Monte
hatched?
Several reports today that the eggs have hatched and that the cygnets have been seen by a few observers. I was at the nest at 16:30 and stayed for about 90-minutes. When I first arrived the nest appeared abandoned and the swans were gone. I waited more than 30-minutes before Marie and Pierre came leisurely swimming from around a corner at the far side of the pond and eventually came back to the nest.
Pierre climbed up on the nest and started adding sticks and leaves to it while Marie swam around looking somewhat confused. Her wings were elevated, as this photograph shows, and they stayed that way the whole time I watched her. After a while they left the nest without ever actually sitting on it and never attempted to uncover eggs - that seem to be gone now. They swam around the far side of the pond and then disappeared around the corner again.
One woman told me she had seen a cygnet under Marie's wing and I think it's possible that she has one or more cygnets tucked under those elevated wings.
Monte
swan diaries - entry 004
In the fourth swan diary we answer questions like "why is there clear fluid dripping off the swan's beak?" and "do cygnets talk to each other and thier mother from inside their shells?"
Still no babies as of the morning of Sunday, July 5.
Monte
_DSC3647-marie-facing-camera-web-version
the pleasures of lingering
It was a fun day at the nest. I met several new people who told me about their experiences watching the swans.
I've been going to the nest around 6:00 in the evening, which is not a good time for taking pictures because the late afternoon sun reflects harshly off the bright white feathers of the swans and the bike path fence casts dark shadows across the nest. But it's a time of day when people out for a walk are in a more relaxed and reflective mood and often want to linger and talk about the birds. Conversations feel easy and there is a real sense of connecting with strangers.
I'm starting work on the fourth video and hope to have it out by the end of the week.
Monte
swan diaries 003
This is the third video essay in the series swan diaries. In this video you'll see that both male and female swans do sit on the eggs. There are some other surprises too.
No cygnets as of the evening of June 27.
Monte
no cygnets - yet
Just a quick update: there are still no hatchlings as of Friday evening, June 19 at 1900 hrs.
This is Pierre.
Monte
swan diaries - entry 002
Here is the second entry for the Swan Diaries. No hatchlings yet, but I didn't get out to the nest yesterday so maybe there are now.
More later.
Monte
two birds and a nest
Today I was at the nest around 1600 and stayed until 1730 photographing the swans. A cheerful woman stopped and told me that earlier in the day one of the eggs had fallen out of the nest. It was back in the nest by the time I arrived, but how it got out and how it got back in remain mysteries. Maybe in the next few days I will meet somebody else that knows the details of the story.
I liked this photo of Marie and Pierre together at the nest. This was taken shortly after Marie returned from swimming and eating dinner while Pierre was guarding the nest. Pierre always hangs around after she gets back until she has gotten settled in the nest then he swims off to the other side of the pond.
Monte
swan diaries entry 001
There is a pair of nesting Mute Swans on a pond near my home on Cape Cod. I am planning to keep a video journal of their progress. The pair has built their nest in what appears to be a risky location just a few feet away from a busy bike path on the edge of a salt pond where high tides come close to overflowing the nest. We'll see.
Monte