The first (and very fluffy) cygnets of the year have hatched at Abbotsbury Swannery.

Swanherds noticed the first signs of hatching yesterday morning and to their delight four cygnets hatched over the course of the day - with a lot more expected over the coming weeks,

The first swan egg was laid in March, just in time for Easter, and swanherds have patiently been waiting for the hatching, which usually happen in May.

A spokesman from Abbotsbury Swannery said: "It's been a really exciting day - the first cygnets of the year. Four have hatched so far today and they are as fluffy and adorable as ever.

"Each year we expect around 100 cygnets to hatch but we think this year there could be quite a few more, there are lots of nests. They will all be hatching over the next week or two.

"The cygnets usually arrive over the first two weeks of May - they were a little early last year but this year the timing is perfect. So for anyone who wants to visit, the next few weeks will definitely be the best time to come."

Pictures captured by Finnbarr Webster Photography show the cygnets just hours after they were born - with one still wet from hatching.

The mother swan remains on top of her other eggs whilst the cygnets snuggle under her wings.

The swannery was hit with bird flu during the winter months but there had been no new cases since January.

Tradition has it that the Benedictine Monks who owned the Swannery between 1000, AD and the 1540s believed that the first cygnet signalled the first day of summer.

Abbotsbury Swannery was first mentioned in 1393 but it seems certain that a colony of mute swans has been nesting in the Fleet long before that date.

Indeed, it seems probable that the swans were already found there when the monastery was founded in the 11th century and that the monks took advantage of their presence and potential as a source of food and income.

Today the Swannery is still managed, but not for food; it is conserved for its unique colony status. Thousands of visitors enjoy watching the parent swans and cygnets between April and October each year.