Delivering good news

by Ann

Lovely news this morning from one of the ponds at the lodges. Lillie Lodge pond plays host to a wonderful variety of wildlife including a pair of Black swans who arrived here almost four years ago and have made Sun Hill, and in particular Lillie lodges pond, their home. They have provided our guests with some unforgettable moments and are the best PR machine imaginable, at least they used to be when they were allowed to wonder wherever they wanted!

 It was not unusual for guests to have the pair of Australian black swans tapping on windows while they were enjoying a quite night by the fire, or climbing up the steps to the hot tubs while couples enjoyed relaxing alone in seclusion - until the swans arrived to say hello and threaten to join them in the hot tub.

Generally our guests adored them but occasionally we would have the odd frantic phone call asking for some help back into their cabin because the swans wanted to follow them everywhere- literally.

One or two of our cleaning ladies didn’t take kindly to the constant mess they created and so eventually we gave in and fenced the pond in, giving them unrestricted access to the ponds surrounding area and the island in the middle but no more walkies among the rest of the lodges’.

We had always hoped they might breed one day until some bright spark said the reason they had not bred was because they were the same sex. However, aged four they are now the right age and perhaps the extra peace hoisted upon them thanks to coronavirus and our forced shut down, has probably helped them bring their three cygnets into the crazy world we live in.

Born between 7.30am when Carl fed them and 10.30am when Kyle heard them make a racket and went along to investigate, he spotted the little darlings swimming on the pond with mum and dad.

They are simply ‘adorable’ and we are looking for appropriate names for them (please don’t ask what sex there are!) Besides, in our ridiculous gender neutral world your probably not allowed to ask such simple, basic and perfectly natural questions? But either way I can promise you we are NOT going to check nor, are we taking on a very protective mummy and daddy!

Let the naming competition begin………………………………

Can’t wait to hear what you can come up with.