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Swans
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Swans At the land bridge between the east and west marshes on Portage Creek in Al Sabo the creek passes through a huge culvert, and the water here will run free into the winter because it's moving more quickly there. there will still be pools of open water and this is where the waterfowl will be. The other day we found ducks, and they were there today, along with a pair of Mute Swans. The ducks swam off at my approach but mute swans are pretty aggressive, and they paid no attention to me at all. Mute Swans are an invasive species. they came here from Europe, like many of us, and compete with native fowl like Trumpeter Swans for habitat. They were imported here to decorate parks and ponds and escaped into the wild. Because they're quite aggressive they drive out the indigenous birds. They are much quieter than Trumpeters as indicated by the name but do not hesitate to attack interlopers, especially in nesting season. A number of years ago a football player at the local university got himself in a world of trouble for murdering a swan on the<b> campus </font></b>with his bare hands. I'm guessing it was a Mute Swan defending its turf. In that case my sympathies were with the swan. Many of us here consider both the mute swan and the dumb football player to be invasive species.          Become a member now and get a free tote bag. |
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Science can explain that...but I can't. I know Malemute dogs have hollow fiber hairs in their undercoat- the pockets of warm air insulate them and keep them warm, and there are similar ingenious mechanisms at work here. They are water repellant, for one thing, and of course, they are loaded with down. The old joke: How do you get down off an elephant? You don't. You get down off a duck. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Swans are very elegant but quite aggressive if anyone is on their territory. I always keep my distance from them! The Queen used to own all the swans on UK rivers but she renounced ownership a while back. At the time avian flu was a threat and I guess she didn't want to pick up a large vet's bill. She's all heart my Queen!  
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Beautiful. There is a lake north of us that is home to quite a few swans. One of these days I will get the kayak over there and get some great pics. Before that though, I want to get down to Saplo Sound and Harris Neck wildlife preserve and get some shots of alligators. Nature is the best show on earth.
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It was kind of a mixed blessing finding them. They ARE beautiful, but they push out our native Trumpeter Swans. Michigan is kind of in the front line of that wildlife management battle right now. There have been repeated attempts to introduce wolf hunts to manage wolf populations, and the asian carp has probably already made its way into the Great Lakes. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Swans are very elegant but quite aggressive if anyone is on their territory. I always keep my distance from them! The Queen used to own all the swans on UK rivers but she renounced ownership a while back. At the time avian flu was a threat and I guess she didn't want to pick up a large vet's bill. She's all heart my Queen! That the Queen owned all the swans explains a lot about their behavior! The world is well acquainted with British noblemen behaving badly. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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The DNR here has a program for removal of Mute Swans. I'm not sure if it can succeed or not. It sounds kind of gruesome. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Kind of like the parrots in San Diego. You'll see large colonies of these exotic birds flying around East SD. They thrive quite well there but they are aggressive as well. This one tried to attack my parakeet. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Those are some beautiful birds. I bet one of them would fry up right nice! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Beautiful. There is a lake north of us that is home to quite a few swans. One of these days I will get the kayak over there and get some great pics. Before that though, I want to get down to Saplo Sound and Harris Neck wildlife preserve and get some shots of alligators. Nature is the best show on earth. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Codrescu is Da Bomb! I did listen to him on NPR, and I used to have his site bookmarked...but I haven't visited it in a long time. It was a terrific site for reading terrific writers. Another favorite of mine on NPR is the storyteller Kevin Kline. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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MNSweet summed it up perfectly. I have a fascination with invasive species -- or, rather, the unintended consequences of people mucking about with their environments. You mention the Asian carp... add to that the zebra mussel, and (my personal favorite) kudzu, the vine which is devouring the South. For those not familiar with kudzu, the story goes something like this: It was imported from Japan to serve as a cheap food source for livestock. Problem one: American cows won't touch the stuff. Problem two: It grows like, well, a weed. Problem three: It spores like mad, so many conventional methods of destroying it don't work. What is the bonnie southland doing about kudzu? Best solution I've heard so far: Ripping it up and shipping it off as food -- to Japan. Stop in, read, and offer comments at my "swinging as seen in the media" blog, "Confessions of a Lifestyle Man" humorlife, which is also the home of the monthly virtual symposium. New post: The Virtual Symposium Returns Lets Pick A Topic
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MNSweet summed it up perfectly. I have a fascination with invasive species -- or, rather, the unintended consequences of people mucking about with their environments. You mention the Asian carp... add to that the zebra mussel, and (my personal favorite) kudzu, the vine which is devouring the South. For those not familiar with kudzu, the story goes something like this: It was imported from Japan to serve as a cheap food source for livestock. Problem one: American cows won't touch the stuff. Problem two: It grows like, well, a weed. Problem three: It spores like mad, so many conventional methods of destroying it don't work. What is the bonnie southland doing about kudzu? Best solution I've heard so far: Ripping it up and shipping it off as food -- to Japan. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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How can those swans just sit in that cold water. Your pooch is going all out in that other blog! I think I might try to shoot a short video of her running- she flies! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Cool pictures! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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That was one of the ones I liked best when I was little. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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beautiful pics there KZ .. I always love a blog with real stuff in it.. Interesting reading like yours hugsssssssss V Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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I think it was testosterone poisoning with an overdose of alcohol. Usually when stupid macho things are done there are drunken young men involved. Naturally he was being pretty close mouthed about it, but I'm sure he was taken aback by the outrage over his outrageous act. The brains of young people are not fully developed yet and when you nurture young athletes in a culture of the innate heroism of their own athletic prowess, they will behave as if they can do anything they want to and get away with it- because generally they can. It's one thing to assault a young woman, but kill a swan and there will be repercussions. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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beautiful pics there KZ .. I always love a blog with real stuff in it.. Interesting reading like yours hugsssssssss V Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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As long as there's open water and food to eat they stay and don't seem to mind the cold. I looked for ducks and swans today. I'm taking a photo of the water level stake at the land bridge every time I go by it and since there's usually open water there I can often find water birds, but no luck today! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Having a large university is both a blessing and a curse. WMU has a great library- Waldo- and attracts cultural events that we might not otherwise have, and I've made friends of a lot of students over the years. But the downside...idiot jocks, Lafayette Street party riots, the university running roughshod over the wishes of the citizens. Don't get me wrong- Western Michigan University is a much better neighbor to Kalamazoo than Notre Dame has been to South Bend. But the Big U does tend to get what it wants.... Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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They're downright ornery. I've never been chased by one. I have been chased by football players though. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Your a great writer and of course I like the bird pictures! Write on! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I just love watching swans. The bring about a sense of serenity, for me. Hiya KZ!! ***********If you have a yen to get" Up-a-Tree," Then it's just a hop-and-a-skip to get down with Meeee !
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I just love watching swans. The bring about a sense of serenity, for me. Hiya KZ!! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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