We live by a short stretch of canal which is the territory of a well-established pair of swans i.e. the last 3 years they have nested and one year they raised 2 cygnets, then 7 cygnets, but last year the eggs did not seem to hatch. From mid Feb they normally get romantic, stay close to each other, sleep in the day, moon around then eventually build a nest by about mid-March.
Since last autumn we've had a 30 foot canal boat moored on the canal. At first the swans ignored it, but since mid Feb one of the swans is spending more time by the boat than it is with its mate... I think it is the cob.
The boat is not that shiny - but it is dark and we wonder if it is reflecting some sort of image and the swan is either "courting itself" or trying to scare itself away... much of the time its movements look more like gentle pecking than aggressively scaring.
Does anyone know ...
- Is this common?
- Will it disrupt their nesting?
- What can be done?
best regards
Christine Hardisty
Christine,I wonder if the boat is moored close to where the Swans have nested before,maybe the cob is complaining at the intrusion,I believe they like to nest in the same spot each year.
birding is for everyone no matter how good or bad we are at it,just enjoy it while you can.
Thanks - The swans have changed nest site over the last 3 years.
Last year's nest was about 500m North of the mooring - but the previous year's was about 10 feet away, the year before it was about 500m South of the mooring.
He looks more flirtatious than ferocious to me :-)
C
He isn't begging for food from a potential occupier of the boat, is he? I know from our experiences of sailing narrow boats along canals that we are often beseiged by swans when we are moored, wanting food. They hang about looking hopeful, and have been known to "knock" to attract our attention.
Cheers, Linda.
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Thanks - I don't think it's likely they're after food because the boat was new in Sept and has barely been used. It's owned by the canal trust and the main skipper is as puzzled as I am. He would know if anyone on a "pleasure cruise" had been feeding the swans from the boat.
The stretch of canal is short and it's the first boat to be on the water here in many years.
Also - the swans ignored the boat from Sept -Feb. The interest seems to have coincided with the time they normally become interested in each other so for me, an explanation linked to nesting rather than eating seems more likely - very curious.
He maybe is on a bit of an ego trip and has fallen in love with himself,met a few people like that over the years (lol)