Tycho comes by at sunset to say hello. © BCP 2010
As I mentioned in an earlier post, our much-loved local swan pair, Penny and Tycho, have set up housekeeping this spring in a new location, moving their nest from the little point across from the boardwalk where Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club has its picnic tables to a spot in the Coatsworth Cut.
The two locations couldn’t be more different.
Their old nest was is a high-traffic area. All the boats coming in and out via the inner bay (everything from police boats to giant yachts to little runabouts) passed by their highly visible nest. Penny and Tycho built their nest on this slight promontory (and guarded by a handful of black-crowned night herons) for at least the past seven years. Before that, I don’t know. If someone has any knowledge of where the Ashbridge’s Bay swans were living prior to 2004, I’d love to hear about it.
Now, though, P and T’s nest is impossible to see, hidden as it is in the Coatsworth Cut. It could be safer for them and their cygnets here, however, as there is no access to their new home by land — for people, that is. This might stop predation by big off-leash dogs, but won’t stop many other predators from claiming victims.
It will be interesting to see how many cygnets are born this spring, and how many of them survive until the end of the summer compared to previous seasons. For at least the past three years, there have been eight cygnets born, with three surviving until the fall.
With eggs in their nest, we’re not seeing P and T out cruising the bay together like we do other times of the year. Makes sense — one of them is always on their nest.
A couple of evenings ago I was down at the beach at sunset, wondering if I would see either of our swans. Guess it was Penny’s turn doing the parental bit, as it was Tycho who glided by to say hello. We had a little visit, then he sailed off back across the bay. Maybe he was heading home for the night.
© BCP 2010
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