Mama and Papa Swan, although in their midyears, are still adventure-seekers and happiest of all when they end up in a standoff with another bird! Swans are pretty big compared to most other species, so our intrepid pair usually win the day; that is, until they decided to haunt the herons’ hangout. It was 'Swans 2 – Heron 1' for the first few minutes, with Mama and Papa uttering a menacing HISSSsssssss at the entrance to the haven, guarded by a tough old heron who looked as if he had survived a few battles in his time.

There are lots of Great Blue Herons at Lost Lagoon, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to the swans that a shaggy old Grandfather bird has a truly ghastly war-cry enough to make one’s feathers fall out, or at least stand on end. That, added to his determined stomp as the heron headed toward the guilty pair, resulted in a strategic withdrawal by Mama and Papa, to maybe regroup or seek other less risky thrills.

Meantime, a younger member of the heron family tiptoed a little closer to observe these high-jinx from a safe distance, until the coast was clear once again. His fine “beard” grows during mating season.

[c][small]The little area of water near the upper right of picture reveals a glimpse of swan-tails making a quick getaway![/small][/c]
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