A Sad Swan Song on Loch Etive

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:22]Heat. Heat.

[00:00:40]Following on from my successful aris adventure, I was now keen to get the gray Garner out to winter storage. The Gray Garnard is a 4.2 2 m long quick silver rib which I often refer to as my inflatable cabin cruiser as I transport the homemade tent in its bow and sleep aboard the boat in my multi days away.

[00:01:03]It's powered by a Yamaha 25 horsepower four stroke and I'm delighted to say that after 7 months in winter storage outboard started instantly. I use 5% ethanol fuel and don't drain the fuel out of the EFI engine. And I've never listened to tails that 5% ethanol fuel goes off. And this is why as it started first push of electric start and ran flawlessly all day.

[00:01:38]My plan for the day was to do a sport of fishing. My first attempt this year, then spend the night aboard the boat in the we out the way bay in locket.

[00:01:49]I was tickle pink when I caught my first pink fleshed fish this year. A healthy specimen just a little short of 2 lb in weight.

[00:02:02]My heart missed a beat when it jumped out the water because I often lose fish at jump. I shake her head mid-flight and hook is dislodged.

[00:02:12]So, I stopped winding in just keeping slight tension in the line until the fish calmed down again.

[00:03:01]Heat. Heat.

[00:04:16]I didn't have a landing net, so I had to exhaust to fish completely before lifting out the water. Some may think I'm cruel, but they only fish for food.

[00:04:26]And even sausages were once living pigs.

[00:04:55]Look at that. Oops. Careful.

[00:05:00]Careful with them.

[00:05:04]Yay.

[00:05:07]Delighted that I wasn't going to starve that evening, I headed up ahead of past Bono Quarry and other familiar views and the way to my we out the way bay I often come. I will this time is going to sleep aboard the boat for the first time this year.

[00:05:38]It was a beautiful blue sky and warm spring day with a southwesterly breeze helping me on my way.

[00:05:52]The greenery was returning to the scenery, replacing the solemn yellow ochre and brown hues of winter. I was looking forward to seeing my friends at the campsite. The girls, the swans, the butterflies and bees were all doing their things. Now I knew the swans were nesting just around the corner from a we bay for the first time in 4 years. So I saw them and left them in peace as I didn't want to disturb them.

[00:06:21]I landed at my camp spot and posed with my dinners. I think fresh fish season has started. Yes, I did a little more fishing on the way, then sat back and enjoyed a tin of gravy as we don't cook my fish in it, only burgers or red meat.

[00:06:44]I watched my boat rocket anchor and decide it was too bouncy here to sleep in the boat.

[00:06:55]So, I took it into the river just around the corner.

[00:07:00]Although the river almost dries out at low tide, there is a deep hole I anchor over that keeps the boat to float.

[00:07:07]Although, I get trapped for an hour or so at low tide. Better that than not getting any sleep with waves lapping on the aluminum hull. It doesn't take long to set up the tent cabin. And I always sleep better than in a traditional tent, knowing that ticks can't get me, and neither can the coos or deer that make ghostly noises in the middle of the night. I then sat a while enjoying the silence, mainly because I had forgotten my harmonica.

[00:07:38]Then it was time for supper, so I fell to the smaller of the two fish. I kept the larger fresh and cool in a blue plastic bucket full of sea water and took it home and did another two suckers.

[00:07:52]After filling it was fried in margarine and then scoffed with great gusto.

[00:07:58]Absolutely delicious.

[00:08:01]Then I retired to the cabin cruiser for the night. I was hoping for a good night's sleep, but I sleeping an air mattress and planks under the tent. and unfortunately the mattress developed a leak. So it was a hard night's cut and bare planks.

[00:08:18]It wasn't that great a hardship though as I awoke to another splendid morning and had my breakfast sitting at the we out bay.

[00:08:29]Another glorious day in May. I had my morning coffee while admiring familiar views and listening to the silence.

[00:08:50]I now planned to head for home as I didn't want my two lb trout to go off.

[00:08:56]Leaving the bay, I glanced over at my two friends of swans busy nesting the small island.

[00:09:03]Sadly, it's the last time I saw the male swan alive.

[00:09:08]Two days later, someone who follows my YouTube channel texts to say they visited the island and found one of the swans dead. Its head and neck gone completely, possibly by a fox.

[00:09:22]Eggs were in the nest and the other swan was still alive.

[00:09:26]I was heartbroken as I had befriended these two swans and he always stopped by to visit when I was at the we out away bay. Evening day trips I often went a walk and returned to the boat only to find them waiting my return.

[00:09:44]I thanked the guys who let me know what happened. And two days later, which is the earliest I could manage, I headed up the lock to find out what had happened.

[00:09:56]As soon as I could, I assembled the ribb in the shore at Kelly's Pier and made my way to the we out the way bay as fast as it could go. I didn't notice greenery in the scenery or anything else on the way.

[00:10:12]I just wanted to see my friends or swans as soon as possible.

[00:10:20]Heat. Heat.

[00:10:58]My heart was pounding as I approached the nesting site as I could clearly see a swan sitting on it. Silently, I hoped it had all been a mistake and the swans were fine. But as I get closer, I saw a lot of white feathers in the water and more seabirds circling around the swan than normal.

[00:11:30]As I drew alongside the island, my heart sank as I noticed the swan was sitting in the grass and not the nest.

[00:11:39]Taking my time so as not to spook the swan as I know they can be a very aggressive approaching their nesting site, I landed and saw where the male swan had fought and died defending its partner and nest. The surviving female looked very sad and lost sitting in the grass. The nest is on the right beside her, a few feathers giving its position away. To her left, they found her partner, head and neck removed by its killer. I'm not ashamed to say I felt tears welling in my eyes. These swans were my companions for past 4 years, and I considered them pets, although they were totally wild. I also think they considered me as a human pet, as there was a strong bond of trust between us.

[00:12:27]I threw a handful of grain to the swan, and you can see how it reacted. No aggression, just slowly and painfully rising to its feet to check out what had thrown to her. Now happy that I wouldn't cause her to be aggressive, I went closer in the hope she'd let me see her nest. She didn't object, just stood silently and looking terribly sad. There were six eggs in the nest, and it still looked neat. But I suspect the eggs were abandoned as the swan can't stay off him for long. I wondered if she knew eggs were finished as she watched her partner fight his death and perhaps try to assist driving off his killer.

[00:13:10]This is possibly more a human emotion than the swans and I couldn't let her sit looking over her dead partner. So made this decision to remove his carcass.

[00:13:22]I used my boat to to him away or she sat down again and watched looking totally stunned.

[00:13:47]Heat. Heat.

[00:14:28]I took the carcass round to the we out away bay and put it into a rock creasse with the intention of going back and burning it when I returned with a speed.

[00:14:39]No sooner had they stashed the carcass and returned to the boat. The female swam round the corner and came up to the boat. We sat looking at each other, not knowing what to say or do. I turned my face away so she didn't see my silent tears.

[00:14:57]I started the outboard and headed off and she followed as fast as her big web feet would go. So I led her back round to a nesting site.

[00:15:16]And when we got there, I then went as fast as I could go because if I didn't, I knew she'd have followed me all day.

[00:15:34]Once I was far enough away, I turned and made my way up the lock. My plan was to do 3 or 4 hours fishing, then call back to see her on the way back to see how she was feeling. Although the scenery was stunning, I just didn't care. My thoughts were with the swans.

[00:16:18]I stopped at air train for my afternoon break, but I didn't taste the coffee or sandwich.

[00:16:25]So enough was enough. I headed back to see my lonely swan.

[00:16:40]This time she wasn't at the nesting site and I had to look for her. Then I spied her almost a kilometer away. She also spied me and immediately took to the air. I'm sure she missed me as much as I missed her.

[00:17:00]She landed beside the boat, then came over and we sat in silence again, a mutual feeling of sadness and total trust in one another.

[00:17:10]Then she moved off. I landed and watched from a distance. I was happy to see her feeding, her head down, eating underwater sea grass. Then I slipped away and headed for home before she noticed I was gone.

[00:17:27]I left it for two days simply because I couldn't face seeing her again, but also wanted to give her a rest from me. In day three, I loaded up the inflatable cabin cruiser. The stores were a couple of days away just to give me time to be with her again and see how she was adjusting to being in her own. Swans are like humans and grieve the loss of her partners.

[00:17:53]I also took a spade. I wanted to put the male sworn in his final resting place.

[00:18:00]I'd like to add that all events in this video are true and in the sequence things happened. I have not staged any of the clips, nor did I coax a swan with food. I seldom feed her after my first meeting when I fed them both. I realized then that was a mistake as he started demanding food, hissing and reing up if I didn't give them any. We did form a very trusting relationship after that and for 4 years they came to me and followed me around just as a female is still doing. I would never dream of burying any other dead swan or wild animal I found. I was doing it as I considered them my camping companions. I scanned the shore at Darl which is where the swan's territorial area begins and I hope she would be there but she wasn't.

[00:18:54]She was still moping around the nesting site, still asleep when it was 11:00 a.m. In the past, they would have been up and about in search for food by then.

[00:19:08]It was quite a blustery morning and the boat was getting blown on to seaweed.

[00:19:12]So, I went around the other side of the island to see if I could attract their attention. I called but was totally ignored.

[00:19:21]Hey, I thought it best to leave her in peace and besides I had something else to do.

[00:19:31]Swint round to the we out away bay and landed. Our partner's remains were still undisturbed in the rock creass where I'd left them. I dug his grave as close to it as I could. The ground proved hard digging and I couldn't get much depth due to bedrock.

[00:19:48]Still, I was happy it was deep enough. I placed him in his final resting place and put the turfs back, then built a little can with stones before saying my last respects.

[00:20:01]I then walked a 200 m or so round to the nesting island to see my friend, the female swan. She was just getting up.

[00:20:11]The tide was in, so I couldn't cross to see her, so she came across to see me.

[00:20:17]Oh, I read in the net that swans are very intelligent and do form bonds with humans that show gettingness. I think this proves it.

[00:22:08]Will you sing tonight?

[00:22:34]She followed me round to the we out away bay where in the past the swans always came to visit. I spent half a day in her company gently talking to her. I know she wouldn't know a word I spoke but I think she appreciated and understood anyway.

[00:22:51]and she saw him away. Sai too went away heading up the lock again to do a sport of fishing.

[00:23:09]Once again, I didn't really enjoying the fishing as my mind was still in the swans. So, it's hardly surprising I never caught a thing in these trips. I headed back to the rivermouth beside the we out the way bay as I planned sleeping aboard the boat again and wanted sheltered waters.

[00:23:29]In the evening, a swan paid me another visit, only stopping for a few minutes before going in her way again. I thought she was starting to accept she was single again and was happy for her.

[00:23:59]When she left, I settled down to my supper of sausages as I was fishless.

[00:24:20]then had an extra portion of yellow nectar with my dessert of grapes and chopped bananas. I was beginning to get back into my own routine, so exercise the drone after supper.

[00:24:45]Will you sleep tonight?

[00:25:30]They asked the drone to see if the Swan had gone back to Mo alone in her island and it showed that she was no longer there. I guess she would be further away at D. So once again, I felt she's beginning to get back to her old self again.

[00:25:47]I slept well that night and I woke to another glorious morning. I had a coffee and cereal breakfast in the river bank.

[00:25:56]Then I went to a nesting site and saw the swan wasn't there.

[00:26:01]I saw her heading across from Dal to greet me. I did give her a small handful of crushed bran flakes, which is only the second time I've given her food since I first stood in her nesting spot.

[00:26:14]She scoffed it, then went in her way, which made my day.

[00:26:27]So I too went for my way to the head of the lock again.

[00:26:32]This time I noticed how wonderful the scenery was and I waved at the seals sunning themselves at bar. I didn't notice my friends the sea eagles but that in itself could make a full video perhaps one day. I towed my fishing lure behind the boat and once again caught out except a couple of small trout too small to scoff. So, I put them back to grow bigger.

[00:26:59]I don't care about not catching anything there. Just towing a lure is my excuse to slow down, enjoy nature at its best.

[00:27:08]Being there always soothes my soul in troubled times. Although the past week had been very emotional, it was worth every minute as I'm positive I helped my friend the swan and I'm sure a partner rip would have agreed.

[00:27:25]I stopped for lunch at air trican and admired the blue bells known as the flower of remembrance.

[00:27:33]I'm sure every year now until I die when I see them I will remember my friends the swans.

[00:27:42]I decided I could go home now and the female should be okay. She was still at D so I stopped at the nesting site but she couldn't see me.

[00:27:52]The nest is now being visited by predators. One of the eggs was gone.

[00:27:57]Then I saw it shell a few feet away.

[00:28:00]They can have the remaining eggs as neither of the swan or myself want them.

[00:28:05]I mentioned the fox may have killed the male, but in all honesty, I have never seen or heard foxes around this part. I have seen a large dog otter and the rocks around the island are covered in crab shell, a sign of water life.

[00:28:22]I suspect the author was the killer. I don't hate it, though. It's just following its instincts, too. In much the same way I kill pink flesh fish to eat. I headed for home, avoiding contact with a swan. I'm sure I'll meet her again soon enough, but have no plans to go back for a week or two. I hope you enjoyed the video, which I dedicate to swans and mother nature herself.

[00:28:50]Thanks for watching.