Sparring Swans
October 31, 2012 in Wildlife Village by Jan
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Good Morning Villagers While at Far Ings on Saturday I witnessed some territorial behaviour from a pair of Swans. There were two Swans on the pond in front of the hide, they then swam into an inlet in the reeds to my right and were out of sight.Half an hour later two more Swans arrived on the pond. The two that were out of view suddenly flew up. The female decided it was the cobs duty to see off the interlopers and landed gracefully, leaving him to sort it out!
The Cob flew straight over the females head, I ducked for her! 
He made straight for the other swan (I presume male) further along the pond, he was on a mission. 
Eye contact made and he looked like he was going to crash into the other swan on the left who had just started to flap its wings. 
It was over very quickly and the interloper was trying to fly off out of the way. 
It escaped unharmed and took flight. 
It was joined by its partner and off they flew. There are a few ponds there so I would think they went to another one. Ten minutes later the resident pair flew off in the same direction and I was left wondering if they were going to chase them from pond to pond!! This the first time I have seen Swans being so aggressive towards each other. Have a Happy Halloween Villagers http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=3638214418999&source=jl999 Happy Birthday to Kath Roberts too!! http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=3633702786622&source=jl999 ____________________________________
The Dyfi Osprey Project and the Scottish wildlife Trust have kindly given their permission for us to post still and video images from their webcams. To visit their sites please click on the relevant link. Loch of the Lowes. Dyfi Osprey Project.
Good morning all. Goodness me Jan, I bet that was a sight to behold! It looks like there was real aggression there. They can do some damage too so I’d be off to the next pond if it was me. I know that swans mate for life but didn’t realise just how territorial they were! Thanks for your brilliant photo’s. xx
What a brilliant card – Happy Halloween everyone!
Morning Shirley, I did wonder if it was down to food resources. They do not get fed there. When you think of the huge flocks of swans you see together I was surprised to see this behaviour. xxx
Hi Jan,
Lovely photos this morning, thank you. Amazing to watch – we saw this at RSPB Conwy when we went to Wales earlier this year.
Hope you are feeling much better now.
Marion x
Hi Marion, still got a sore throat but am at the Docs next week so will see how it goes. Had a flu jab yesterday so will probably get that now lol.
I can understanding this behaviour during breeding season, perhaps someone knows the answer xxx
Hope you soon feel better Jan xxx
Thanks Joyce xxx
Cirl bunting makes comeback at Jersey golf course:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-20135922
Fenland Black Oak: 5,000-year-old bog oak enters kiln:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-20131272
Sheepdog Fleck rescued after Shetland cliff fall:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-20146399
What a lovely little bird the Cirl Bunting is Marion and back after 10yrs, amazing. Hope it sticks around
Amazing to see planks of bog oak that are 5000 yrs old. Lets hope they have it right this time, lol
Phew, Im so please to hear that Fleck is ok and not even a scratch on him, poor thing must have been petrified falling over that cliff xx
River Nith crayfish reports probed:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-20136865
The Enchanted Forest at Pitlochry breaks sales record:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-20123312
It is a shame if they have been let out into the rivers illegally and now they are having a devastating impact on our own fish etc
It looks beautiful the Enchanted Forest xx
Bananas could replace potatoes in warming world:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20126452
Polar bear sanctuary on iceberg:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-20140188
Honey harvest ‘devastated’ by wet summer:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20139062
Clever bears, keeping away from the hunters can only be good.
I suppose we will now see honey rocket in price as if its not expensive
enough, certainly the Manuka blend.
Thanks Marion good links – what time do you get up lol!
Dx
Hi Deirdre,
Glad you enjoyed the links – I am always up at 6 a.m., except at weekends when I have a lie-in until about 7 a.m.
Hope all is well with you.
Marion x
Hi Marion, yes all is well here thanks perhaps you will have more lie ins when Peter retires! We are getting worse at early rising now, can’t say I like it, I think the early morning is the best part of
the day.
Dx
I dont know about bananas and sausages in place of potatoes and mash, lol
Amazing the new research about where these polar bears live
That is quite a drop in british honey caused by the weather this year
Jan – what amazing photographs of the swans. I expect they made lots of noise. Thanks for sharing them here.
Happy Birthday Kath
Good morning everyone,
JAN smashing photos this morning of something I have never seen before.
Like you because there are often so many together thought they were pretty
tolerant of each other although we all know they can be quite aggressive
to humans or animals that come close. I am surprised they gave you the ‘flu
jab yesterday whilst you were still feeling unwell, hope it doesn’t make you
worse!
Dx
Hi Deirdre, they said as long as I did not have a temperature it would be ok. xxx
Different to vets then, they won’t vaccinate if the animal is under the
weather! I had that problem with our last scottie. Maybe our immune systems are better.
Dx
Four million hairy legs per person:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/327292-four-million-hairy-legs-per-person
Agggggghhhhh 4,000,000 hairy legs, my blood has just ran cold now, lol xx
Ha ha Susan – what about the average house supporting 100 spiders!! That is pretty amazing if not aggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh ing!! lol
Jack my eyes are everywhere in the house, least little movement and I shout Mum, there’s a spider, get rid of it. lol xxxx
Happy Birthday Kath – hope you enjoy your day
Marion
A few more sightings from Birdguides over recent days:
17:29 29/10/12 Osprey Essex Chigborough Lakes EWT 16:00
22:02 26/10/12 Osprey Clwyd Clocaenog Forest
19:28 26/10/12 Osprey Essex Thurrock Thameside Nature Park 13:50
08:43 26/10/12 Osprey Wexford Bannow Bay 16:00 25/10/12
23:04 25/10/12 Osprey Anglesey Inland Sea
21:30 25/10/12 Osprey W Sussex Warnham LNR 11:10
Hi all,
Great series of photos this morning Jan – I hope you will soon be completely better.
The behaviour you witnessed is quite common among breeding pairs – they are extremely territorial. They will defend their patch against all comers and sometimes their almost adult cygnets will join in too. I have seen a cob trying to drown the cygnets of another pair that strayed into his territory. The fights can be vicious so a wise interloper will beat a hasty retreat. The large flocks that appear to be happy together are usually non-breeding birds who don’t have a territory to defend.
Happy Birthday Kath – hope you get chance to pop over and say hello
Hi Jack,
Thanks for info. on the swans, I hadn’t given it a thought that when they are
happy together it’s because they are non-breeding. We have a lovely little
family in Windsor Park, but just the one so there is no competition for
their territory so no aggression.
Hope you are feeling better today.
Dx
Hi Jacks, hope you are over the car sickness now and having a good time. Thanks for the info on the swans. Never knew they were so aggressive towards each other. xxx
I’m feeling much better thanks Deirdre and Jan but still a little dizzy and therefore queasy – isn’t it strange how you can be so badly affected – I find certain cars are much worse than others and of course sitting in the back is fatal and I try to avoid it if I can but when a rather large bloke is in the car it seems mean to make him squash up in the back – unfortunately he will have to next time!! lol
Hi Jack, glad you feeling better and you too Jan xxx
My mum was car sick all her life and had to sit in the front too.
Fortunately I have never suffered but my friend does although
she can get away with sitting in the back occasionally depends
on the length of the journey and the car!
Wonder though whether you might have a virus, had a touch of
dizziness and feeling very slightly queasy myself on and off and
you know OH had it a few weeks ago.
Dx
It’s a thought Deirdre – because I know a virus can have that effect – hope nothing develops xxx
Fantastic photos Jan, I’ve witnessed swans behaving like that only once ~ boy it was wicked! Sorry to hear you’re still under the weather.
Happy Birthday Kath and happy Hallowe’en. My two will be going out guising but I’m on a late shift I will miss it
Thanks Fiona hope you are feeling better now too xxx
Hope things are quiet at home tonight Fiona!!!! Guess you are feeling better now.
Dx
Good Morning all. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATH, hope you and hubby are both well. Some brilliant posts since Sunday, thankyou all. When the Leeds/Liverpool ran through Whittle our resident swans were very defensive of their stretch of the water – at all times of year, maybe food stocks are low?. Well come 12/12/12 all is meant to ‘become well’ – if we survive that long. Our thoughts should be with Loch Garten on yet another sad loss, ourselves – because we all feel so helpless with regard to the carnage in Japan, and the mind- boggling lies submitted with regard to Heathrow and the East-coast as they suffer Sandy. MARION as always your links are a mine of information, thankyou. Well the ‘young adults’ loved their mini-break in Scotland and got a beautiful shot of a wee robin.I am hoping to get our friend hooked up to us later this week, she is just like us with regard to the love? of nature and I think she would enjoy our little village enormously; her name is Janette, her eyes arn’t overly good but here’s hoping. HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all, were battoning down this year and being miseries!.xxx
Looking forward to hearing from Janette – my namesake xxx
Hope we hear from Janette then Shirley, you don’t have to have overly good eyes
to be a member!
Happy Halloween to you too, not a nice day here for trick or treating so hopefully
we will escape.
Dx
Hi Shirley, always lovely to have a new villager xx
Good afternoon everyone
Happy Birthday KATH, I hope today brings you special memories. xx
Happy Halloween everyone, hope everyone has more treats than tricks tonight.
The weather here is cold and very wet today, I am just back from the hair dressers
it was good seeing our friend Ann Mc, I haven’t seen her for a while, it was good to catch up.
JAN, Wow, how lucky was you to be there just at the right time. the photos are stunning, thank you for sharing this with us. off now to check out Marion’s links. xx
Jan, what a great post today! I knew Swans can be aggressive, but never witnessed it for myself, and your photos are stunning!! xxx
Marion, thanks for some really interesting links – I’ve not read them all, but was especially interested in the bog oak, and read some of the other links from it. As you know, I’ve become increasingly interested in forestry & woodland, and I think that trees provide a fascinating living history, given how old they can be. I hope the project goes well, it will be an incredible sight if it proves successful – I can appreciate the concern at working with such old wood, but equally can imagine the huge sense of pride and satisfaction that will be felt by those involved!
Also, the Enchanted Forest is something I HAVE to see!! I must make enquiries, and see if I can get over to that next year, it looks incredible!! If I remember correctly, someone from our original Lowes blog attended a wedding held there during the festival a few years ago?? xxx
Nick if you manage to get to the Enchanted Forest,make sure you don’t book the very sat performance before they finish or you will be rushed round as they can get away that night,It is beautiful
Jan amazing photos thank you,Have seen that behaviour many years ago frightened the life out of me as they were very close.
Hi Jan, what a brilliant post today and the pics are amazing. I haven’t seen swans do that before. I knew they are very territorial though. I do hope that they never followed them and chased them off again. xxx
Happy Birthday Kath, hope you have had a lovely day
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE
I had this in my emails today from Animals Australia about factory farming.
In view of the subject I thought it was tastefully presented and although
I know on the blog we respect this subject thought you may like to see the
video and even pass it on.
http://www.makeitpossible.com/
hopefully you will be able to access it,scroll down and click on ‘watch the film’.
Do you think that is in Australia or is it that bad here
I think in some place it is as bad. Look at all the animals they use for testing in Harrowgate, it is unbelievable. Kitten, Monkeys etc. if Monkeys are to big the just kill them and disregard them, its awful Jack xx
I think it is here too Jack, we still have a long way to go and a lot of
people still unaware of the cruelty inflicted on the animals to bring
them cheap eggs, chickens, and pork products etc. At least the little
piglets at the back of us are living a natural life with their mum lying
on her side in the mud feeding them rather than penned and unable to move.
Dx
This is it D, so many are unaware of what is going on. I do buy eggs, but I only buy free range eggs and I dont by pork chops or steak anymore
It is just awful seeing them hemmed in like that unable to even turn around xx
I know – pigs are reared free range too though – we have quite a few pigs farms around here and the pigs are out in the fields.
Factory farming is barbaric – these are living creatures and they are being treated like a production line product – if you buy meat guys only ever buy free range or outdoor reared
I haven’t bought Pork except bacon for years until recently
then it was free range from Waitrose but now we have the piglets
nearby I can’t do that any more! Managed to be vegetarian many years ago for about two months but did miss bacon – really hate myself for it. I buy organic free range eggs too, have to be
careful with eggs that the chickens are fed decent stuff so
that’s why I get organic, they are the most expensive but then
we eat less of them. With my IBS I have to be extra fussy on
quality too.
Dx
Thanks Deirdre. I thought it was really well done and they certainly got out the message exactly what they are trying to do. I really felt for those animals, it must be horrendous for them to live like that. I really hope that people stand together and get these animal farming factory stopped once and for all, not just for farm animals but puppy farms, our dolphins and whale, it has to stopped. Really breaks my heart seeing what goes on xx
So agree Susan it is awful and I would rather go without than buy
meat where the animal hasn’t lived a normal life, as far as I know.
It worries me too that we may be led up the garden path sometimes!
What about the chicken trying to get out of the lorry, so wished he’d
made it.
Dx
So did I D, I was wishing it to fly free. It is just unimaginable how they are being treated xx
Holly watching sheep on TV
Gorgeous!!
Brilliant, such intelligence.
Aw Angela – she is just gorgeous – she certainly knows what they are!
Awwww she is a beauty Angela. She looks quite fixed on the sheep there, lol
Great pic xx
I’m watching Autumn Watch I recorded earlier and I can’t get over Martin – what on earth have they done to him – he is all sanitized!! Shirley what do you think – it’s his teeth – it has just changed the shape of his face totally and his boyish good looks have gone – sorry – I liked him before the BBC got their hands on him!
But it has reminded me – I went into Pets at Home yesterday and they are selling a new product – it is deer antlers! They are cut up and sold as alternatives to bones for dogs. I was fascinated by them – you could see the crown where the antler had calloused over and fallen off the deer’s head. It said no animal had been harmed in their production so I rang the producer and he told me they are collected from the wild after the rut when the deer shed their antlers so not a product of deer farming or culling. I am tempted to buy a couple not for the dogs but just because they are so fascinating and tactile – am I normal!!!
He looks a bit grey Jack LOL! I think he wants to have his hair long and the Beeb
don’t so they are scraping it back, and it looks as though it needs washing…..
Wonder if you can believe that about the antlers, don’t forget they do a lot of
culling.
Thanks for your e. I have looked up the info. and it makes a lot of sense, I hadn’t
heard of that possible cause before, but it certainly ties in with my food upsets.
Will get back to you soon. Don’t work too hard.
Dx
No – he assured me the antlers weren’t from culling – he paid people to go out and collect the ones that had been shed naturally.
Glad the info might help xxx
Off to bed now girls, wonder where Jill is at the moment, hope she isn’t still
feeling bad. Night night, sleep well.
Dx
I’m off now too – night night everyone – sweet dreams xxx