Bushy Park recently got a whole lot cuter.

Twelve baby Egyptian geese were born in the Woodland Gardens last month, just days before Christmas.

Small, fluffy and adorable, the goslings have been a highlight of many park visits throughout the winter lockdown.

Sadly, due to a combination of freezing weather and hungry herons waiting to pounce on stray chicks, there are only four left.

Many park visitors on social media sites like NextDoor have wondered why the goslings appeared so early this year.

Nub News decided to investigate and see if their early birth really was so surprising - and what the survival prospects are for the remaining chicks.

They were born early, but not by as much as you might think

In England due to the cold weather most bird species wait until spring to raise their young.

But local wildlife experts say that Egyptian geese are different.

Hugh Smith, Senior Wildlife Officer at The Royal Parks, said "While [Egyptian Geese] are usually in sync with native species and usually produce chicks in spring, they can sometimes have chicks throughout the year including over the winter months."

And Debbie Williams from the RSPB Richmond & Twickenham local group said: "Egyptian geese are known to breed very early in the year, around January onwards, probably as January is around the time when they would breed in their native Africa.

"I have seen Egyptian Goose goslings in January quite regularly so the Bushy Park goslings are possibly slightly earlier than usual."

Local photographer and wildlife enthusiast Jeremy agreed, saying: "I've known in the past Egyptian geese to have their first brood early, but December January is the earliest I've ever known it to happen from my observations at Bushy and Richmond Park and elsewhere."

According to The Royal British Trust for Orthinology Egyptian geese have been in the UK from at least the 17th century, so it's surprising that they still have the breeding patterns of warmer climates.

Their survival is up in the air, though more likely thanks to climate change

Two of the wildlife experts were not very optimistic about the fate of the four remaining goslings.

Smith said: "Sadly these chicks are unlikely to survive the cold weather but the good news is these birds are likely to produce more offspring in the warmer months."

Jeremy, who last saw the goslings on the 12 January, said: "The first brood is always the most vulnerable.

"There are still four chicks but one looks a little fragile, he is smaller than the other three so might not last."

But Williams was more optimistic about their chances.

She said: "The goslings in the past have struggled to survive being born this early, as they would be very vulnerable to hungry predators, though over the last 20 years as our winters are becoming milder, more goslings are surviving and there has been a population boom of the Egyptian Goose, spreading from Norfolk to the south east."

According to a 2014 Guardian fact file on the species by environment correspondent Paul Brown, this can be explained by the rising global temperatures caused by climate change.

The goslings also benefit from being able to shelter under their mother's wings for warmth and safety.

As Williams explains, gosling parents are devoted to each other and their young.

She said: "The Egyptian Goose parents mate for life and both parents incubate the eggs and both look after the goslings when they fledge (leave the nest).

"They are very protective of their young and will stay together for most of the year as a family group.

"I'm sure you've heard their hissing and honking. When they have young, the honking & hissing alerts the goslings of possible predators.

"I've seen a dog running towards some goslings on land and as soon as one of the parents started honking the young ran into the river to safety."