Swans & Swan Cam
Swan Cam
Swan Cam is now live! Click the ‘play’ icon in the middle of the screen to watch Grace and Gabriel prepare the nest to lay their eggs.
It’s not just swans you’ll see on Swan Cam, the moat is home to a host of wildlife, so we’d love to hear if you come across any moorhens, kingfishers, ducks, cygnets practising their flying skills or even the elusive otter! Make sure to tag us on social media.
Egg Update!
As of the 6th of March, Grace has laid at least 4 eggs. We expect that more have been laid, however, Grace is sat on the nest most of the time, making it difficult for us to get a good view. We’ll update you as soon as we know more!
History of the Palace Swans
The tradition of Swans on the Moat at The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens in Wells is thought to go back to the 1850s when it is likely that a Bishop’s daughter first taught the swans to ring a bell at the Gatehouse for food. We now have two swan bells – one just beneath the window on the left of the Gatehouse, the other to the right – with a rope hanging down for the swans to pull.
Our current pair of Mute Swans, Grace and Gabriel, arrived in May 2019, thanks to Swan Rescue South Wales.
Since their arrival, they have become well-loved inhabitants of the Moat. They improve their nest building each year, and we have been lucky to have cygnets on the moat yearly. They have been known to walk through the market square, become pretty partial to the fudge shop one year, and enjoy being fed swan food.
Gabriel teaches each year’s cygnets how to ring the Gatehouse bell for food before the cygnets leave the moat in the winter/springtime to start life on their own.
Nest building for the next generation of cygnets starts in February/March, and eggs are laid later in March. After incubation of around 40 days, where Grace will remain on the nest, Cygnets tend to hatch around the first week of May.
Our former swan pair, Bryn and Wynn, who were long-standing and much-loved, sadly left us. Bryn, the cob, passed away in April 2018, and Wynn, the pen, departed from the Moat, along with her four remaining cygnets, in October 2018.
It is thought that the family group headed off to the Somerset Levels, a popular site for groups of swans. Wynn returned to the moat briefly in January 2019 before leaving again.
Swan Talks
Are you a member of a local club/organisation? Did you know that you can arrange a talk for your group about the Swans at The Bishop’s Palace? If you would like to know more, or have any dates in mind then do contact Moira Anderson (contact details below). A Swan Talk is generally around 45 minutes plus time for questions and is a light hearted look at the history of the swans on the moat, what to look out for each year and a few behind the scenes stories!
Email: [email protected]
A small donation is requested to cover Moira’s time (and travel if outside of Wells).
Swan News
February 2024
At the time of writing, we still have four cygnets on the moat, however Grace and Gabriel have been encouraging them to be more independent and leave on a daily basis. A few of the cygnets have been brave enough to venture out around Wells, though one did find itself at the Bus Depot earlier in January so needed a little assistance to return to a more suitable place for a cygnet! If you do come across a cygnet exploring Wells in a safe place (e.g. a field) then it will probably just be having a rest and will make it’s own way back to the moat or onwards.
February is usually the month when Grace and Gabriel starting looking forward to building a new nest. You may be lucky enough to see them “courting” and making lovely heart shapes with their necks – I’m hoping that this year I’ll be lucky and be able to capture this on camera!
March 2024
The past week or so has seen Gabriel starting nest-building for this year. Nest construction typically spans several weeks, and we are pleased to announce that Swan Cam is up and running earlier than ever this year. We hope this early setup allows you to watch Gabriel completing the nest over the coming weeks. Currently, Grace visits the area daily but doesn’t spend much time at the nest. However, Gabriel dedicates some time most days to adding more to the nest.
April 2024
Two eggs were spotted on the 6th of March. A few more were seen the following week, so there are at least 4 eggs. However, it was very difficult to determine the exact number, as Grace is very good at hiding the eggs to protect them. Now, she is incubating them and rarely leaves the nest. But there definitely are eggs!
In the coming weeks, Grace will spend the majority of her time sitting on the nest, incubating the eggs. This process usually takes 35 to 41 days. She will only leave the nest briefly to drink, feed, and clean herself. Gabriel tends to stand guard on the nest during these periods. Looking back over recent years, we believe this may be one of the earliest times that eggs have been laid. Therefore, I anticipate that ‘cygnet watch’ may start around mid-April!
Those who have visited the Palace in recent weeks may have noticed that we still have two of last year’s cygnets hanging out on Palace Green. They should hopefully embark on their next adventures in the coming weeks. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we don’t end up like last year with both years’ cygnets. I would like to make a plea: please do not feed the large cygnets if you visit in the coming weeks. With less food available, they are more likely to fly off in search of a better food source. This is, of course, what should happen, which means that when the eggs hatch, the young cygnets will be nice and safe, and Grace and Gabriel can concentrate on them instead of having to worry about the older cygnets.
Please keep an eye on our social media over the coming weeks, as any updates will be posted. Alternatively, feel free to chat with any of the team members when you visit over Easter.
I hope you are enjoying Swan Cam this year. Have you seen Grace turn the eggs? Keep an eye out for this gentle movement as she rearranges them in the nest.