Mount Paran Northside Citizens Association

WHY DID THE SWANS CROSS THE ROAD? by Susan Smith

Oct 22, 2004

My husband, Jay, purchased a pair of white mute swans two years ago as a thirtieth anniversary present for me. They have successfully and happily lived on the lake behind our house on Harris Trail. I know many of you have enjoyed watching them from our street.

For the second time in a month, they have wandered off and have taken up ?“temporary residence?” in the Klaus/Kuranoff lake at the end of Monte Carlo.

A year ago, they were spotted in that lake, but apparently returned home on their own. We didn't know where they had been. Last month they disappeared again, and after talking to several neighbors, we got a tip about their new ?“temporary residence.?” They had been gone about a week. We captured them with great difficulty, at our expense. They were thin but healthy and hungry. We brought them home and fattened them up (we feed them daily). But now?—a month later?—they are gone again.

They cannot fly. So they must have walked the 1/4 mile through the homes on Harris Valley and onto the lake. We have no idea why they would leave since they are being fed here.

We wanted to alert the neighbors that they do walk across streets as they cannot fly. Please do not feed them in the hopes that hunger will bring them back to us. They are used to people but are not entirely? tame. They are not viscous and won't attack anyone. Swans sometimes have that reputation.

They may be looking for a nesting site. If they make nest it would be a four-foot square patch of messy pine straw on the ground.? We would want to know if they have made a nest. We are told we could grab their eggs and bring the pair home. This would probably keep them home.

The biggest risk to them would be dogs, foxes, coyotes and large snapping turtles. The female was almost killed last year by a thirty-pound turtle that we captured.

We miss them terribly, and just ask that people leave them alone, don't feed them, until they decide to come home. Please contact us with any news or concerns about them (or any ideas on this weird behavior). If we get them home and you ever see them wandering, please shoo them back across the street to us. Call me at (404)848-0432 or email ssmith0224@aol.com