We observed this solitary Mute Swan at Woodlake Pond in Carrollton, Texas. While we watched, it spent much of its time preening and primping.
Later, when we examined the photographs we took of this beautiful bird we found something unusual. We spotted the strange behavior in some of the pictures taken while the swan was still far from shore. In these photographs, we noticed that the bird was holding one of its legs out of the water and in an odd position. We did not notice the behavior while we were on site, so we cannot say if this was just a momentary gesture or something more serious like an injury.
This swan was a new arrival at Woodlake Pond. He had likely only been there for 2 or 3 weeks when these photographs were taken, and he has since moved on.
| County | – | Denton |
|
| City | – | Carrollton | |
| Date | – | Nov 13, 2011 | |
| Time of Day | – | Midmorning | |
| Temperature | – | Warm (70-89°F/21-32°C) | |
| Weather | – | Clear | |
| Habitat | – | Water-Pond | |
| Type of Behavior | – | Preening | |
| Gender | – | Uncertain | |
| Maturity | – | Adult | |
| Observer | – | Chris Jackson |
