Swan in Danger!!

One of the two goslings who were born here and returned a mere two days ago is caught by a fishing line and lure. The swan, known as Ziggy, is swimming in circles and back and forth all around the lake, trying to loosen itself. It looks like the line, with attached lure, is wrapped around one leg. the bird can't come ashore for someone to try to save it. It has been reported to the rangers, and we have e-mailed whatever contacts we have in the park. Let's hope it can be saved. Ziggy was one of last year's goslings, and the only one who had never been wounded by the fishing line and hooks. It came close enough to shore so I could get some good pictures - note the red thing (lure?) right behind him/her. This is so disgusting, that we kill off so many birds and still can't look after the precious few that are left.

Anne is trying to teach me to identify individual birds. She pointed out that one of newly arrived geese has a white "eyebrow" on its face.
what an eye for detail she has!

There was a rumor that "something big" was floating in the water near the Lullwater - stay tuned for further info.

Bridge repairs moving ahead. Hope they replace the decorative metal piece that is sitting on the ground.

Other than the panic about our swan, it was a quiet day - Mondays seem to be. I guess people and their dogs skip the park and just go into work, having had the weekend. Speaking of which, someone used the Peninsula Meadow for a baby shower - what a beautiful spot! But maybe they could have taken all the evidence with them, rather than leaving the decorations to blow around on the grass.

On the subject of geese - it is more controversial than I thought, the idea of using them for food. A commentator pointed out some of the issues. I will do some more research and rethink this. But I would like to say that people often have a lot of emotional baggage about their food. Dogs and snakes are food in China, horsemeat is a treat in Quebec, Americans are horrified by both. It wasn't so long ago that oysters and lobster were so plentiful and cheap that they were common fare in prisons. Maine actually passed a law limiting how much lobster could be fed to prisoners, since too much was considered abuse. And of course, the ultimate mouth-watering feast in Dickens' "Christmas Carol " was ...GOOSE!!! Just saying.