks back.
Recently I had to call in experts to help (what I believe to be the male) bird because he had fishing line wrapped around his leg. I learnt a little of their history because the 3 guys who turned up had re-located them to a pond a few miles away.
I'm no swan expert but by all accounts these two birds had "paired" up really early. They were badly bullied by another adult swan and were re-located for their own welfare. The guys I called in recognised them, they had obviously thought "bollocks", I'll find my own home.
Well these two poor juvenile birds have already been bullied by their own kind and manhandled by humans. I used to feed them by hand before I called in the wildlife people, so gentle and trusting they are. I whistled them in through trust and again one was dragged from the water by his neck. What a hard time they've had.
They no longer trust me but that's a side issue.
Today the male was alone swimming up and down river. The only one of his kind with no mate and no knowledge of where to go and without a soul to trust.
I really hope she turns back up, I'm worried she's been caught in fishing line or had a flying accident.
This is her, beautiful isn't she.
Say a little prayer for her. I know there are bigger issues in the world today but she too is a child of God.