Cygnets struggle to climb into steep nest

There is a mum Mute Swan with a nest on an island in the middle of the lake in St. James's Park.  She has 6 cygnets and took them for a swim while I was fortunate to be watching on the opposite bank.  

Photographs of the swan and cygnet trip are in one of my other posts.  This post shows the poor little things trying to get back home.

A black swan is sitting on a neighbouring nest and was actively watching their antics.  Mum and babies are now back near the nest, which is very big and very steep.

Black swan on nest, watching Mute swan and cygnets

 Mummy Mute is back on land, while the cygnets are still in the water.

Mute swan returning to nest while cygnets watch

Mum Mute swan with her 6 little cygnets

 Mummy swan is back on dry land and flaps her wings in order to dry them.

Mute swan flapping wings and cygnets beginning to clamber onto the bank

Climbing onto the land was not easy for such small babies.  Now they have an even harder task  - climbing up to the top of the nest.

Cygnets starting to leave the water

Two cygnets have made it all the way up to the top of the nest and mum swan is trying to encourage the other four to follow.  I suppose it must look almost like Mount Everest to those tiny babies!

Mum swan with 2 cygnets in the nest while the other 4 are still at the bottom.

Dad Mute swan arrives and tried to encourage the remaining cygnets to start climbing.  They are not actually positioned in the best place for getting into the nest and have part of a steep tree root to climb first.  I am sure it would have been much easier for them if they were only a little further to the right, where there is no tree stump and there is only a gentle slope.

Mum Mute swan on nest, Dad Mute in water, cygnets huddled together at base of nest

 Mum Mute checks over one cygnet, while another joins her at the top of the nest - two more to go!

Another cygnet gets to the top of the nest

Now there is only one cygnet still to climb the mountain and dad Mute tries to give encouragement to it.  It was having a hard time and seemed to find it very difficult.  At times it even went back into the water for a rest and was beginning to look very exhausted.

Dad Mute swan tries to encourage the last cygnet to join it's siblings in the nest

The female Mute swan stands up a little, showing the cygnets already in the nest, while the last cygnet is still struggling to get up the bank.  Dad can do nothing to help and can only wait patiently in the water and watch the ordeal the remaining baby is going through.

Mum Mute swan is trying to encourage the remaining youngster to climb the mountainous nest

Mum swan settles down again and the last cygnet is half-way up the hill.

Female Mute swan on nest, male still in the water and cygnet half-way home

Phew! - at last the cygnet is back up on top of the nest and a sibling pops out to welcome it home.

All the cygnets are now with the female swan on the top of the nest

At last daddy swan leaves the water and can breathe a sigh of relief as all his family are now safe.

Male Mute swan now on dry land while female relaxes on the nest at last

The male swan climbs up the nest, while the female and last cygnet are still preening themselves ready for the evening's sleep.

Male and female Mute swans on the nest, with one cygnet still visable

As you can imagine, I took lots of photographs of the fascinating struggle that the poor little cygnets had to go through to get back home.  They will have to repeat this every day but, of course, it will get easier as they grow bigger.