Live 'Swan Cam' launched as birds lay eggs in time for Easter
The famous swans at The Bishop's Palace in Wells have laid eggs in time for Easter - and can be seen on 24 hour Swan Cam.
The pair, named Grace and Gabriel, became hugely popular in 2020, when thousands of viewers tuned in daily to the Bishop's Palace’s 24 hour livestream to catch a glimpse of the couple and their cygnets during lockdown.
Last year, Grace made her nest on an island in the middle of the Palace Moat next to a public footbridge. Luckily, as the Gardens were closed due to lockdown, she was not disturbed.
This year, staff managed to persuade the pair - with the help of some tempting foliage - to build in their former, safer, location by the office door.
Grace is thought to have laid at least six eggs in her nest and is settling down to incubate them. The incubation period lasts around five weeks before the cygnets start to emerge from their shells.
The Swan Cam has now gone live on the Palace website and is trained on the nest. It runs 24 hours a day and, as it has infra-red capability, viewers will be able to catch every development as it happens.
People wanting to watch should head to The Bishop’s Palace website and scroll down to the “Latest Videos” section at the bottom.
There is also drama elsewhere on the Palace Moat - one of last year's cygnets is still hanging around. It is unlikely that he will stay for long - staff say dad, Gabriel, is giving him a hard time and using "very strong persuasion" to encourage him to leave.
The tradition of swans on the moat dates back to the 1850s when they were first taught to ring a bell at the gatehouse for food.
Grace and Gabriel arrived in spring 2019, thanks to Swan Rescue South Wales.
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