Yesterday — while watching the Memorial Day parade on Riverside Avenue — alert “06880” reader Scott Smith decided to explore the “secret” boardwalk along the Saugatuck River behind the offices near Rive Bistro.
He was surprised to find a mother swan sitting on her nest, protecting a just-hatched cygnet. The father swan stood guard, a few feet away.
Scott and the new dad watched as the mama tended to her 1st-born, and turned the rest of the eggs. They were a cool shade of green, Scott says, and larger than he expected.
(Photos/Scott Smith)
“I never thought I’d get so close to a swan nest without causing a ruckus,” he says. “Or have the chance to use the word ‘cygnet’ outside of a Scrabble board.”
Lucky find! Especially when safe from attack by the gander. The boardwalk is a very pleasant walk, especially at higher tides in the early morning and evening.
Not trying to be pedantic, but a gander is a male goose. The male swan is a “cob.” I agree with you about the boardwalk. It’s interesting how many lovely bucolic places we have here, if you take the time to look.,
The male swan is referred to as a “cob,” and the female is a “pen.” Both are fiercely protective of their eggs/cygnets. What an amazing shot of the broody pen!
Read the beginning chapters of The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B.White for a charming description of the same event from the eyes of a boy