Bewick's vs Mute's!
A spot of swan rivalry between the resident pair of mute swans and the four newly arrived Bewick’s is keeping us all glued to the lake at the moment. Clearly not used to sharing the lake, the mutes are doing all they can to puff themselves up, look scary and chase them off. It’s not working however, as the Bewick’s are far more nifty and nimble – they are literally swimming circles around the mutes!
Old timer Dario is particularly good at sneaking into the water as soon as their backs are turned and snatching a few seconds of feeding before they notice and usher him onto the land again. Having played this game for several winters, Dario is very experienced and skilled in skirting around them.
His pattern of arriving before the crowds is probably quite a clever strategy for making the most of the food before competition becomes fiercer with the arrival of more birds. Power will shift shortly however as the mutes and Dario become more outnumbered and their dominance on the lake diminishes.
Three swans have been seen so far today: Dario and the newly named Bridges and Humbugs. I’ll be keeping a look out for BonBon, who has done a disappearing act, and any new arrivals so will keep you posted.....
