I drive to the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District almost daily to mix pleasure with business fitness.
I usually walk about 2 or 3 kilometers around one or two of the four ponds to look at the wildlife and take some pictures.
The ponds are hosting a variety of large birds including Canadian geese, ducks, herons, snowy egrets, gulls, pelicans, and an assortment of small birds.
Originally the geese mainly interested me. I have always been intrigued by the way they communicate (very noisily) before taking flight and during flight.
I would be very curious to know what they are saying. Are they arguing or chatting?
But lately I have been captivated by a couple of swans.
You cannot miss them. They are snow-white and they are the largest birds in the area. They are also the only couple of their kind.
According to Wikipedia, adults typically weigh between 15-30 lbs. (I would say more like 30) and their wingspan ranges from 185 to 250 cm (6 ft. to 8 ft.).
“Swans often mate for life, and both parents participate in raising their young, but primarily the female incubates the eggs.
Most pair bonds are formed when swans are 5 to 7 years old, although some pairs do not form until they are nearly 20 years old.”
Like all the people walking the trails, I have been watching them with interest.
They built a large nest on the embankment of one of the ponds and the female has been incubating for quite some time.
She practically never left the nest. I wonder how she feeds herself?
The incubation period lasts about a month and all the nature lovers have been anxiously waiting for the birth of the cygnets.
And a few days ago, to everybody’s delight, they appeared!
Nine of them. They almost immediately took to the water; fluffy little balls bobbing like corks and huddling very close to the mother.
They have been more photographed and filmed than movie stars on the Red Carpet!
Swans are very territorial and can be very aggressive when they feel that their babies are threatened.
And an angry swan rising above the water and flapping his six feet wings can be very intimidating. Few creatures dare to challenge them.
Some humans by the way could learn some valuable lessons watching these dedicated parents.
And I have yet to see a swan using a cell phone while piloting his family.
Alain
