Mute Swans - Carnain

Mute Swan family

Throughout the winter, there has been a family of Mute Swans on Loch Skerrols comprising two adults and no less than eight young - the largest number of cygnets I've ever seen on Islay. They were on the loch last week, but today they were swimming past Bruichladdich - perhaps because the loch has frozen over. They were making slightly heavy weather of it swimming into wind and waves and I wonder how far they went and whether they will decide to return to Loch Skerrols.
Malcolm

Mute Swan with cygnets at Carnain

The pair of Mute swans at Carnain at the top of Loch Indaal have hatched six cygnets again this year - they all disappeared quite quickly last year but this year they all seem to have survived their first couple of weeks OK.  Perhaps they enjoy endless wind and rain...