Saturday 10 June 2017

Some Very Sad News To Impart

I warned Nigel that nature could be a cruel mistress ……. and sadly this morning he found out just how cruel ………
IMG_2795He went down to the lock as usual to check on his beloved swans and their babies and met the Swan Lady, she had some very heart-breaking news for him.
IMG_2792He had looked carefully, but could only see two babies. Yesterday, she told him  she had seen four babies,  one had sadly died the day before after getting tangled in some fishing line, that was nothing to do with nature and so was absolutely unforgiveable. Then, this morning, there were only two, someone had told The Swan Lady that there were a lot mink around this year ………. and that, sadly, was nature.
IMG_2793Poor Nigel ……. he and The Swan Lady just stood quietly for a while ……. and then The Swan Lady went in …….
IMG_2796Nigel sat a while, then walked sadly home …….. lost in his thoughts.

5 comments:

Mr.D said...

How sad. Poor Nigel and swan lady. Nature - fair enough, but fishing line!
Mind you, if four survive every year, we would soon be overrun with swans.

Di said...

Oh how sad, Nature is indeed cruel. :(

Love

Di xx

marc said...

O little pal yes nature is very cruel but the irresponsible fisherman are just mean and thoughtless 1000 of birds and other animals get caught up in left line it does not take much to clean up after you men are much crueler than mother nature we lose about 20 chicks a year to mother nature they get eat by other birds and animals get lost in a field etc but we except that so our hens are not locked up in any cages they can and do go were they want when they want and even nest and lay eggs were they want ,Nigel as you know and have seen often get a lost hen come back a few weeks later with 10 chicks in to if it was not for mother nature we would be over run with chickens you have to think those little chicks are in that great big field in the sky big love he who does for Hugh

Anonymous said...

Oh dear dear - such sad, sad news. My heart breaks for the swan family. I guess that is why they have such large broods so at least some survive. Feeling emotional. We watched in wonder and held our breaths this week as our blue tits fledged from their nest box - hoping they all survive on a wing and a prayer. JantheFan x

Dianne said...

Oh how heartbreaking......a hard lesson for dear Nigel at such a young age.....there's a very popular lake in Florida known for it's large swan and duck population and they are often photographed for commercial use. One of the photographers described a swan family she had been photographing daily when one of the beloved baby swans just put it's head underwater and expired as she was taking pictures. One can never know if it had an illness but she still honours that little one in her work.....no easy way to face this reality for Nigel but hopefully the other two will grow up big and strong and that will make him happy......Much love to all, Dianne