Joy as cygnets hatch - but frustration as swan gets caught in litter

Swans at the lake have being proudly showing off their new additions, with Julie Potter capturing these adorable pictures.

However, the images also showed the swan's mother become visibly irritated when a hair scrunchie got caught around her foot.

The mother was eventually able to remove it herself - but Ms Potter said: "It’s very upsetting when people just disregard the fact that we live amongst such fascinating wildlife and cause harm to them by just disregarding their rubbish."

The Cygnets have become a bit of an attraction for some local residents of Needham Market (Image: Julie Potter)

Ms Potter said visiting the swans at the lake during 2020 had been very enjoyable and had helped her get through lockdown.

The hair scrunchie that was stuck around the swans foot (Image: Julie Potter)

"They started nesting as soon as first lockdown was implemented and as I was in the vulnerable group, I wasn’t able to work for five months," she said.

"So I visited them more or less every day and photographed the young and all the way through to adulthood over the past year.

The two Cygnets were caught taking a rest in the nest (Image: Julie Potter)

"In fact, it was quite a saviour at a time of extreme worry and anxiety."

She says she has been visiting most days this year to photograph them, adding: "They are well known to people in the area. They bring a lot of joy to nature lovers."

The Cygnet enjoyed some time out in the water (Image: Julie Potter)

A spokesperson for the RSPCA, said: "Litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today and we would urge people to report incidents such as this to the RSPCA’s helpline on 0300 1234 999.

“People can help protect animals by picking up any litter they see lying around as well as ensuring they take their litter home with them or disposing of it properly and responsibly.

“The RSPCA took nearly 4,000 calls about animals affected by litter in 2020."