A POSSIBLE six or seven eggs have been laid by the famous black swans in Dawlish.

The town’s iconic waterfowl, which have been a feature since the early 20th century, have had a difficult few years but seem to be bouncing back.

Various reports say it could be as many as seven eggs laid by the breeding pair on their specially created nesting site at Tuck’s Plot.

Despite recent heavy rain, the nest remained above the water level which had left the Brook running very high. 

The population was hit by an outbreak of Avian flu in 2020 which claimed the lives of 11 birds. 

But since April 2011, the town has been actively trying to boost the population again since a breeding pair was brought in from Hull.

Now, the nesting site, which was designed to be above any flood level, is home to a clutch of eggs and the doting parents-to-be.

They are regularly taking it in turns to sit on the nest and, on their return from foraging to food, taking time to make sure there feathers are dry before sitting on the eggs which means they keep both warm and dry. 

Black swans have been a feature in the Devon town since the early 20th century, when the first pair were brought over from New Zealand.

They are the unofficial symbol of Dawlish and a major tourist attraction.