A Son of the Rock

For a good few years now a pair of swans has lived on the pond in Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy.

The cob is a vicious so-and-so, he often chases the geese and other birds which inhabit the pond even if they are not in anyway threatening him or in his space. We once saw him try to drown a goose, grabbing its neck and holding it under the water. After a struggle the goose escaped eventually. We have heard that the cob did manage to drown a dog once, though.

Despite his tendencies he and his pen have not produced many successful offspring. Up to this year only one of their cygnets has made it to adulthood.

This year they hatched two. This is them in late springtime.

Here they are against a wider background including leisure boats, some of which are swan shaped pedalos.

This was the family a couple of weeks ago with the cygnets much bigger.

Looks like the parents may be getting the hang of raising their young.