General Discussion

Is it not time Dawlish Town Council, Town Clerk & the Duck warden stopped blaming dogs for the loss of Black Swans when they can't even get the figures right. J Winchester says 12 in the last 18 months (Express & Echo)In the Town crier the new Mayor Prowse states 4, then we have the new Duck Warden who says 5 have been lost to dog attacks. Not one of these people have ever provided proof and the vet stated we have not seen a black swan for approx' 3/4 years.
I have to congratulate the new Duck Warden for all the effort he is putting into clearing the brook, he has done more in a few weeks than the previous Warden did in years.

It is not only black swans that have disappeared.
Egyptian geese, Eider ducks, Mandarins, Caroline ducks. Whistling ducks, Bar headed geese etc, etc. All with a price on their head. If there was a value on them, the fox had them. No value and they live to a ripe old age.

A simple solution would be to tag them, with a chip would it not, then you could keep an eye on where they are, and if they have left dawlish and are now else where.

When we were down for, we saw about four or five black swans.

Chipping would be a good idea, I believe we know how they disappeared but cannot prove it.

Yet!

Well done to those who rescued the rare black swan and brought it back to be with it's loving mate.
It seems the swan was chased away by a bully male who took a fancy to his mate!