The two young cygnet swans that took up residence on the river near my work a few weeks back.

http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/ladyzekke/shot1.jpg
Recently I had to call in experts to help (what I believe to be the male) bird because he had fishing line wrapped around his leg. I learnt a little of their history because the 3 guys who turned up had re-located them to a pond a few miles away.

I'm no swan expert but by all accounts these two birds had "paired" up really early. They were badly bullied by another adult swan and were re-located for their own welfare. The guys I called in recognised them, they had obviously thought "bollocks", I'll find my own home.

Well these two poor juvenile birds have already been bullied by their own kind and manhandled by humans. I used to feed them by hand before I called in the wildlife people, so gentle and trusting they are. I whistled them in through trust and again one was dragged from the water by his neck. What a hard time they've had.

They no longer trust me but that's a side issue.

Today the male was alone swimming up and down river. The only one of his kind with no mate and no knowledge of where to go and without a soul to trust.

I really hope she turns back up, I'm worried she's been caught in fishing line or had a flying accident.

This is her, beautiful isn't she.
http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/lady...harlieswan.jpg
Say a little prayer for her. I know there are bigger issues in the world today but she too is a child of God.

I hope she's OK Charlie and turns up soon! btw, what time of year do they lay eggs?

Dunno Wendy. Actually both geese are missing as well. The geese went missing for a few weeks last year in the summer and then came charging down the garden path with nine chicks. Hopefully our warm weather has made the geese go do their thang early. Swans I don't know nothing about, I've never seen them more than feet apart in the past. If they were both missing like the geese I'd maybe not worry so much.

Well, if they did their 'thang,' maybe she is on the nest?

He'd be with her.

Sadly again today he's by himself, she's not around.
Good news he came in pretty close to the bank today, he's regaining some trust, maybe adjusting....dunno.

The Geese were back. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Got the bravest little mallard in the world on my hands too. She is limping quite badly on land but no obvious sign of injury. She's being chased senseless by three sometimes four drakes, I think she's in season or something, maybe they are....again...dunno.

Saw a really fierce fight today between two male ducks, went on for ages. Each had hold of the others tail, were each chasing and being chased by each other. Went on and on....

Life on the river....sometimes sad but always interesting.

Best of luck to them, Charlie [img]smile.gif[/img]
Nice to see you care so much [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img]

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*sniffles* Waaaa

That's really sad!
It reminds me of the time when a family of swallows were living under our roof and how the daddy swallow went out in the storm onw night and never came back. Then the mother swallow left...
and all the babies died...

Waaaaa

:(

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You're a good man to care so much for these birds Charlie [img]graemlins/thumbsup.gif[/img] Stay that way, there arn't enough animal lovers like you in the world [img]smile.gif[/img] I hope that the swan turns up safe and sound. And I'm glad the geese are all accounted for :D Those are some beautiful birds in those pics. Thanks for taking care of them [img]smile.gif[/img]