Hello Alan,
Nice photos. I have counted them on many occasion and if I remember
correctly the total was 11 last count. In the spring 3 fledglings were seen
with the parents for about a month. I dont visit the lake often in the
summer, but the couple trips I did make I noticed 2 of the fledgling were
missing. I know the large snapping turtles normally take a fledgling, maybe
thats what happened to the other two. The one individual juvenile that has
survived can still be seen hanging the feeding buckets (most days)
On Nov 13, 2017 8:00 AM, "alan lenk" <adlenk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I was there last Saturday morning and among other birds I spotted (will
post some of those later) were more Mute Swans than I've ever seen before
at various locations around the lake. I didn't count them but I'd estimate
seeing about 8-10 (I bet Kirk has counted them). Of particular interest
was a pair of swans that are frequently seen along the walking path near
where there is a feeding station. This pair was displaying courtship
behavior that including preening, synchronous movements, dipping their
heads into the water, moving their necks close to one another in various
poses, and general bonding maneuvers. I'm not sure what stage of
courtship I was witnessing, but I observed them for 10-15 minutes until
they started acting "normal" again, at which time I left. Four photos are
attached.
Alan Lenk
Asheville
