These pictures come to us courtesy of Nancy Phillips. Nancy photographed these Mute Swans and their two cygnets at Josey Ranch Lake Park in Carrollton, Texas.
At the park Nancy found two adults with two young positioned on the far side of the pond. Nancy took up station on the shore near a feeding Nutria and a group Mallards relaxing under the shade of a tree. There, she began tossing bread into the pond, quickly getting the attentions of the ducks. The Swans took a little longer. About five minutes later, the swans began slowly making their way across the water.
Once on Nancy’s side of the pond, the swans were not bashful. The entire family of swans came up to the shore to be fed. They quickly ate half a loaf of bread with the adults purposely keeping themselves between Nancy and the cygnets. But apparently that wasn’t enough space. Mutes Swans are sometimes know to become aggressive. This time one of the adults suddenly came out of the water hissing, flapping and chasing Nancy’s little Chihuahua away. Nancy split too, and the swan promptly helped himself to the bread that Nancy had dropped in her haste.
Observation Details
| County | – | Denton |
|
| City | – | Carrollton | |
| Date | – | Jun 9, 2013 | |
| Time of Day | – | Evening | |
| Temperature | – | Hot (greater than 89°F/32°C) | |
| Weather | – | Clear | |
| Habitat | – | Water-Pond | |
| Type of Behavior | – | Care of Young | |
| Gender | – | Mixed | |
| Maturity | – | Mixed | |
| Observer | – | Nancy Phillips |
