No more the ugly duckling
WHEN you settle down for half an hour in any countryside cafe you cannot escape the wildlife antics outside.
I even remember having a coffee in a retail park in Wigan, while being entertained by pied wagtails outside.
This week I was watching the world go by in our floating restaurant at Brockholes, near Preston, when an armada of swans sailed by.
This wonderful group was six cygnets being led by mum. The youngsters were growing up to now being a couple of months old – they were no longer ugly ducklings.
The stubby brown feathers are becoming white, just like their parents, and they looked almost regal as they sailed in perfect formation past the diners.
They will probably have to wait until next spring to become ‘very fine swans’ like mum, but they did cut a dash in the Meadow Lake.
Everyone knows mute swans, one of Britain’s most familiar birds. They can be seen from a distance and you will notice their long, curved necks and reddish orange bill.
Swans, like the seven I saw, are wonderfully graceful on the water but make a bit of a racket when taking off and landing. They are also quite obvious when they are flying overhead, with those huge wings flapping. Swans will make a racket when defending their young and can be quite intimidating if they are after your food.
There is a story that they can break a human arm with their wings. While this is not really true it’s better not to get too close to find out.
You will see swans on lakes, rivers and canals because they feed on waterweed. They create nests out of grasses and twigs and, recently, I was told about a swan making a nest from plastic bags and other litter on a canal in Salford.
Many swans do stay with their partners for life – this is a loyalty that has appealed to love story enthusiasts for centuries.
Despite their name mute swans are not silent, just watch and listen to the hisses and grunts of the courtship dance.
And they will definitely hiss if you get too close to their cygnets. The noisy aggression, raising up with wings outstretched is called busking.
The swans I met were pretty chilled out and wandered to greet me, just in case I had any snacks to share with them.
Of course, you must remember that feeding swans is not really a good idea, there’s plenty of food around for them at this time of year. And feeding swans, ducks or any other birds with bread is a bad idea – bread has little nutritional value for our feathered friends. You can buy more beneficial treats for wild animals at pet shops and supermarkets.
To support the work of the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, text WILD09 with the amount you want to donate to 70070.