New Spring, New Swans

Today is a beautiful Spring day in the Netherlands. Actually, it is the first day with Summer-like temperatures this year (check this Dutch meteorological web site - in Google translate). This week I made this pic of the swans and their new ducklings in the ditch in front of our house. The same swans as last year, the same nest, but with eight new sons or daughters! And yes, the moorhens are back too - again nesting close to their big swan neighbours. Funny. Have a look at my photoblog for some more Spring impressions from the Netherlands. See these April and May 2007 blog entries about these swans and / or click on the labels below.

Swans and moorhens - living apart together

There is another nest with a pair of swans close to where I live (see yesterday's post). Father stays high and dry and is always on the lookout for possible danger. Mother is brooding the whole day near the waterside. Click pics to enlarge!


Today I noticed some moorhens (gallinula choloropus or waterhoen as we call them in Dutch) near the swan's nest and I was surprised that both swans tolerate these little birds in their direct vicinity.
I approached them carefully from the other side of the canal and noticed that both pairs are nesting almost on the same spot! Isn't that funny? I intend to keep an eye on both happy families... And I am so sorry for the plastic bottles and other garbage floating around in the water across my street and spoiling both our living environment and my pictures :-(

Reply to my question about geese

This is the answer about my 'geese question' that I received today from fellow Dutchman and bird expert Jan Harteman (this is his website - check it out - also in English!)

"Thanks for your e-mail. I’ve had a look at the picture of the geese. All these geese, without exception, are tame / domesticated geese. That means that they are originally ‘home geese’, that were kept and bred for production. There are different known races and they are all descendants of the grey goose (Anser anser) and sometimes of the swan goose (Anser cygnoides). Some of these races are predominantly white, others coloured or grey / greyish.
Now and in the past some of these geese escaped from farms or they were brought to parks. These geese become wild again in polders or city parks and they mix with their undomesticated ancestors. That is why you can see big groups of tame geese between grey geese. Or, as depicted in your photograph, a complete group of tame geese. The one with the grey head could be a mixture of several tame geese races, or probably a mixture of tame geese / grey geese. It is not uncommon that one of the geese looks a little bit different."

Thanks, Jan! I hope my translation of your answer is accurate - hopefully it will still make some sense to my foreign blog readers. I like birds, but I am already happy that I am able to tell the difference between geese and swans... This goose with a grey head just caught my eye and now he is my favourite (I just have a weak spot for all people and animals who stand out in a crowd. Dare to be different - that's what I say!) Thanks also for all your educational work and you willingness to share your knowledge. Maybe you can also have a look at my question about swans and moorhens in my earlier postings on this blog... if you have some time left.

Breaking news: six new ugly ducklings!

Yes! We have 6 new little baby swans in our street and - looking at the eggs in the swan's nest, still 2 ducklings to go! The other couple of water birds (moorhens) have left their nest now and moved on to another location. It looks like the two swans didn't accept their presence so near their own nest... (see this earlier posting)
Click pics to enlarge