Some missing swans have returned to their Stratford home

Two swans were photographed in Stratford, Ont. in this undated image. (Courtesy: City of Stratford/Facebook)

Four of the six swans who recently went missing in Stratford are now back home.

The beloved birds wandered away after water levels dropped along Lake Victoria and the Avon River, caused by storm debris blocking the sluice gate. Though the gate has since been cleared, the water levels weren’t expected to return to normal right away.

The city’s iconic swans are known to leave the main river system for nearby tributaries, parks, stormwater ponds or even the golf courses.

That ended up being the case for some of the missing six.

On Friday, the city announced three of them were found upriver, to the east of Stratford, while a fourth was in a stormwater pond near Orr Street.

The birds were tracked down thanks to tips from the community.

A fifth bird, which has not yet been retrieved, was also spotted in a local pond.

“We are hopeful that the sixth and final wanderer will be returned soon,” the city said.

The city said three of the birds were taken to their winter home on Friday.