WATERFOWL wardens in Dawlish are keeping a watchful eye on the new family of Black Swans after two of the seven newly hatched cygnets died.

One had been struggling and was unwell on Monday evening and overnight, a second was missing.

The sad announcement has come after celebrations over Easter weekend with the arrival of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ to parents Bert and Kimba.

A spokesman for the wardens said: ‘Overnight, we’ve sadly lost two of the cygnets.

‘One little one was clearly unwell and struggling last night, and this morning, we are sad to say another is missing.

‘It’s never easy to see, especially after the excitement of watching them hatch.

‘We know some people may ask about moving or protecting them, but the aviary is currently out of bounds due to bird flu restrictions and will not be accessible until towards the end of the year.

'The remaining cygnets are still being monitored closely, and we’ll continue to keep a watchful eye on them over the coming days.’

The nest at Tuck’s Plot is monitored by camera and the wardens and members of the public had been out until the early hours of Tuesday trying to help.

However, the five surviving cygnets seem to be thriving and there is now a total of six new cygnets on the Brook.

The other swan couple Bluey and Rosie have one cygnet hatched from their nest which is now more than a week old and swimming on the Brook with its parents.

They are a welcome sight in Dawlish as the swan population has endured a tough time with harsh winter storms destroyed previous nests.

And the new arrivals follow a difficult year for the town’s waterfowl population following an outbreak of Avian flu when up to 50 of the ornamental birds had to be humanely culled.

The owners of holiday accommodation Pilchard Cottage said: ‘After days of waiting, watching, and wondering, it’s such a special sight to see.

‘It started with the arrival of Rosie and Bluey’s one and only cygnet, hatched from a clutch of five.

‘All week we have been watching on tenterhooks as this tiny little cygnet began its precious little life here on the Brook, learning from mum and dad and posing for thousands of pictures.

‘What an Easter treat.

‘The little fluff ball born to Bluey and Rosie is continuing to lap up the attention from all of its admirers.’

The remaining eggs on that nest further along the Brook are now not going to hatch as the new family is out on the water.

The latest cygnets to arrive are likely to be out on the water within the next day or so.

These eggs were laid just weeks after storms in February swept away previous nests and eggs.

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

Meanwhile Bluey and Rosie chose to best further upstream but this time, on higher ground.

Both nests managed to survive heavy rainfall which left the Brook swollen and high water levels.