The nest that the two swans built sits about 20 feet from the edge of the 80-acre lake and only about 10 feet from the small island that the Canadian geese dominate.
The geese already have their goslings with them. Yesterday I counted about 40 which makes me feel good since I had discovered a dead little yellow gosling on the grassy edge of the lake. I suspect only one culprit: the male swan. Protective and powerful, he swims vigilante-style around his mate, chasing off any goose that dare to come close to his brood.

The days roll into weeks, and it feels as though everyone is watching the regal swan. Turtles, egrets, night herons, ducks and geese. Yesterday I saw a gigantic carp swimming along the surface. Is it possible that he's waiting too?


After it rains, the water level in the lake rises and I worry about the eggs. I worry that they'll get cold. I worry about all the garbage and debris that float by the nest. Plastic bags, deflated balloons, bottles, cans, cartons It's a heart-break to see this regal bird surrounded by crap. Orange plastic something, a purple & yellow super-soaker water pistol, yards of fishing line. The female doesn't seem to mind however. She sits peacefully on her throne. (BTW, I do daily litter control during visits... I try to focus on plastic. If I can keep one plastic bag out of the lake a day, that's something.)

She may be the main act right now, but the supporting cast is just as fantastic. When I come out to check on her, I look in the trees on the mini-island for the long yellow legs that belong to the resident night heron.