The cygnets were born!!!!!! Anne had e-mailed me that they were born on May 21. I actually hoped that she had just seen the newbies on the 21st, and that they were really born on May 20, which happens to be on MY birthday. No such luck. We met Ed and Anne in the park, who said they saw them hatching on the 21st, and that they had parts of their shells on their little heads. Would have loved to seen that!!
Anyway, on Sunday we came back from a week in a little cabin in Taughannock Falls State Park, outside of Ithaca. The area is full of gorges and waterfalls leftover from glaciers. Beautiful weather and hiking, though of course I overdid uit and messed up my knee again. I keep telling myself that these things are temporary, but then I keep overdoing things and messing it up again. Temporary is inaccurate. Perhaps intermittent. Anyway, I only mention this because I am hobbling around again and not really up for our usual 3-4 miles in the Park. BUT I absolutely had to see the baby swans. So we adapted - drove to the park, so I only had to walk a little bit. Worth it! See adorable pictures of cygnets. There are four of them, staying close to mama. One even climbs up on her back.!
As I said, we ran into Anne and Ed, who said there were five of them originally, but one already died from having gotten caught in fishing line, which got wrapped around its neck and killed it. There was a picture in Sunday's Daily News. There was also fishing line around Mama, but some park rangers went out in a boat to rescue her. Good thing, since I'm sure the cygnets would have died without her. Anne says they tried to do it the day before, but not in a boat - waders. they sunk in up to their chests (the park rangers) and so managed to find a boat to use the next day. I'm sorry about the cygnet, but since Mama was saved I regard this as a happy ending. Not all baby animals make it. I still have a vivid memory of attending to our sow's delivery back on the farm. There was quite a long gap after piglet number 5. I was just about to grit my teeth and put my glove and grease covered arm in to help, when suddenly out came 6 and 7. Poor 6 was stillborn, but 7 managed to push 6 out ahead of her. By the way, there were 12 altogether.
By the way, Anne and Ed were with a Daily News reporter and photographer. Maybe with a little more publicity there will be something done about the fishing line. Disposal bins? restrictions? I noticed that there are more efforts to contain the BBQ coal damage to the trees. Bins to dispose of the coals, signs explaining the rules and procedures, and of course "Charcoal kills trees" ribbons. I hope these things work. Is there anything so nice as a BBQ in the Park on a beautiful day? I wouldn't want it to be forbidden.
I did manage to hobble a bit, while Ber took JJ to Peninsula for a nice run. BBQ Plaza was used a lot while we were away - note the bags of trash. This was on Monday. Why weren't they picked up, Parks Dept? You know weekends are busy.
Alas, in spite of our massive cleanup before we left, trash is already returning. When we first came near the swan nesting area, I saw a white blob floating in the water. My heart sort of stopped as I thought the worst - that something had happened to a swan. It turned out to be a white balloon animal floating in the water.
The park is looking so lush and beautiful. Trees are in full leaf, shading the pathways so they look dark and mysterious and peaceful, all at the same time.
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