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Original poster

To think that swans are awful creatures?

95 replies

SkinittingFluffyBunnyBonnets · 09/04/2011 21:02

I was walking along the canal today....ours is quite picturesque with barges, lots of reedy plants and duckies with their ducklings etc. There have always been a pair of swans on the canal...as long as I've lived here (most of my life) I remember seeing them....well today I heard an awful noise as I walked and I saw this swan shoving through some reeds on the other side of the canal and this duck freaking out...and the swan put it's head into the reeds and came out with a tiny, wriggling ducklng in it's beak! Sad

It has STOLEN it from the nest and the poor thing was wriggling and the Mother was freaking and the swan dipped it into the water over and over and drowned it.

I walked away but lots of people stood and stared in shock...and when I looked back it had it's horrible big swanny neck and head stuck BACK IN the reeds and was after another one to drown.

Sad WHY did it do this? They don't eat meat do they? Was it after the nsting spot or something?

It really disturbed me.

OP posts:
carriedababi · 09/04/2011 23:05

lol know i like them.
Grin

carriedababi · 09/04/2011 23:06

opps i mean no!

lol

FlaminGreatResurrection · 09/04/2011 23:07

at sollylololo

carriedababi · 09/04/2011 23:07

although cats are actually more cruel than swans
they play with their pray.
and only kill for fun

i suppose at least theswan had a reason for doing it, to protect her own.

but cats.....

i actually had to rescue a frog from a cat once.

sollylololo · 09/04/2011 23:08

They'd fly over the jumps.

FlaminGreatResurrection · 09/04/2011 23:09
Grin

Must log off.

sollylololo · 09/04/2011 23:13

Actually the Queen could come on and personally put them down if they broke their legs in the Grand National.

Dawnybabe · 09/04/2011 23:15

It's squirrels you want to watch out for. They're not just eating the garden birds' food, they're eating the baby garden birds too. Vicious little bastards.

BanalChelping · 10/04/2011 00:10

Guinea pigs have hardly any neck at all and they wouldn't hurt a fly. I've never been chased screaming from the duck-pond with a stroller by a guinea pig

I was bitten by an ostrich once, I have never been bitten by a guinea pig or Sandy Toksvig.

carriedababi · 10/04/2011 00:13

how about rabbits, they eat their babies!!!Shock

Karia · 10/04/2011 00:19

Swans have serrated beaks too, you know, just because being terrifically aggressive isn't enough!

I do think they're beautiful though. Especially Whooper Swans.

simpson · 10/04/2011 00:24

I also blooody hate swans Blush

When I drop DD (3) at her nursery there are loads of them around outside entrance (banking onto small river) honking etc and can be quite viscious (sp)

A couple of times I have wimped out and gone back into the nursery and the staff have come out and told them to fuck off moved them on Blush Blush

TBH think they are just over greedy and if I shouted, waved hands etc they would go, but I really don't like them!!

simpson · 10/04/2011 00:24

oops backing not banking Blush

outnumbered2to1 · 10/04/2011 00:27

hate swans. Most VICIOUS animal with feathers and wings i have ever come across...

hester · 10/04/2011 00:31

Swans are vile. Mallards too. And don't get me started on geese...

thumbwitch · 10/04/2011 00:31

What about the ducks, hey? Did you know that drakes routinely carry out gang rape on females? they're horrible birds too, often the female gets drowned during the "mating".

Swans are scary when they come up close, intimidating. But then so are Canada geese. I have never seen them attack another nest though, that must have been a real Shock.

Magpies are horrible vile nasty birds who eat lots of smaller birds, especially tits and sparrows - they are partially responsible for the diminishing numbers of small garden birds. Hate them. And Jays - might be pretty but are just magpies in fancy dress and are just as horrible.

fortyplus · 10/04/2011 00:58

There's a pair of swans that live on the canal near the canoe club I go to and they quite routinely chase after us and peck us. They back off if you use a paddle to splash them though and I know someone who accidentally made contact with a swan's head and killed it. He was mortified as he knows they mate for life so he felt sorry for the mate.

giraffesCantDanceWhileSober · 10/04/2011 01:27

theres a pond beside a park we go to - play park bits all new and fab, scary killer swans are not. they have no fear. regularly wander out on road and refuse to move

JustaNickname · 10/04/2011 01:36

I completely agree. Hate the nasty buggers. One chased me as a child and traumatized me. Don't even get me started on Squirrels!

spiderslegs · 10/04/2011 01:48

On a nice nature thread, I moved some leaves on a corner of the patio today, there was a grass snake, a greater crested newt & a toad, all hibernating together. None of them appeared to be trying to eat the other or anything.

I also have a duck nesting by the woodshed, no-one's bothered her at all.

& the moorhens on our pond have yet to do any mudering.

sausagesandmarmelade · 10/04/2011 08:26

Interesting thread. Glad that someone else has recognised the menace (Grrrrr hate em) that Magpies are.

Saw a blackbird flying to it's nest on the way to work the other day. Thought - oh blackbird, why did you build your nest there, in full sight of the magpies.

We lived near a river when I was little and my Dad warned me (from a very young age) not to go near swans/geese because they were dangerous. I guess they are only trying to protect their young....unlike the bullyboy Magpies.

Original poster
SkinittingFluffyBunnyBonnets · 10/04/2011 11:36

fortyplus that's terrible! he must have been devestated! I dont think I'll look too closely at them again tbh. I can still see the little duckling in my minds eye.

OP posts:
beanlet · 10/04/2011 13:26

I don't hate swans, but I admit to being nervous of them because they are reportedly strong enough to break your leg if they get riled.

Drakes I hate - they kill a mother's ducklings so that they can have a go with no competition. Horrid creaturez.

5Foot5 · 10/04/2011 16:34

Birds are all evil!

I am totally with sausagesandmarmalade on magpies. We get quite a few round here and a few months back we saw one chase a thrush so that it crashed in to our patio doors; then the horrible thing picked the stunned thrush up by its neck and flew off with it. We have also found a few dead baby birds on the drive which we think may also be the magpies doing.

And don't get me started on seagulls! Bastards!! One snatched a biscuit from DDs hand when she was only about 2 it was pretty terrifying.

Actually we also got hassled by a pretty aggressive robin once when we were trying to have a picnic in a popular beauty spot. It snatched a bit of sandwich from DD while she was still eating it.

And I have always been very, very nervous of swans and geese.

Oh yes and then there was the time when I was about 6 and got accidentally locked in a car with a live turkey (it was meant to be dead but recovered)

Damn it now I recall I also got my feet pecked by a griffon vulture at a zoo in France a few years ago.

I think you can safely say I am not a bird fan. I wonder why?

bruffin · 10/04/2011 16:40

The magpies murdered a nest of wood pigeons from our tree once. Also found one pecking a live baby pigeon to death in our front garden. Unfortunately nature is cruel.

Once saw a swan fighting a german shepherd and I think the swan was winning.