Swans Through the Seasons

A Quiet Morning's Adventure - June 8
Sub Title:Cast of swans, heron and red-winged blackbird!

We didn't need the weather forecast to tell it was going to be a rainy day. Even though still dry almost every bird - swan, goose or duck - was fast asleep. Boy and Brother were snoozing on the water when I called to them. One sleepy eye half-opened from under a wing, then promptly disappeared again. It was like trying to get a teen-ager out of bed on a cold school morning! Dozing Canada Geese lined the shore all along the beach area in military precision, and only one little Mallard duck with her three good-sized ducklings checked the precincts out for food.

No action of any sort on Precious' side - Mom, Dad and cygnet were all tucked away somewhere in the wetlands -you could almost hear the swan snores (snorts?).

This sleep mode had not affected the little red-winged blackbirds, however and one male provided a fine few seconds of entertainment around the east side of the lake. a great blue heron perched on shore was busily scanning the lake, hoping, hoping... that just maybe he'd spot a carp of snack-size (the current lot of fish are so large, one wonders if they could end up eating the heron!! OK, I'm exaggerating just a little.

Our intrepid heron was clearly annoying the blackbird who may have young in the vicinity, and uttering shrill bursts of protest, he landed on the heron's back. "AWWWWWWK!" screamed the heron as he took off across the lagoon, with little Redwing pursuing him overhead like a feathered arrow. Once the heron had vanished over the trees, his pint-sized adversary resumed his watch from the willows, and peace reigned again.