Predator?

Went for a walk in a very windy Home Park to check up on the cygnets this morning. I was rather disturbed to find only an empty nest at Dew Pond - the pen, cob and four fluff ball cygnets had all disappeared! This grey heron was, as always, lurking in the reeds at the edge of the pond. I can't imagine he's done away with the whole swan family so hopefully they've slipped through the fence into the inaccessible stretch of water that lies just outside the park.

Still no signs of hatching at the other two nests and I'm beginning to wonder whether there ever will be. The family of seven slightly older cygnets on Wick Pond seem to be doing fine but they were all sheltering from the wind in a spot that made photography a bit of a waste of time - how very disobliging!