The good news was that Susie and Sully did not nest in the same sand trap as they did the previous two years. The bad news was that their nest was about 12 inches above the level of the water channel about 200 yards south of the fire station. The nest was small and shallow. The nest building was also hurried, and Susie's egg laying extended over a period of a week.
As usual, I tended to the nest daily, ensuring that food was near so Susie did not have to leave the incubating eggs for long to graze.
But 35 days passed, then 40 days, then severe rains hit, flooding the nest. This was not good. On Day 47, I chased Susie from the nest; Sully had already moved away. The eggs has been fertilized, but the incubation had failed. Susie joined Sully and began this period where cygnets would be there focus without much to do except live their lives and wait for the 2017 season.