OMG Cygnets! →[More:]The cygnets at the marina near work have hatched! Five of them (same as last year), teh cutest littel fluffballs!

The nest is on a big raft in the middle of the marina, and as we got there today they were having their first dip in the water. Four of the cygnets jumped in with no bother and swam about in a little huddled group. But one, the littlest one, was too small to get over the rim of the raft and after a few attempts to climb up, he ran back up to the top of the nest where his mum was.

Then she decided to join the others in the water, and left him on the nest (knocking him on his back, but - phew! - he managed to right himself, his little webbed feet kicking in the air). But he panicked, because he was on his own, and ran back down to the edge of the raft again.

He tried and tried, but was too scared to make that final jump over the rim and into the water. So he ran back up to the top of the nest and sat there, peeping and panting, until his mum joined him again.

A co-worker took some phone pics so I'll post them later.