It’s 23.23. We are sitting close to home in our car on swan watch. The pen is on her nest awaiting the hatching of four chicks with one already hatched sleeping under her wing. There is no sign of the cob. Typical man. Can’t stand the pain of labour and has wandered off on his own to contemplate yet another year of fatherhood.
It is almost dark, or as dark as it is likely to get at this time of the year, given that the longest day begins in only 37 minutes time. A sparkling of reflected lights trace the edge of the peninsula all the way round to Rhu. There is no wind. Stillness cloaks us. There is an absence of sound. Not a bird chirps or calls. All are asleep. Even the midges appear to have left their swarming and gone into hiding or died after a hard days biting. They will not be missed!

Dougal is with us surprised by our exit from our comfy home, but perfectly at peace in his own sleeping bag which he is kindly sharing with me.
We are all settling down to view the nightlife in this particular corner of Argyll.

It’s 00.11. In almost an hour that we’ve been here Swan pen has not slept a wink. Her body has remained still over her eggs and sleeping cygnet, but her head and neck have remained alert, ever moving, aware of any movement below or nearby. She has been in her nest now for 42 days, and has only occasionally been released from her duty by her wayward spouse. She must be thoroughly exhausted, snatching only minutes of occasional sleep in all of that time.
We’ve now had coffee and sandwiches and note the deeper darkness around us. A spit and spot of rain patters on our roof and touches speckles of light-reflecting drops on our windows on the swan. It is even quieter than before, although I did hear an owl hoot fairly nearby, and note the attempts at sleep of a soon to be snoring Dougal.

It’s 02.17. Joan and Dougal have departed to bed and I am on swan watch alone.
Apparently, according to The Swan Lady herself, a wee moose resides under the nest, which causes Swan Pen rather a lot of disturbances, as she pokes and prods with her long neck extended trying to peck the offending timorous one. Not so timorous to brave her majesty’s nest!!
The cygnet appeared at one point from under the wing, but was hastily pushed back. Unfortunately our camera doesn’t take night shots without flash, and a flash would be an unnecessary intrusion into the quiet darkness surrounding Swan Pen.
It’ll be interesting to see when this midsummer day appears from the darkness of night.

It’s 03.02. Lightness is returning. Birds are calling and beginning to spread their wings into a new morning. The sun is yet to rise. A mass of grey cloud obscures the light beyond. Rain patterns the roof and windows with intensity. Swan Pen has not slept a wink all night.

It’s 03.38. The morning chorus is beginning. Swan Pen is still alert and on her nest. The wandering cob is nowhere to be seen. He may well receive a few choice sounds of censure when he makes an appearance.

It’s 4.25. There is enough light now for some photographs, but unfortunately the midges have awakened with a vengeance and I lasted moments before returning to my sanctuary inside the car.
So here is a lesser image taken with my ipad camera.

The tide is well out. Cloud cover is almost total, but the rain has stopped.
I am soon to be relieved of my post, and will attempt to have some sleep, no doubt having to RUN to home at midge-evading speed while my relief swan watcher takes my place inside the car-the very best anti-midge protection available!

It has been an experience observing a few hours in the life of this beautiful creature. Nothing untoward happened on my watch, but hopefully, later today we may see the appearance of cygnet two. Such dedicated mothering should be rewarded with the hatching of an egg!!

5.33…… I’ve just filmed 15 minutes of mother and cygnet. It was my reward for being with them all night. It’ll be on youtube later today together with other films we’ve made over the last few days.
Mother, cygnet and eggs are now on the nest resting after the restlessness of the night. May they all sleep well!!!

Check out our youtube channel!! More coming later today!!

And finally cygnet one who may well be the one and only, made it to the water!