too many swans
it was cool to see a flock of white ibis (a rare visitor in Cape May) circling the pond. For a minute it looked like they would land, but I think the presence of so many swans put them off and they never actually settled on the water, choosing instead to head off to a quieter spot.
As beautiful as the mute swans are, the sad truth is they simply do not belong here in Cape May.
They're considered an invasive species.
A few individuals were brought over from Europe in the late 1800's, early 1900's up in New England and New York, to grace the ponds of the rich and public parks. The practice was to keep their wings clipped so they couldn't fly far, but a few crafty birds were able to escape and naturalize. Little by little they've worked their way down to the Cape May area.
Now Cape May has a large, year round population.
The problem is they are aggressive. They are pushing out the native species of water foul and they devour a lot of the available food that is critical for other water birds.
Perhaps the Queen should come over here and collect her birds!!
(all the wild mute swans in Great Britain belong to Queen Elizabeth)
too many swans
it was cool to see a flock of white ibis (a rare visitor in Cape May) circling the pond. For a minute it looked like they would land, but I think the presence of so many swans put them off and they never actually settled on the water, choosing instead to head off to a quieter spot.
As beautiful as the mute swans are, the sad truth is they simply do not belong here in Cape May.
They're considered an invasive species.
A few individuals were brought over from Europe in the late 1800's, early 1900's up in New England and New York, to grace the ponds of the rich and public parks. The practice was to keep their wings clipped so they couldn't fly far, but a few crafty birds were able to escape and naturalize. Little by little they've worked their way down to the Cape May area.
Now Cape May has a large, year round population.
The problem is they are aggressive. They are pushing out the native species of water foul and they devour a lot of the available food that is critical for other water birds.
Perhaps the Queen should come over here and collect her birds!!
(all the wild mute swans in Great Britain belong to Queen Elizabeth)