Under the (m)umbrella

What better place to take shelter from the elements (in this case the midday sun) than under the wing of your mother?

Pleased to say that all four cygnets were alive and well this morning even though the hopeful heron (extra shot 1) was still in close attendance.

To counteract all this saccharine sweetness I've included extra shot 2 as a reminder that not all babies in nature are so good looking. This is a much criticised point of view but I think the fact that coots are reputed to kill their own offspring in certain circumstances just bears out the fact that some faces are too ugly even for a mother to love!