THE solitary Black Swan egg laid in Dawlish may be infertile, the town’s waterfowl wardens have warned.

A single egg has been laid by the breeding pair of dad Bert and mum Kimba and it is on a makeshift nest on a low-lying ‘island’ in the middle of the Brook.

Concerns had already been made about the location of the nest and its position close to the waterline.

Dawlish town councillors received a report from the wardens at a meeting of the council’s Civic Amenities Committee.

Members also raised concerns about the ‘less than ideal’ location.

They were told the wardens were monitoring the situation closely as they were concerned the egg was not being looked after, possibly suggesting it is infertile.

The wardens are continuing to check on the swans and egg and may intervene if necessary.

Councillors also raised concerns about whether the two Muscovy ducks had been checked for Avian Flu and were advised that precautions were still being taken to prevent the spread of infection among the birds.

It was emphasised no one is allowed into the aviary without going through the foot wash, and the birds outside the aviary will be left to breed naturally.