_____________________________________________________________________ An absolutely blissful life for your swans and their cygnets. Wish I had a big pond/lake.
We have wild swans, here; and these are free, I'm pretty sure, using a series of drainage water cleaning ponds.
__________________ Are there always some there? How amazing to be in an area with water source to draw them for your enjoyment. Do you feel they are reletively safe? Will the cygnets have the opportunity to grow up without being eaten by predators? My peafowl are fairly safe either in the aviary or high up in old growth Live Oak trees nights but have lost 4 in 8 years regardless. Keeping Gunther and Gracie safe on the ground is going to take a fort. Still haven't completely figured out what we're going to build. I've been happy to read Black Australian Swans are the smaller of the species but wonder if it wouldn't be better if they were larger and more intimidating to predators.We have wild swans, here; and these are free, I'm pretty sure, using a series of drainage water cleaning ponds.This one is flying toward geese, in order to keep them out.
________________________________________________ What is that in the water in your last photo? Love all the pictures you've posted. I don't have a problem with dispatching predators. I've had 4 beautiful peafowl killed by them in the past 7 years. When I have to choose between a predator and the precious life of my animals the predators come out on the short end of the stick every time. I wonder if the swans would kill a peafowl if it flew into their habitat. Fact peafowl can fly well means most likely they'd escape but now thinking I'll put a roost for them to get up on if attacked by one of the swans. I've decided a good size fenced garden I've not planted in for a few years is going to be converted for Gracie and Gunther. Lot's of work to make it safe but less work then other locations we've considered.I don't know if this is their first year or not. And the two adults have stayed alive, for a while. And their nest is on a sort of an island >
Along one shore line, I saw the remains of a dead bird, not a swan. I do not know if a swan killed it. I read that they kill birds; so certain predators could be in danger, themselves. I heard an osprey was hovering over the ponds. But possibly it was checking for fish. This one passed by >
I did not see it before the cygnets were there. It could be a coincidence or this rather smaller bird could be checking for a dead cygnet to scavenge . . . if a baby died because of non predatory reasons . . . I consider. Also, we have a ducky family with smaller babies which seagulls or others might try to get >
She had seven babies, too. We can keep count and see. But this neighbor seems interested in only veggies >
I suppose there is a way you could set up some sort of a "trap" which ambushes predators if they come near your birds. I don't mean what would hurt them, but some way to trick them into thinking your birds are bait to be avoided. I wonder if you could scent mark them or the surrounding borders.
