Swans are known to be monogamous for many years of their life, and sometimes their bonds last forever.
Female swans lay up to seven eggs once per year, between April and May, and they hatch them alternately with the male swans for about 35 to 41 days until cygnets start appearing.
But, some unlucky ones get their eggs attacked by foxes. This can lead to some or all of the eggs being lost and poor swans never get to see their babies.
This is exactly what had been happening to a beautiful swan in St Ives. For ten years in a row, she had been laying her eggs, but they all had terrible fates.
As Rob Adamson, a man who lives in a narrowboat off River Great Ouse, said, he had been keeping an eye on this particular swan and he had seen her eggs being destroyed by floods and foxes.
However, earlier this month, the swan managed to become a mother for the first time in her life, thanks to some help that the man offered her.
Adamson just adores swans. He is even called “the swan man” by locals.
He once saved and raised a cygnet, whom he named Sid, and, when he eventually let it go, it kept coming back as if it were a pet.
That’s when Adamson realized swans are amazing creatures.
“After Sid, I’ve got a special place in my heart for swans and I have been watching this pair fail for the last 10 years,” he said.
So, when he saw that the swan kept losing her eggs, he decided to do something to help her. After all, he knew the water levels were going to rise again soon, and this would mean another batch of eggs would be lost to the flood.
“You’re not supposed to interfere,” he explained, ” but it had got to the point where they were all going to die.”
So, he built a raft so they would have a place to hatch far from predators and safe from natural phenomena.
When he noticed the water was lapping around the swan’s nest at night, he built the raft, and, later on, he worked on setting up a fence to keep foxes away.
Thanks to Adamson’s timely intervention, the “unlucky” swan’s eggs were saved and kept hatching for a few weeks. At some point, the cygnets started popping out, but until then, the man felt like he himself had a baby on the way.
“I have been pacing around the marina like an expectant dad for the last week,” he said. “When I saw them start to hatch I was so happy, I was bouncing around like a kid at Christmas. It’s like winning the lottery.”
The cygnets are safe and sound, and Adamson is more than happy that he managed to save them.
Above all, he is excited to see the swan whose life he’s been following over the past decade become a mother after all the unlucky years she had.
This unforgettable experience is one of the main reasons why Adamson has chosen to live in his narrowboat by the river.
“This is why I am here, living on the water. I’m in dreamland with all the wildlife. I wouldn’t swap my boat for a £10m house.”
Head over to the video below for more details about this beautiful story.
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