General Discussion

Have just returned from the town and had my usual walk around when I noticed a crowd of people at the end of the Brunswick.
I knew what was going on because everyone seem excited sure enough the baby's have arrived all five of them.
Father is at hand keeping a watchful eye and looking very proud.Tomorrow the new cygnets will be put into a safe enclosure away from the seagulls.

Hi from Oz great news bud.

Have a look on the photos, there is a lovely picture of the new baby swans.

ZIGGY said,"Tomorrow the new cygnets will be put into a safe enclosure away from the seagulls. "
Why? It never used to happen. And do they place swans and cygnets into enclosures at other places?
I think not.
I wonder if there is an ulterior motive for taking such action?

I shall keep a watchful eye!!

Do you think they will sell them on

They did before and have seen the council documents proposing the sale of Black Swan to a private collector, will it happen again is anybodies guess. Do you remember the statement made by the Town Clerk some months ago in the Express and Echo about 12 swans being killed by dogs, all that proved to be untrue. Was it a cover up for the disappearance of the Swans and other water fowl? we will never know.

Well something has happened to the swans and other fowl, why is our couoncil to secretive about their actions

At a council meeting I asked for an investigation with regard to the statement by the town clerk (12 swans killed by dogs) Cllr Wills was asked to investigate, after some very grey emails from him, he finally admitted there was no evidence.
You must have noticed that when the previous Warden left, so did all the exotic water fowl, Why? the answer is they belonged to him, but we -dawlish residents paid for all the feed and elcetricity- nice work if you can get it

Wouldn't it be nice if, just for once, something could be celebrated here without it being turned into a conspiracy theory.

Lovely to see the black swans with their little ones.

Have spoken to the warden and the reason they are being moved is to protect them. We haven't had signets survive for long recently and it would be nice to see these reach adulthood.

One of the reasons that swans were sold in the past was to prevent problems due to in-breeding.

You only have to look around Dawlish to see what happens when cousins marry!!! ;-) (please bear in mind that my tongue is firmly in my cheek!)

If they sold them because of in breeding why didnt they get replaced.

And some people will suck in what ever they are told.
Ask the past duck warden Don Wreford what he used to do?
He never had trouble with dogs/foxes and he used to have a variety of birds that were a joy to see on the water. He never rounded up the cygnets for protection.
When he left, his replacement saw business opportunities and it appears exploited every which way to cover-up the disappearance of many birds.
Five swans were removed from the water when we first had the avian flu scare to preserve the blood line, they soon disappeared to pastures new to act as breeding stock to. Each swan is unique in its markings on their bills, they can be traced if someone would put in the time and effort.
So lets not have any more silly talk about incest among the swans.

Well said Viaduct the water fowl and swans have been okay without mans intervention for years
Why all of a sudden do they worry about inbreeding £££££££££ ia what I think.
What happened to the mandarine ducks, could understand one dying or getting killed but the vanished at the same time?

oblivious, my comment was NOT THEORY IT WAS FACT AND I have the documents to prove it

Jambuster, Viaduct seems enough of us are concerned about the water fowl and swans
Maybe we should attend the town council meeting this month.
Oh not sure if your alowed to ask questions.

Meeting is the 9th April Manor house,

Members of the public are invited to the meeting, anything you wish to discuss you should inform the Town Clerk in writing no later than 12noon 4th April 2008.

I have attended many council meetings and they dont like awkward questions thats why they changed the rules, questions by members of the public used to be part of the agenda and recorded in the minutes, now they close the meeting and if it does not pass 9pm and at the discretion of the chairman,members of the public are asked if they wish to address the Councillors, but of course now it is not included in the minutes so there is no public record of the questions.
Try writing to them and see if the Town Clerk puts it into the agenda, I would be interested to hear the response you get.

I sent them an email asking where the swans and water fowl have gone didnt ask if they would put it on the agenda.
Even the Prime Minister has open question time. Suppose they need them in writing to fabricate their answers and if they are trickly questions refuse to put them of the agenda
Democracy?

Had email back from someone at the town council there are 4 adult 4 junior swans and 6 cygnets.
The Mallards are wild and not councils responsibility than doesnt explain diminishing numbers or other breeds not being around.

Think aliens took them? Or maybe the man behind the grassy knoll?

Or, (now I know this is really far fetched, so bear with me) maybe they do what nature tells them and migrated to warmer climes or found somewhere more to their liking. I have quite often witnessed swans and ducks in the sea.

NOT EVERYTHING IS A CONSPIRCY THEORY!