Hi I'm from Northampton UK, and wrote before, when I described a situation where there is a pair of swans on our local small lake, and their daughter (Sally!) from 4 or 5 years ago, who has stubbornly stayed around despite the other cygnets being driven off and being treated constantly harassed. This year the female parent has five cygnets, but we also thought Sally was either nesting or helping. You said that she might be sexual mature now and you were right. She disappeared for a while, presumably onto one of the islands, and then reappeared a week or two after her mother with her own five, keeping well away from her mum. We were very pleased, but then shortly afterwards we saw her by herself, and since then she has been alone. Do you think her mother and/or father might have killed them? The father seemed OK and was with her once or twice. We can't find any bodies, but they could have been scavenged. Many thanks.
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