This year’s West Park greylag goslings were near the lake, nibbling at the grass. They were in a creche, watched by both sets of parents and a couple more adult greylags.
Suddenly they all started to walk, heading away from the water. I thought I might have got too close and disturbed them. But when I turned slightly, a swan with a cob on was swimming directly towards the geese as fast as it could.
It was indeed a cob. Possibly the one with this year’s brood of cygnets: they were further round the lake, watched over only by the pen, although hidden by the island from the events I was watching unfold.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a swan with its body held so tensely in the threat posture before. It totally ignored me as I stood, somewhat nervously, nearby. As it stalked in the direction of the geese, they carried out a dignified retreat.