When we were in Presqu’ile Provincial Park, we saw several mute swans. We don’t see very many in our area, so we enjoyed watching them.
The mute swans came from Europe in the mid 1800s through the early 1900s. They decorated the lawns of large estates and city parks. They were also put into zoos for people to be able to see them. Now they are spread throughout North America.
Mute swans can be identified by their orange bills. They also have a black knob on their forehead. They are mostly found within the marshes and along the shore lines of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
When we walked around the marsh boardwalk, we were able to see a swan sitting on her nest. They can be very aggressive if you get too close to the nest, but she seemed quite comfortable with people walking by on the boardwalk.
Mute swans can live up to 10 -20 years, and will often lay 5-8 eggs. They are considered an invasive species.
The next picture is of the swan turning her eggs over. It was interesting to see her doing this.
I’m thankful to see so many different kinds of birds that God has created.
