Swan Feed Continued

This family has been dropping by every so often to get a little bread. Each day daddy was getting more aggressive. He seems to feel as head of the family he should be fed first and the most. The babies make little chirping noises and you just want to reach down and pet one or play with them, but the bloody stub you'd be left with just doesn't warrant such an act.

The third day they came for food they were about half way down the bay and started swimming toward me. Dad took off and flew toward me coming to a skid on the water. The rest of the family hurriedly followed. Dad was already hissing at me and started toward me like a hungry felon. Everything remained civilized though and when I ran out of bread I turned and went inside. But....."waitress!! we're still hungry". They waited around looking at the house for awhile so I obliged and took them out a second helping.

The next day when they came up the bay they swam fast and didn't stop at the waters edge. They all at once walked out of the water and right to me. Hissing I might add. All but the babies, the babies seemed to almost have doubled in size overnight. They chirped. They all acted ravenous, even the mom who usually stays behind and waits for everyone else. This day she was not so gentile.

Today they all stayed in the water and didn't seem nearly as famished. Something in the water was butting up against them and bothering them so they swam away even before finishing their meal. Either a large fish, snake or muskrat.

I didn't get photos the past couple days to show how much they've grown. These photos are from early in the week. I'll do a follow up soon. I know they get fed quite well around the lake. At least three families on just this bay feed them at different times and it seems they have an internal clock. They come to my spot between 1:30 and 2:00 pm. I saw them outside at 7 and went to offer them some bread but they just waited in a yard 3 houses down. Finally a lady came out and fed them, so apparently 7pm is that house. :)