THREE new Black Swan eggs have been laid on a nesting site in Dawlish.

The latest eggs follow the first egg being attacked by seagulls.

Despite the set back, the breeding pair of dad Bert and mum Kimba are continuing with their next brood.

The nesting area in rushes beside the Brook has been cordoned off for the swan’s safety and comfort.

A spokesman for Dawlish Waterfowl Wardens said: ‘Kimba’s nesting area has been sectioned off now. ‘Please be respectful our waterfowls home, and report any suspicious or anti social behaviour to the police.’

A few days earlier, the pair had been seen building up the nest in preparation.

News that the first egg had been attacked was a disappointment.

But the waterfowl wardens said: ‘As terrible as this may seem, it is just a natural part of life for these bird.’

Bert and Kimba last previously had six eggs in September last year.

Those offspring, of which four remain, are now juveniles.

Two died when just a few months old, one was possible attacked by a seagull and the other died in November from ill health.

The arrival of the next generation, the fourth brood for Bert and Kimba, has delighted their fans.

Wellwishers took to social media to express their fondness for the birds.

One said: ‘It’s so lovely how devoted they are to each other and their off-spring when they’re young.’

The swans have been the emblem of Dawlish for more than 50 years.

There are records of them in the early 20th century but they died out between the two world wars.

In the late 1940s, Captain GRS Pitman, a game warden in Uganda, presented a pair of Black Swans to Dawlish in memory of his parents.