Posted by TIMERNST on January 23, 2008 at 10:11 PM
We now have five new trumpeter swans in the Mill Pond at Boxley - all released this morning in the hopes they will return again next year and the next. All have visible neck bands - they do this to give photographers a chance to practice using the clone tool! The swan this guy is holding is just a young one - a cygnet - which all five are (no adults, so it will be party time in Boxley!).
Posted by Bill Dark on January 24, 2008 at 4:22 AM
That's great news!
The photo here really shows how large these birds are. I knew they were big, but when you see them next to a person, they really look huge.
It would have been nice if the ones that were here earlier had stayed around, but I'm still glad to see these. Do you know if they came from Magness Lake?
The birds came from Iowa. Joint effort with the game & fish, fish and wildlife service, and a group that I think is called the Minnesota Trumpeter Swan Society or something like that. I have mixed feelings about it all. I guess they know best but I just have to wonder if the wild birds will ever return now that these guys will be there. It will give us all a chance to practice painting away that ugly green collar though...
Posted by Bill Dark on January 24, 2008 at 7:45 AM
That's exactly the way I see it too. I would like to have seen Mother Nature take care of the situation, and hoped the wild ones would return. Sort of like quail hunting now - you can go hunt raised birds on a farm, and it's fun, but it's just not the same.
Posted by TIMERNST on January 24, 2008 at 10:40 AM
I just came back from Boxley. All five have the ugly green collars but perhaps they will outgrow them by the time the swans turn white! They seem content in their new digs and are sticking pretty close together. Note that the park service has just installed some new "no access" signs in the area, which includes the access road that leads to the old mill itself next to the pond - which I always thought belonged to all of us (it does). Not sure what is going on there - I hope it is not a sign of things to come...
On the other hand I'm sure these zoo swans will be a great deal of enjoyment to lots of folks, I just hope they don't get a ticket when they stop along the road to see them! (note to always park OFF of the pavement)
Two of the new swans were killed and eaten by an unknown critter this past couple of days - probably by the same critter that killed the big male wild swan last winter. I hope that now something has happened to these zoo swans that the game & fish folks will investigate and see what is killing them. Too bad to see them go without ever having a chance to fly back home. The population they released at Holla Bend last week is much larger so perhaps they will be able to better defend themselves.
Posted by Bill Dark on January 29, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Makes me wonder what happened to the wild swans earlier this year. Even though I enjoy watching and photographing the swans, I guess bobcats gotta eat too...
Posted by Dale Edsen on January 30, 2008 at 9:05 AM
This is obviously one of the drawbacks of releasing captive birds/animals into the wild. They do not understand that there are predators out there. I am guessing that the survivors have a better idea to keep watch and take flight next time.
Just FYI, an interesting discussion is going on in the zoo swan circles about what killed the two swans in Boxley. Seems they have special hunters out calling in various predators with the intent of killing them, just in case they are the ones who killed the swans. Some folks have seen an otter working the pond and immediately the call went out to trap the otter since he must be the one who killed the swans. I wonder if this is how law enforcement works when people are the victims?
I was just at the pond this evening and all three remaining swans are still there and seemed to be doing just fine. Oops, I hope someone doesn't report that I was lurking around the pond! (I would never do that with all of the new giant keep out signs all over the place)
Posted by Tim Ferrell on February 1, 2008 at 10:04 PM
Maybe they are just bringing them in for questioning? Watch out for photographer traps!! I don't want to read about some photographer in AR being waterboarded because they thought he was hiding terrorist information about a zoo swan death.
FYI, there was a flock of more than 15 photographers at the Mill Pond yesterday evening, and I'm hearing the swans are getting friendly and coming right up next to the road - and not swimming off then a potential bad guy arrives (a big bad black dog). That is both good news and bad news. Good news since we won't always have to use long lenses, bad news since the swans may get eaten. I heard from my bride yesterday morning that the mill pond was smooth as glass with the swans were swimming in perfect formation right next to the road - and I was home at the computer! I"m also hearing a lot of officials are spending time down there so be extra careful that you park off of the pavement and watch out for those new keep out signs!
Discussion
10 repliesThe photo here really shows how large these birds are. I knew they were big, but when you see them next to a person, they really look huge.
It would have been nice if the ones that were here earlier had stayed around, but I'm still glad to see these. Do you know if they came from Magness Lake?
On the other hand I'm sure these zoo swans will be a great deal of enjoyment to lots of folks, I just hope they don't get a ticket when they stop along the road to see them! (note to always park OFF of the pavement)
I was just at the pond this evening and all three remaining swans are still there and seemed to be doing just fine. Oops, I hope someone doesn't report that I was lurking around the pond! (I would never do that with all of the new giant keep out signs all over the place)