SUMMER has arrived in Dorset with the first fluffy cygnets of the year hatching at Abbotsbury Swannery.

The newest arrivals at the swannery have been emerging from their eggs and scores more will make their appearance over coming weeks.

The swannery is the only place in the world where visitors can walk through a colony of mute swans, see cygnets hatching and participate in mass feedings.

This year, the Abbotsbury swans have established 96 nests, with an average of five eggs to a nest.

As the little ones hatch amid the current blustery weather, the proud and protective parents are keeping them carefully huddled underneath.

But sharp-eyed visitors can now get a glimpse of the early birds as they snuggle in to their nests.

Dave Wheeler, head swanherd for more than 30 years, said: “As the wind has got up, the parents will tend to keep the babies huddled under.

“The first ones are always very special and we are keeping a close eye on them as the weather is a bit wet and windy.

“We can look forward to cygnets hatching throughout May, with the frequency increasing and reaching a peak for the next bank holiday weekend towards the end of the month.”

Swanherds feed the adult swans twice a day on wheat grains while the cygnets are fed three times daily on chick crumb, a crushed pellet full of protein.

Their parents also feed the cygnets algae, other vegetation and grubs.

Mr Wheeler added: “Old Dorset legend has it that the day of the hatching of the first cygnet is the first day of summer.”

The swans return annually to Abbotsbury to raise their young, which usually hatch in the second and third weeks of May.