A Chronology Of Events On The Marstons Mills Mill Pond

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The Mill Pond, Marstons Mills ~ June 3, 2003, 9:59 am

The pen leads four cygnets across the pond, with the cob guarding the rear, as he normally does.

NOTE: This story begins at the bottom of this page [here] and moves forward in time as you read up

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  June 3, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Proud Parents!!

Pictured above, the family swimming around the Mill Pond has become a regular fixture by now. The coloration of the cygnets has gone from grayish to brownish-white. They will be all white in a couple of months and their bills will turn orange as they mature - just in time for flying lessons...

[Note: if you are interested, the webmaster has many other pictures. Let him know if you'd like to see more of them or if you'd like to ask any questions].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  May 27, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heading Upstream At Dusk

The nest has been long abandoned by now, and the swans spend the night in the area at the northerly end of the pond which offers maximum protection from predators.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  May 6, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two More Cygnets Are Born

On Tuesday May 6, two more are born. Those born yesterday are already out of the nest and swimming and eating on their own [for short trips]. One out of the total of five is smaller and a slightly different color: the "runt". The next day it was laying dead beside the nest.

These pictures show the hen rolling the remaining eggs over with her bill. [Note: The remaining three eggs never hatched].

   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  May 5, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three Eggs Hatch

On Monday May 5th, three of the eight eggs hatch. If you look close at the first picture, you'll see one of the first three coming up for a breather. The middle picture shows the pen rolling the eggs. These cygnets are less than a day old in these pictures.

     

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  April 27, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any Day Now...

Over the last few days, the cob has been noticeably closer to the nest. From this time forward he's rarely more that a couple of feet away as if he senses that the time is near.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  April 13, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waiting And Waiting...

Just prior to the laying the eggs, the pen will start to automatically shed feathers on her underside, creating what is called a "brooding patch". It is through this bare skin that heat is transferred to the eggs. 35-42 days is a long time to sit in the same spot, but the cob will take over [just briefly] while the hen goes off to eat. [Don't know if the male mute swan also has a brooding patch as in some other species].

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  March 28th, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eggs Arrive!

While one egg is laid about every other day, they were first noticed on March 28th. The clutch finally contained eight eggs.

Peter Erceg provides the following history of when the cygnets have arrived in past years:

2002 ~ A disaster... While the nest was built at a location out of easy view, it was occupied during all of April, and then there was a clear and abrupt abandonment, as if the eggs were destroyed. See story here.

2001 ~ April 28, 6 eggs yielded 3 cygnets; only 2 survived past June 1; those 2 left the pond early March, 2002

2000 ~ Nest was built and occupied but no cygnets; a second attempt with another nest built in a new location in late May yielded nothing.

1999 ~ No record

1998 ~ April 30

1997 ~ May 5

1996 ~ No record

1995 ~ May 3

1994 ~ No record

1992 ~ May 1

1991 ~ No record

1990 ~ April 26

1989 and prior ~ No record

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  Early March, 2003  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Building The Nest 

Towards the end of February and into early March the siting and building of the nest begins. This continues all during the month of March. The nest is massive: about five feet in diameter and about eighteen inches high. Both the hen and the cob work constantly to build it.

Later in March, some people who live near the Mill Pond report "frolicking" and other unusual behavior. [Hummm...].