Thanks so much for your reply. Sadly, our little cygnet died sometime Sunday night - we were able to retrieve him and bury him on Monday. Sunday was a very cold night here in Michigan. For future reference, do you know of a swan refuge or rehab center in western or northern Michigan? Also, the parents and remaining 3 cygnets have not returned to our pond yet - I saw them this morning on the pond across the way (still part of our group of ponds). Are they staying away because they abandoned the cygnet and are instinctively making sure the cygnet is gone? Is this a common practice to abandon a cygnet who is the smallest or perhaps unhealthy? I very much appreciate your expertise. Most of us in this neighborhood are very attached to the swans - this is at least their 5th or 6th year of nesting - this is her second mate (her previous mate died about 3 years ago).