THE ICONIC Black Swans of Dawlish are now collectively sitting on a total of 10 eggs.

The two breeding pairs have five eggs each now, laid just weeks after storms swept away their previous nests and eggs.

Pair Bert and Kimba are back on the purpose-built raised island on the Brook at Tuck’s Plot where they have successfully bred in the past.

Meanwhile the other couple Mr Blue and Mrs Pink, or Bluey and Rosie as they are also known, have again chosen to nest further upstream near the former Post Office building.

This time, however, they have chosen a higher nesting ground.

Both nests have, so far, survived heavy rainfall over the last week which left the Brook swollen and high water levels.

It was touch and go with Bluey and Rosie’s nest last week but it came through the deluge unscathed.

It has been a tumultuous time for the Black Swan pairs in recent weeks and months.

Two of Bert and Kimba’s cygnets which had hatched, were lost in December, thought to have been washed to sea.

Both couple’s nests and eggs were swept away during two consecutive storms in January.

But the 10 eggs follow a difficult year for the waterfowl population in Dawlish following an outbreak of Avian flu when up to 50 of the ornamental birds had to be humanely culled.

Now, the couples will take turns sitting on the eggs and turning them regularly.

It is possible not all will hatch as some may be infertile but the parents will know during incubation and those will be discarded from the nest.

Once laying is finished, incubation takes about six weeks.