Suddenly, a swan's head popped up out of a heap of dried grass right in front of us.
It gave us a bit of a start - weren't expecting anything like that.
Even more startling, we realised she was on a nest, and in the most unlikeliest of spots.
She'd made her nest not far from a busy street.
Just the short time we were there, many cars drove past. She simply ignored them all.
I can see now, why swans have an aggressive nature when approached. Their nests are obviously close by!
This is the swan's water view.
Shops, cars, houses, flats and a caravan park behind her, and ....
.... noisy neighbours in front.
She'd nodded off again, undeterred by it all!
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One of my blogfriends is Maa, who lives in New South Wales. She's patiently living with a deadly eastern brown snake IN HER ROOF!
A lot of you also follow Maa's blog, however, if you haven't had this pleasure, may I suggest you pop over and catch up with what's happening at the moment. Maa, in her typical capable style is keeping herself busy today with some cooking - until the SNAKE HANDLER CAN FIND TIME TO COME! Link: Life Goes On
This has been her situation for the past month and I'm just knocked out at her calmness.
Maa's situation, puts me in mind of a story I've loved since way back when I was a schoolgirl. "The Drover's Wife" by Henry Lawson. I'm sure most Aussies will be familiar with this, but, for my overseas blogfriends, it's a stirring yarn and one which typifies the brave pioneering outback women.
Good on you Maa - you're one heck of a woman :D)
oh, the snake would be SO unnerving! eek!
ReplyDeletei hope that swan is successful in hatching her cygnets and that they can safely stay away from the cars!
not sure what to say about that snake...maybe "glad it's not me"!!
ReplyDeleteawesome pictures today, i don't think i have ever seen a black swan!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the new header!!!
Maa is just like that swan, nothing ruffles her feathers.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, mother swan, what a place to nest. Do you have an issue with foxes down there, Susan? Not that I have any doubt she'd see any off.
ReplyDeleteMaa is more than welcome to her pet Eastern Brown. :o)
Thamks Susan, you made me chuckle. Yes I am a bit like your beautiful swan. I will defend my home and family. This snake is not going to drive me out of my home.
ReplyDeleteShe has been joining me for dinner every night, only thank God she stays on the other side of the ceiling!
Maa.
I love the swan! On the way home one day at a stop light a guy in the opposing lane kept gesturing in front of my truck and lo and behold a momma duck with all her babies was crossing the road! I pulled my truck across the other lane and stopped traffic so they could get to the other side safely.
ReplyDeleteAnd those pioneer women! My grandmother lived in a log house with no running water til she died. She was a strong, wise, patient lady ~ so is Maa!
Susan these are beautiful photos. I have never seen a black swan before.
ReplyDeleteI have been following Maa since I entered blogland she is one tough cookie. B
Wow swans and dolphins. Snakes in the roof eeek ... I think it bad enough to have possums in the floorboards I don't think I could cope with a snake.
ReplyDeleteTexwisgirl, oh my goodness YES - sooo unnerving... that's what I find amazing about Maa.
ReplyDeleteWe've been back to Lakes since I took these pics. Mum Swan is ok. It was raining and she was tucking her nest around her. We go there a lot and will always pop around to see her now.
Debbie, ha ha - me too!
Glad you like the swan pics - they're beautiful creatures. Mind you, she'd ferociously protect her young.
Thanks re the header :D)
Angela, yes, absolutely :D)
Vicki, I don't think foxes would be a problem there - I was thinking perhaps dogs. However, on looking at the perimeter of sand around her and the nest, there were only birds' footmarks - nothing else. Nothing else would dare I reckon!!
Maa, well, I reckon you need a chuckle or two this week, so am glad to have given you one ;-)
I am in awe of your lack of fuss about your house guest. Will be keeping an eye out for your posts and the eviction ;-)
Mary, aw, that's a great story and good for you, ensuring they had a safe crossing.
What amazing stories your grandmother must have been able to tell Mary :D)
Buttons, there's a lot of the black swans in the Lakes system. I just can resist taking photos of them, as if you couldn't tell!!.
Yes, Maa's a strong woman all right. She's not alone either... I've read all your Journey stories Buttons, and they're a classic "when the going gets tough - the tough get going". Cheers :D)
Joan Elizabeth, lol, yes, there's a lot going on isn't there, and that snake just tops the lot I reckon. It'd probably make short work of a possum too.... aaagh !!
gorgeous black swans!!!!!!!! i love how the BRIGHT orange-red beak/bill stand out against the blackness!
ReplyDeleteas for the deadly snake in the roof! i guess she must be used to that kind of thing...being in the outback...and just going on with her cooking! yikes! hopefully the snake catcher will get there soon!
Amazing tale of your swan! And Maa's snake has made all the tiny hairs stand up on my neck...I could not be so cool, calm & collected!
ReplyDeleteI love your beautiful header photo! What a gorgeous family-the baby is precious. And you sure have a lot of black swans your way. What a find Susan! I certainly hope Maa's snake finds another kitchen to look over. Pretty post. Beautiful animals!
ReplyDeleteLaura, I agree - there's so much to love about the swans. So photogenic!
ReplyDeleteAs for Maa, well, I've just been reading her post updates and I think she's getting very tired of her visitor... she's still coping marvellously well nonetheless.
Thank you Desiree, and with a snake in the roof... no, I couldn't be so calm either :O
Susan, thanks re header :D) Just can't help myself when there's swans around. So graceful I always feel :D)
The black swan is amazing. I will be interested in how the story turns out.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I love your protea in the basket on your photos side. PROTEA are one of my favorte flowers.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Hi Terry and Linda, thank you - I totally agree. We went past two days' ago (third time we've checked now). She's sitting high and dry and still content on her eggs!
ReplyDeleteThe protea are beautiful aren't they. This one is right outside a lounge window and the nectar-feeding birds love them.
So there no swan chicks yet? Do you think you will go back to see? Wouldn't that be great to get photos of newly hatched black swan babies!
ReplyDeleteSusan, yes, we pop over and check her out each time we're in Lakes Entrance. I agree, it'd be great to get a photo of the family. I'll try :D)
ReplyDeleteLooks like Mrs Swan has adapted to urbanisation quite well and so too Maa and her snake ughhhh.
ReplyDeleteDiane, she was quite at home on her nest. We can just imagine the people living across the road from her would be her protectors too. A few looked over at us while I was taking the photos.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the latest news is that Maa's snake has slithered away - of it's own accord!
I found some pages from the Drover's Wife ... I don't know if it is just that short story or if there is more....but, it made me have a damn good cry.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of how those poor pioneers lived....here in Canada too..... and died... and the fact that some of the little kids actually survived seems a miracle.....it just makes you feel very humble. I don't know how they managed it at all.....
BumbleVee, thanks for telling me... I too always used to get a lump in my throat reading the Drover's Wife, even as a kid.
ReplyDeleteNow, yes, when thinking of the lives the pioneers had. It's truly amazing the grit and determination and sheer hard work they all did.
On our travels through the outback, we'd come across ruins of settlements or cottages - how on earth they survived the heat, dust and distance is beyond us.
I'm so glad you read the story Vee :D)