The Courier Nature Notes expert Roger Thomas said a young bank of swans leading into winter, while not unique, was unexpected for the region. Mr Thomas said the fact the cygnets were about one month old already meant they should be healthy and strong enough to survive a long Ballarat winter.

The new brood has eluded The Courier photographers until now with the family exploring their patch more.

Originally seen with five cygnets, Mr Thomas said one had not survived long after hatching and another had disappeared but the cygnets were at an age now that weather should not bother them. Their biggest threats now, according to Mr Thomas, were dogs and cars about the lake.

Their adventuring comes as a winter blast is set to hit Ballarat this week as heavy rainfall and strong winds sweep across the state. Snow fall was likely in parts of the Grampians down to 900 metres as a cold front moved through on Tuesday.

Temperatures across south-east Australia are expected to be three to four degrees lower than average for at least two days this week. Ballarat has forecast tops of 10C tomorrow, 9C on Wednesday and 11 on Thursday - the city's average June maximum temperature is 13.1C.

Cygnets usually start appearing in Ballarat from early September at the same time as daffodil flowers. Mr Thomas said it was hard to gauge whether these cygnets were the first or last of the season but a mild autumn should have helped their start to life.

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Swan eggs are incubated for about six weeks before hatching. Mr Thomas said cygnets could swim and feed themselves within a day of hatching and were soon guided to the shore by their parents, where they graze on grasses, clovers and other plants.

Mr Thomas said cygnets tended to feed onshore more than in the water during their first few weeks because physically they both struggled to reach aquatic plants and endure constant waves.