The best lookout at Jerra Wetlands today (see attached photo) was only active for a few minutes but would be a very useful addition to the area.
Yesterday, I observed a swan with six small cygnets go across the area in front of Snipe hide. Unfortunately, another pair was also present in the area and one of them attacked the cygnets. Despite the protestations of the parent, two cygnets
got particularly rough treatment with one so badly hurt that it had trouble moving across the grass. Today a swan with three larger cygnets was seen attacking a much smaller cygnet, similar in size to the one hurt yesterday. I have videos of the attack but
I have not included photos as they are fairly distressing. I have seen adults attacking each other but not an adult attacking very small cygnets.
Has anyone observed swans attacking the cygnets of another pair?
Today, the female Blue-billed Duck with four ducklings was in front of Cygnus hide. On the video I took, the female can be clearly seen doing what seems to be described as wing-ruffle of the male in HANZAB (alternate shuffling of wings
slightly raised from normal position [tightly folded across back]). I cannot find any information reporting this behaviour in the female and the behaviour in the male was part of the sexual display (the male was not in the area).
Has anyone observed this behaviour or know of reports of it?
Steve
