Mute Swans Vancouver 2002 Nesting Log - April 1 to 10

April 2: There is still much chasing of the "new" swans on the Lagoon. The "B" pair have resumed nest building on the large island just across from last year's site. However there is not much nesting material for them in that area, though they do have a convenient sign (leftover from the winter ice). Here are some photos showing the new swans and the "B" pair today...

New swans confined by "B" pair	"B" cob returns from chasing intruders	"B" pen at island nest site

April 4: Nothing new to report today. Both A and B pairs continue intermittent nest building. Here are some photos of the "A" pair. The first shows the cob at the edge of the nest. The next two show the pen - note her pink feet and the scar over her eye. She can see quite well out of the eye that was injured in a Raccoon attack a few years ago. The pink feet show that she is a "Polish" Mute Swan. This is a rare genetic variation of the Mute Swan. However, it has become quite common in the Lost Lagoon Mute Swans - they are probably quite inbred by now. As cygnets "Polish" Mutes have white down, not grey. Their first feathers are also white, not brown. They are not "albino" as they have the normal bill colour. They tend to be weaker than there "normal" relatives. Last year the "C" pair produced four cygnets, one of which was "polish".

Cob "A" near the nest	Pen "A" showing scar above eye	Pen "A" showing pink feet

April 10: The "B"pair continue intermittent activity at their island nest site - though the nest has not grown any larger in a week. Early today there was activity at the old nest site for last year's "C" pair. It could be the "C" pair, but the pen may be the two-year old daughter of the "B" pair - her bill is still quite pale. Someone had placed some nesting material there and the swans were sitting on it - see photos below.

Pair "B" nest building	Pair "C" ? at 2001 nest site	Pair "C" ? at 2001 nest site

By the evening though there was activity near the old (2001) site of the "A" pair (near the Causeway) - one of the swans there was the "C" pen. I could not identify the other swan. The photos below show (from left) the pair with the wetland site of the "A" pair at top right. The next photo shows the view looking in the opposite direction (with the Nature House in the background). The site of last year's "A" nest is close to the man in the blue jacket (top left of photo). The final image shows the pair nest building. This looks like the same ("D") pair seen there last month.

Pair "D" nest site looking North	Pair "D" nest site looking South	Pair "D" nest building