And when the nest building and love-making are done, as the long spring afternoon stretches ahead, Mr. Mute-Swan stretches his wings and heads over to the other side of the pond to harass the Demon Geese who stole his nest. No matter that he has built a new nest and a very fine nest it is.
“Never forgive, never forget” is his motto.
Casually paddling cross the pond towards the old homestead.
“What ho! Incoming” cry Mr. and Mrs. Canada-Goose. “Prepare to repel Mute-Swan!”
Incoming!!
In the assault, note that Mr. Mute-Swan does not actually attack Mr. and Mrs. Canada-Goose directly. Instead, he attacks the nest and its underpinnings. There’s no physical contact between the warring birds. It’s a war of principle, not annihilation.
Attack!
Perhaps that is one of the differences between “creatures” and “humans.” We actually kill each other for far less worthy reasons than having had our nest stolen. Mostly, animals don’t unless, of course, they are hungry. Or it’s mating season and there’s a SHE to be won. Cherchez la femme, even if you are a bird.
The attack continues.
Confrontation!
And again, from another angle … still, with no direct contact.
Take that demon geese!
The geese don’t look all that upset. Perhaps the attack is part of the ritual? And everyone seems to know the rules of the game. They were probably born knowing.
Paddling like mad, the attack continues!
It’s not over, but that’s all the time I’ve got for war today.
“I think I hear my wife calling,” says Mr. Mute-Swan and he slowly circles the nesting geese one final time. “But I’ll be back. Don’t you think this is over.”
I shall return!
Related articles
- Battle of the Nests – Chapter 3 (teepee12.com)
- Swans On Our Pond (teepee12.com)
- Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) (ncfscience.wordpress.com)
- A silent ballet for mute swans at Humber Bay (thestar.com)
- Pair of nesting geese takes over a Hunterdon Medical Center parking lot (nj.com)
Categories: Blackstone Valley, Life, Nature, Photography, Spring
I am glad to see it wasn’t a battle to the death. Mud
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So far, so good … but geese and swans do not share space, so if more geese decide to try and move in, things could actually get a lot more lethal.
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“The Longest Day On Golden Pond”.
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Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of waterfowl?
On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 11:21 AM, SERENDIPITY
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There’s no sneer quite like a swan’s. I’m trying to cultivate that.
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You’d have to have a very long neck and a lotta white feathers.
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Lucky you to witness this. I have read that swans are highly territorial and I wonder if this was the case? Great live captures Marilyn!
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Yes, they’re very territorial, and so are the geese. I was in the right place at the right time … with the right camera, several times in a row. It helps to have a camera with a VERY long lens. I couldn’t have done it any other way.
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Seems you are always in the right place at the right time!
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Well, to be fair, I live around the corner. It’s just past the grocery store.
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