Swan goes here
There’s been a swan in this spot for the past few nights. I spotted him when I was out looking for the kitten (he’s nine months old now, the Wandering Age). I saw something white in the canal and thought it was an overcoat (yeah, my first thought was a dead body), but it was a sleepy floaty swan.
I can’t get over how swanny this place is. I mean, we had them in ones and twos and threes back in Rhode Island. But here? One foggy morning, some years ago, I stood in the field across the road and counted 35 of them.
(Ah, yes. Here it is. December 31, 2008).
A bunch of them flew over the car this afternoon. I bet it was a dozen. Their wings make the most extraordinary mechanical whuffing sound when they fly. I wonder if my ditch swan has joined them in migration.
An old farmer told me when you see them here on the coast in Winter it means a cold snap inland.
Posted: January 14th, 2019 under birds, personal.
Comments: 9
Comments
Comment from Ric Fan
Time: January 14, 2019, 11:26 pm
They are beautiful but mean.
Watched Father Brown & Granchester — boy, UK television is awful. Father Brown is pushing abortion and Grantchester is back to his one night stands with black chicks.
Comment from Bob
Time: January 15, 2019, 1:23 am
Do they honk a lot? Loud and obnoxiously?
When I was a mere lad, a trumpet swan crept up behind me and honked LOUD. Having thus scared the wits out me, it proceeded to chase me until it caught the attention of some Muscovy Ducks, which apparently didn’t like him.
I didn’t like the messy ducks much, but I was thankful for the save.
Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: January 15, 2019, 4:43 am
Okay:
Do we have everything in place?
Swans? ✔️
River? ✔️
Confessed banjo player? ✔️
Comment from Mrs. Peel
Time: January 15, 2019, 5:58 am
Sometimes we get seagulls all the way inland to Pearland. Usually means a big blow coming in from the Gulf.
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: January 15, 2019, 11:48 am
We had a Civil War set-to with PETA about 20+ years ago when “the cannons” were disturbing some ducks on a pond.
The PETA people missed the fact that a family of swans had taken up royal residence and the hoopla was actually the war between the water fowl to see who were to be masters of the pond.
Stately birds swans, but best viewed and appreciated from a distance.
Good luck on Brexit kids. But I think it’s going to go the way of our wall, much to my sorrow.
Comment from Wolfus Aurelius
Time: January 15, 2019, 1:36 pm
There are swans in the parks here, but not on the streets. However, this weekend I saw . . . a vulture.
No kidding. I was driving up a passage behind a local grocery when I spied a big feathered black body. I pulled up alongside and saw that it was a vulture, tearing away at something on the ground — this was in back of the store, near their dumpster. Mr. Vulture turned that ugly naked head of his and eyed me, and I imagined him thinking, “No, it’s too lively yet. Nothing for me right now.”
Then somebody came walking up, and he spread his impressive wings and flew off.
It reminded me of the PR campaign to “Save the California Condor!” “Condor” sounds elegant, even noble, right? I wonder how many people would get behind a “Save the California Vulture!” campaign?
Comment from ExpressoBold
Time: January 15, 2019, 1:44 pm
RIP
Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019)
~
Congrats, @ peacelovewoodstock!
Comment from S. Weasel
Time: January 15, 2019, 8:12 pm
Well! Poor old gal. Congrats, P-L-W.
Comment from Mark Matis
Time: January 15, 2019, 9:38 pm
I suspect, Mrs. Peel, that if the blow coming in from the Gulf was big enough, you would get seagulls all the way to Wichita. AFTER the blow…
}:-]
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