Swanning around

Out with Kev yesterday at some very prestigious property ringing Mute Swans on some private lakes.

See Kev Blog for full details.

We started in Douglas trying for Herring gulls but no luck , just recently the big spring trap just seems to scare them off and they don't even come near.

I had noticed a Mute Swan at Tremode business park eating grass by my car while out shopping about 2 weeks ago, so we headed off to see if we could locate it .

We couldn't find it when we pulled into the bottom car park, Kev told me there was a pond behind the business park so we headed up there.

A few Mallards and 3 Canada Goose no sign of Swans 

We walked back to the cars and i decided to look towards the garage in the bottom corner.

There they were sat in the opening of the repair centre in the warm.

1 male Mute Swan ringed at Tremode

I spoke to the owner and told him what we were planning to do. He told us that the old Female he reckoned was between 30>40 years old and they look after her supplying her with food

(proper swan food) and water, she was going blind now and she had lost her partner a few years back

The male Swan next to her was unringed as well and he said was one of her sons.

Due to her condition we decided not to ring her and concentrated on the male.

All the mechanics were interested in what we were doing and told us how they had looked after these birds during the cold winter.

After visiting the next property and meeting a great lady who has cared for her pair of swans for 5 years

and worries about the young being kick off her lake by the adults, it never fails to amaze me

how birds come into peoples lives and and make a big difference

from elderly Ladies with big gardens with lakes to burly mechanics in a garage fantastic

2 Cygnets ringed at Ballasalla

Another 2 Cygnets ringed down near Castletown and a Canada Goose on the river
a great morning out with Kev seeing some new and impressive places on the island