I’ve been watching this pair of Mute swans from the time they first started building their nest, in exactly the same spot as last year, and I spotted a couple of tiny fluffy heads about a week ago. When I passed the location today, mum, dad and their eight gorgeous cygnets were out for a swim around their river inlet.

The word cute is much overused when it comes to baby birds, but these cygnets really were the epitome of cute, preening and tidying their baby feathers, diving and splashing about enthusiastically.