Showing off in Shardlow


As soon as I saw theses swans and their cygnets I knew we had to moor close by. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such confident friendly swans. But who can blame them wanting to proudly show off their young.

Let me introduce you to the family

Swans are amazingly attentive parents and clearly work as a team. I’m guessing these cygnets must have been under a week old. I was able to lean right over the water and snap these fluff balls close up.

We’re cute and we know it, please feed us…

Even when I saw them on the towpath I was able to get very close without causing any alarm to the parents, who carried on preening rather than hissing at me.

Time out for some adult pampering

But the babies needed their afternoon nap, so mum called them over and tucked them up under her wings

I’m glad we didn’t have 9 babies at the same time

You’d never have known there were 9 cygnets hiding in there.

Can you spot the one who won’t go to sleep

Of course it’s not just swans who are proud of their children, and as we cruised on, we dutifully smiled and waved as we become the local attraction.

Waving goodbye