A weak baby swan that was ‘left behind’ by its family has been reunited after an animal rescuer hand-reared it and nursed it back to health – on a diet of peas.
The fluffy cygnet, named Bobbly, was taken under Rob Adamson’s wing when it was unable to keep up with its siblings and was attacked by crows last week.
He had been keeping an eye on the new arrivals at Jones Boatyard, in St Ives, Cambs, where he works and took pity on the bird after realising it needed a helping hand.
And over the next two days, the tiny fledgling spent most of its time nestled inside his jacket while eating garden peas to build up its strength on his narrow boat.
He then brought the healthy cygnet back to its family - with heartwarming footage showing the baby waddling straight back to them where it has remained ever since.
Rob, who is known locally as 'swan man', said about the moment: “It was wonderful.
“Every morning, I get a real buzz seeing it back with the family and doing just as well as the others.
“It’s been a week now, and you would do really well to pick it out.
“The only person who might be able to pick it out would be me... But they all look just as good as each other, and they’ve grown so much.”
Rob, 45, who maintains vessels at the boat yard, said a group of swan chicks had started hatching out at around midday on Saturday (June 1).
But the sixth chick of the brood arrived a day later, at lunchtime on Sunday (June 2), and was far smaller than its brothers and sisters.
Rob had noticed how the ‘runt’ was unable to keep up with its family when they took to the water for the first time.
And the animal rescuer, who has helped rear cygnets before, then stepped in to offer his assistance after realising the baby’s life was in danger.
He said: “When they went to the water, because it was so weak, when all the other ones got in and swam off, it couldn’t make it.
“It just got left behind in the nest. Every time it tried to stand up, it fell over.
“It was heartbreaking because one of the times I disappeared off for a bit and when I came back, they must have just gone, and there were two crows there at it.
“The crows will definitely peck them to death because that’s happened before.
“It was because I knew it was happening, I couldn’t leave it to the crows or let it get left behind. I knew I could do something – so I did.”
Rob said the chick, which had been ‘screaming’ for its mum, instantly relaxed when he tucked it under his jacket.
And he then spent the next two days keeping the chick alive by feeding it on the narrow boat where he lives and tucking it up in a pillow-filled box overnight.
Rob said: “When it was left in the nest by itself, it was screaming like any cygnet does when it's left behind or can’t see its mum.
“But as soon as I picked it up and put it in my jacket, it was asleep within a minute.
“The main thing I gave it was garden peas because I knew from Sid, the cygnet I had before, how much it liked them, and it did ever so well on them.
“It was in my jacket, under my arm, asleep. Or at night, or if I had to have a shower, I have what I call the ‘swan box’.
“It’s just a box with a blanket in and two big white pillows, so it thought it was still with its mum. And then when it was feeding, it was in the kitchen sink.
“Within two days, it was at least as good as the others.
“I did want to keep it for another couple to get it extra strong, but the sooner they go back the better, just to make sure the mum accepted it.”
Rob said he had named the chick, whose sex is uncertain at this stage, Bobbly because of the way it had struggled to swim as a tiny baby.
He added: “The first few times when I took it back to its mum, that’s how he was in the water.
"It was really unstable and bobbly, and looked like he was going to capsize.”
The fluffy cygnet, named Bobbly, was taken under Rob Adamson’s wing when it was unable to keep up with its siblings and was attacked by crows last week.
He had been keeping an eye on the new arrivals at Jones Boatyard, in St Ives, Cambs, where he works and took pity on the bird after realising it needed a helping hand.
And over the next two days, the tiny fledgling spent most of its time nestled inside his jacket while eating garden peas to build up its strength on his narrow boat.
He then brought the healthy cygnet back to its family - with heartwarming footage showing the baby waddling straight back to them where it has remained ever since.
Rob, who is known locally as 'swan man', said about the moment: “It was wonderful.
“Every morning, I get a real buzz seeing it back with the family and doing just as well as the others.
“It’s been a week now, and you would do really well to pick it out.
“The only person who might be able to pick it out would be me... But they all look just as good as each other, and they’ve grown so much.”
Rob, 45, who maintains vessels at the boat yard, said a group of swan chicks had started hatching out at around midday on Saturday (June 1).
But the sixth chick of the brood arrived a day later, at lunchtime on Sunday (June 2), and was far smaller than its brothers and sisters.
Rob had noticed how the ‘runt’ was unable to keep up with its family when they took to the water for the first time.
And the animal rescuer, who has helped rear cygnets before, then stepped in to offer his assistance after realising the baby’s life was in danger.
He said: “When they went to the water, because it was so weak, when all the other ones got in and swam off, it couldn’t make it.
“It just got left behind in the nest. Every time it tried to stand up, it fell over.
“It was heartbreaking because one of the times I disappeared off for a bit and when I came back, they must have just gone, and there were two crows there at it.
“The crows will definitely peck them to death because that’s happened before.
“It was because I knew it was happening, I couldn’t leave it to the crows or let it get left behind. I knew I could do something – so I did.”
Rob said the chick, which had been ‘screaming’ for its mum, instantly relaxed when he tucked it under his jacket.
And he then spent the next two days keeping the chick alive by feeding it on the narrow boat where he lives and tucking it up in a pillow-filled box overnight.
Rob said: “When it was left in the nest by itself, it was screaming like any cygnet does when it's left behind or can’t see its mum.
“But as soon as I picked it up and put it in my jacket, it was asleep within a minute.
“The main thing I gave it was garden peas because I knew from Sid, the cygnet I had before, how much it liked them, and it did ever so well on them.
“It was in my jacket, under my arm, asleep. Or at night, or if I had to have a shower, I have what I call the ‘swan box’.
“It’s just a box with a blanket in and two big white pillows, so it thought it was still with its mum. And then when it was feeding, it was in the kitchen sink.
“Within two days, it was at least as good as the others.
“I did want to keep it for another couple to get it extra strong, but the sooner they go back the better, just to make sure the mum accepted it.”
Rob said he had named the chick, whose sex is uncertain at this stage, Bobbly because of the way it had struggled to swim as a tiny baby.
He added: “The first few times when I took it back to its mum, that’s how he was in the water.
"It was really unstable and bobbly, and looked like he was going to capsize.”
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