For this weeks post I am going to do something a little different. Going back to basic. Or going outside...
On my way to work, I always go past a piece of land with sheep. Every year though, they get paid a visit by two swans. Since we moved house 5 years ago, they have been there (probably before that too) and I actually missed them when I was away last year. Every year, they have around 6 or 7 eggs and they almost always all come out and stay alive. (It does happen that the babies pass or get eaten by rats).I love the elegance of swans and am absolutely fascinated by them and their lives. So this year, I decided to do some research on swans and try and get photos of the babies once they were born.
Some fact that everyone might know is that swans mate for life. Once they find a partner, they are committed and both male and female will protect one another and compete with other swans if necessary. Rarely they separate, the main reason for this is nesting failure.
It's mostly female swans that will guard the nest and keep the eggs warm, although males of the mute swans (the most common family) will take over occasionally. The incubation period is between 30 to 40 days. After a two or three month period of parental protection, in which the babies are expected to look for their own food, they get expelled from their parents' habitat.
Swans only have one nest once a year, ranging from 3 to 8 eggs a nest.
In the Netherlands, we have a lot of mute swans. Sadly but understandably, some farmers take eggs away from the nest or shake some eggs. The farmers have the right to do so because the swans might be on their property or because they get ordered by government parties. This is the nations way of trying to keep the swans alive, but to avoid a too large population.
The swan family that I go past always has a very big nest of 7 or 8 eggs. Every two years, the farmer takes some eggs from them. It doesn't change the way the swans will protect their babies or change their behaviour in any other way.
In other parts of the Netherlands they have shaken all the eggs of swans, which I think is worse. By shaking the eggs they will not be born, but the mother and father swan are still keeping them warm because they still notice eggs in their nest. In my opinion, this will lead to heart break and might change their behavior going forward because of their past experience. (Thankfully, a lot of people didn't agree with this so they too have taken to removing the eggs rather then shaking them.)
NOW, the good part! I managed to sneak in some photographs when their babies were two days old. As you can see in the photos, from the 8 eggs they have kept two. They are still adorable so I'm more then happy to be living where I am and that I'm able to see such a beautiful thing of nature so close to my home. Enjoy!
Leave a comment below if you have any swans or other animals around your home that recentenly had babies ;)
Love, Danielle x
