Sunday 20 March 2016

A Walk Around Swan Lake

On Friday, there was an article in my local newspaper about the bird sanctuary lake in one of our parks, which this time of year is often invaded by a large number of whooping swans. Some people living close to the lake had been complaining about the level of noise made by the swans, especially in the nighttime.

To me, hearing the whooper swans honking high up in the air this time of year is a sign of spring. But then of course, not living all that close to the water, I only hear them now and then when I’m out walking, and I don’t have to listen to them all the time.

However, reading about them in the paper at breakfast on Friday morning, while still having my brother here (and it being a sunny morning), I suggested we might drive over to this park for a walk around the lake before lunch. So we did.

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The lake was still frozen over, except for the bird sanctuary at the other end, where they keep the water open for the birds.

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Personally I would not trust the ice now, even if there were still visible human footprints to be seen on it.

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At the same time, plants (yellow iris, if memory serves me right)are now shooting up through it, eager to greet the sun!

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Because the swans were making so much noise at the sanctuary at the northern end of the lake (where there are also people living nearby), they made another big hole in the ice on the other side of the lake (where there are no houses) – hoping to get the swans to spread out a bit. But of course swans do as they like, anyway…

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Besides swans, there were also various kinds of geese and ducks enjoying the sunny (if still rather chilly) morning.

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There are also a couple of Australian black swans in the sanctuary; black swans are not part of our native fauna here.

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I may be linking this post to some memes coming up in the next few days: Through My Lens, Our World Tuesday and Outdoor Wednesday. You’ll find links to these in the list at the bottom of my blog.

13 comments:

  1. Blue skies and plenty of sun, but I can almost feel the cold when I look at these pictures!
    Isn't it sad somehow that people perceive the sounds of the natural world as noise, when it is really humans who are responsible for the noise pollution all around us? Cars, music blaring everywhere, mobile ringtones going off all the time, machines on building sites, planes and more cars... Living near a bird sanctuary and then complaining about the birds is like moving to a picturesque village and then complain about the church bells there, as does happen every now and then.

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    1. Your're right, Meike - in spite of the sun, it was cold! And I tend to agree with you about what is to be counted as noise pollution, too. That bird sancturary was founded in 1926... 90 years ago...

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  2. The racket that swans and geese make just has to be tolerated. Mute swans may be the answer.

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    1. We have those too, Adrian. Somehow I doubt it would help much to put up a sign at the lake saying "Only mute swans welcome", though...

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    2. That answer amused me somewhat.

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  3. the pond, the swans, the trees, all are beautiful. i did not know swans make noise. i am thinking with that many it is a LOT of noise.. especially in spring.

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    1. Sandra, we have two kinds of white swans here in Europe - the noisy whooper kind (with yellow beaks) and the 'mute' kind (with red beaks). They aren't completely mute, I think, but not by far as noisy as the other ones :)

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  4. I never think of swans as being noisy birds, the geese and ducks yes, but not the swans. We get the Canadian Geese here and we call then the honkers. Lovely photos.

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    1. Janet, we have two kinds of white swans here - one noisier than the other (see my comment to Sandra).

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks Graham - and welcome back to the northern hemisphere :)

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  6. A very special spring sign! We have swans in a nearby lake, but not so many. Never saw black swans (except from in the ballet!).

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  7. Gorgeous shots - and lovely spring light.

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