A dappled "Mrs" swan & a mushie...

[Digger...]

So on the little lake there were 2 breeding pairs. Went out one morning at the start of covid and found one that had been killed by a fox, dam fox didn't eat it just bit off the head. The partner was in the water near the bank and wouldn't leave it. Was a really crap morning.

A year later the partner died, heard a couple of different stories but i dont know which one to believe because i never saw it?

So only 1 breeding pair left there, can hand feed them lettuce and they'll let you hand feed there cygnets when they get old enough. They had 3 this season but i think 1 is missing because i can't find the 3rd one out there now.

Temps have dropped but we haven't had the rain to get the fungi going, it's been pretty dry lately. This ones just from a previous year.

 

[Jeff15]

Nice shots....

 

[wobe]

Nice shots, sorry to hear about the other pair, I suppose it makes sense that foxes attack them but was a little surprised. In the UK here we have a pond with a pair of swans and there has been at least one pair for as long as I can remember.

Nothing odd about that but the place is crawling with foxes - Once it starts to get dark (and occasionally in the middle of the day too!) you see them in them dashing into the nearest hedgerow every road you go down. So just surprised they have not had a go at our swans also.
Maybe they are well fed with the neighborhood bins or some other easy food supply.

 

[jeffashman]

Two wonderful shots! Love the lighting on the Black Swan.

 

[slat]

Nice ones.

 

[Digger...]

Nice shots, sorry to hear about the other pair, I suppose it makes sense that foxes attack them but was a little surprised. In the UK here we have a pond with a pair of swans and there has been at least one pair for as long as I can remember.

Nothing odd about that but the place is crawling with foxes - Once it starts to get dark (and occasionally in the middle of the day too!) you see them in them dashing into the nearest hedgerow every road you go down. So just surprised they have not had a go at our swans also.
Maybe they are well fed with the neighborhood bins or some other easy food supply.

I like foxes and i like cats, but the killing from them both i don't. Do they breed each year?

 

[Digger...]

Two wonderful shots! Love the lighting on the Black Swan.

Nice ones.

Cheers fella's is a great little reserve, can easily do 4 hours out there with 2 sandwiches.

 

[wobe]

I like foxes and i like cats, but the killing from them both i don't. Do they breed each year?

Re the killing, that`s nature I`m afraid, its cold and brutal - every time you see a beautiful bird think how it`s probably full of parasites, living its life every day trying to avoid getting eaten and never knowing where the next meal is coming from.
Yes, the swans here do breed, I remember the cignets last year and the understandably protective parents on the bank hissing at any passing dog walkers!

 

[MitchP]

Beautiful shots!