On Tuesday, a retired Bawley Point couple watched a black swan walk on to Cormorant Beach with its 4 cygnets following.

The couple then watched the mother swan flee to the ocean, possibly spooked by several people and their dogs at the Bawley Point beach.

The cygnets tried to follow their mother, but were unable to manage the ocean.

Two of the four stranded cygnets were contained and one rescuer returned home to phone WIRES, while another concerned couple locked up their dogs and returned to help.

The other two swan siblings were washed up on the beach and a witness reported seeing a dog kill one of the baby swans. 

The surviving cygnet fled over the sand dunes, deep into a shrubby, swampy area backing on to private properties.

After retrieving the “shell-shocked” cygnets, WIRES volunteer carer Zora Brown and her daughter scaled the beach and dunes, but found neither the mother swan or missing baby.

However, Ms Brown was pleased to report the third missing cygnet was found on Wednesday afternoon and reunited with its siblings in care.

The cygnets were estimated to be between one to two weeks old and were “very small” weighing only 125 grams.

“They are now in care, eating and seem content,” WIRES Mid South Coast chairperson Sandy Collins said.

“We get a handful of adult swans in care a year and one cygnet, maybe, a year.”