cygnets

[DeepXplor]

On Friday, my wife and I took a short cruise on Barnegat Bay. When we returned to the dock we were greeted by two adult swans and four cygnets. It is always a pleasure to see such a peaceful site. It appeared that the swans were looking for a handout. We will most likely see these swans for the rest of the summer. Hopefully the young will survive the NJ winter.

 

[GermanG]

I agree that Mute Swans are pretty, but they are an introduced species and unlike the native Tundra Swan, which only winters here, the Mutes tend to take up permanent residence in a water body. An adult can eat up to 8lbs of aquatic vegetation a day, depleting the water of food for native species and turning it into a sterile, muddy habitat. They are also very aggressive towards other nesting waterfowl, chasing them from the immediate area. Wildlife management departments in many states have aggressive programs to eliminate them on public waters. They are still pretty, however.

 

[reptilecraized]

Awe...very nice