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Swan Song
Here's the latest report from Evelyn: Charlie [Browne] said that F&W had a program a couple of years back to keep them from developing territories in the area... we don't know where it came from or where it went but Ray saw and photographed it flying out heading east... from the first pond. He confirmed that it would be bad for local waterfowl.... and that since it doesn't migrate, it would find it hard to survive in the Kingdom anyhow... Blessings, Evelyn
So those of us who didn't see the swan will probably not see one here again for a while, if ever. Here's what I found out when I googled for Mute Swans:
I researched swan behavior a little today and came to the conclusion the bird was probably just passing through (Vermont is apparently part of the "Atlantic flyway" used by the birds). They will chase away all other birds in order to protect their feeding grounds if they are a pair and intend to mate and use the pond for raising their young; however, I suspect Joe's Pond would not be a very hospitable habitat for them as they usually nest in February and need open water to survive the winter. If they managed to nest here, they could increase in number rapidly (they hatch out up to eight eggs a year). The males can be quite aggressive, even to humans, and being large birds (20-25 lbs., with a wing span of 6 ft. or so), they can do real damage to their foes. There are large populations of mute swans in Maryland, also in Rhode Island, and on some lakes in New York, among other places. I didn't find anything specifically about their attitude towards loons, but I'm guessing the two would not be compatible. One of the articles I read mentioned the swans will destroy the nests of other water fowl by stomping on the eggs. Who knows what they'd do to hatchlings!
Vermont has adopted a "no mute swans allowed" policy, and a couple years ago shot a pair of them in the St. Albans area, amid a great hullaballoo of protest from animal rights groups. I think wildlife personnel in Vermont now may not shoot them, but they will take other measures to discourage their establishing a presence here. With any luck, this was a "lost creature" that only took a rest stop and moved on!
So those of us who didn't see the swan will probably not see one here again for a while, if ever. Here's what I found out when I googled for Mute Swans:
I researched swan behavior a little today and came to the conclusion the bird was probably just passing through (Vermont is apparently part of the "Atlantic flyway" used by the birds). They will chase away all other birds in order to protect their feeding grounds if they are a pair and intend to mate and use the pond for raising their young; however, I suspect Joe's Pond would not be a very hospitable habitat for them as they usually nest in February and need open water to survive the winter. If they managed to nest here, they could increase in number rapidly (they hatch out up to eight eggs a year). The males can be quite aggressive, even to humans, and being large birds (20-25 lbs., with a wing span of 6 ft. or so), they can do real damage to their foes. There are large populations of mute swans in Maryland, also in Rhode Island, and on some lakes in New York, among other places. I didn't find anything specifically about their attitude towards loons, but I'm guessing the two would not be compatible. One of the articles I read mentioned the swans will destroy the nests of other water fowl by stomping on the eggs. Who knows what they'd do to hatchlings!
Vermont has adopted a "no mute swans allowed" policy, and a couple years ago shot a pair of them in the St. Albans area, amid a great hullaballoo of protest from animal rights groups. I think wildlife personnel in Vermont now may not shoot them, but they will take other measures to discourage their establishing a presence here. With any luck, this was a "lost creature" that only took a rest stop and moved on!
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