As Graceful As A Swan

Swan’s- they are such beautiful graceful looking birds but we often neglect to appreciate them as much as we should, probably because they are a common sight on our fen land and rivers.

Although they do have a bit of a reputation for being rather bad tempered with us humans. You can’t help but admire the way they so gracefully drift over the

waters, often paired with another like a romantic water twin. Swans are of course protected under the Queens authority in England- this is because historically, the

legislation was created because swans were eaten as a prize food at banquets and feasts. This rose to the height of its popularity in Tudor times when King Henry the 8th would famously have huge meat pies that would be placed inside the Bird. Valuable rights of ownership were granted by the monarch to a select few. Swan meat was also regarded as a luxury food in the reign of Elizabeth I. A recipe for baked swan survives from that time: "To bake a Swan Scald it and take out the bones, and parboil it, then season it very well with Pepper, Salt and Ginger, then lard it, and put it in a deep Coffin of Rye Paste with store of Butter, close it and bake it very well, and when it is baked, fill up the Vent-hole with melted Butter, and so keep it; serve it in as you do the Beef-Pie. But thankfully today, swans are no longer eaten and are a protected species so it is illegal to take one.

Swans are also feature strongly in mythology. In Greek mythology, the story of Leda and the Swan recounts that Helen of Troy was conceived in a union of Zeus disguised as a swan and Leda, Queen of Sparta. The swans's closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans usually mate for life, although divorce sometimes occurs, particularly following nesting failure, and if a mate dies, the remaining swan

will take up with another. The number of eggs in each clutch ranges from three to eight.

There are currently six known species still alive, however there are many extinct sub species too. It’s easy to see why swans are so often referred to as being like Ballerina’s and vise versa, with their long shape full necks and their pure white feathers, they are extremely attractive and elegant. And as we all know, while they seem to glide effortlessly on top, under the water, their little webbed feet are paddling away

to keep them swimming in the right direction like a manic speed boat. Male swans are generally bigger and heavier than most females and a group of swans is called a bevy or a wedge in flight.

Swans feed in water and on land. They are almost entirely herbivorous, although they may eat small amounts of aquatic animals. In the water, food is obtained by up-ending or dabbling, and their diet is composed of the roots, tubers, stems and leaves of aquatic and submerged plants. Swans's nests are on the ground near water and about a meter across. Unlike many other ducks and geese, the male helps with the nest construction, and will also take turns incubating the eggs. Swans are highly protective of their nests. They will viciously attack anything that they perceive as a threat to their chicks, including

humans. They also often may feel threatened by boats that are too close to the nests which is often a common cause for them attacking rowers and punters in the area.

Remember that if you wish to feed the swans and other water birds, use seed mix or oats, rice or sweet corn mix instead of old bread. Bread is not a suitable diet for them and can often become lodged inside their throats. Bread is okay in tiny amounts but please break into tiny pieces.

So the next timeyou are out, don’t forget to look out for these wonderful white pearls of our water ways and admire them, for wouldn’t we all love to be as graceful as a swan sometimes?