
July 4th – The day started bright enough, but finished a dull, headache-grey overcast. Returning home from work I hopped onto the canal at Walsall Wood and headed towards Brownhills. I noted that one of the two pairs of breeding swans on the canal were active and had six surviving cygnets. In recent years this has been a large clutch, but 6 or 7 years ago it seemed usual to see broods of 8 or more. I wonder if this reduction in cygnets is just normal or if something darker is at work? The other pair only managed two.