The SWANS were NOT in their Winter Wake.

To Enlarge Images – Right Click Image then Open in a New Tab.

In Late April of 2008.. We Arranged a Private Property Sanctuary Home
for “Handsome Fellow.” We had Rescued him in July 2007.

We had Care for him in Several Places during his LONG Months of Recovery.. “Handsome” had his Entire Left Wing Removed to Save his Life.

Thank YOU to ALL… Who Helped us with this BIG Project..
…One Day at a Time.

It was Time for a Real Pond. And No More Vet Visits.

“Handsome” was Finally Swimming Freely on a Large Pond.. but Alone.

We “Adopted” a Young Female at a LiveStock Auction.. Scared Little Thing.

“Handsome” Immediately Took Care of Little “Hannah.”
We Learned SOOooo Much from this Introduction.

Spring turned to Summer.. We were Thrilled with our Arrangement.

This Private Pond was a Wonderful Place 10 Minutes from our Home.

We Visited with the Swans almost Every Day. They were Thriving.

Trust had Developed.

The Summer Days passed TOO Quickly.

The Lush Summer Green will Soon Turn to Gold.. and Leaves will Fall.

The Swans would often Come to Greet us.
Of Course we were the Lunch Wagon. (With Treats)

Various Trees were Turning Colors.. Warning of the Change of Season..

We knew little about what to Expect in the Coming Winter Months

In Early November we had an Air-O-Lator Aerator/DeIcing Unit Installed.

We were Preparing for our First Winter with Swans on this Pond.

Being a Data Nerd, I Placed a High-Low Thermometer in the Electric Panel Box.
I Hoped to Predict when we Needed to Turn the Air-O-Lator on.

After Chilly November Nights Various Areas of the Pond would have some Ice.

Watching “Hannah” – She was Very Annoyed with the Ice..

Several Nights we Turned the Air-O-Lator ON – Just in Case..

The Ice would Form in Different Places Depending on the Breezes.

The Golf Course Grounds were a Beautiful Place to go on Snowy Days..

We were So LUCKY to have the Privilege of Spending Time here.

We were Learning More about the Tolerance Swans have for Cold Weather.

Both Swans were OK.. No Shivering.. Well Fed they were at Home OutSide.

It was Interesting to Observed the Freezing Process of the Pond.

The Shallow End of the Pond had Surface Ice many Mornings.

The Late Fall Sun was Getting Lower – Less SunLight to Warm the Water.

During the Month of November the Pond was Always Partially Free of Ice.

Dealing with Ice is not Instinctual for Swans.
In True Wild Swan Populations, the Parents will Teach
their Young or take them to Warmer Areas.. Migrate.

The Local Forecast did not Suggest the Pond would Freeze OverNight..
A SURPRISE to us ALL.. ! !

We did not have the Air-O-lator Unit Turned ON.. UGH !!!

We Turned the Air-O-Lator on ASAP ! !
Within Minutes it was Thawing the Ice.

There was a Thin Skim of Ice Covering the Entire Pond..

NOW we NEEDED to FIND the SWANs..
I am Trying to Control a Feeling of Panic.

It was the First Winter for Both Swans on this Large Irrigation Pond.

They are OK !!! They were in a Small Channel of Open Water.

“Handsome” (? 10 Years Old) was Staying with Little “Hannah”
( 17 Months Old) and Keeping her Safe.

OH MY ! .. How will we get them back to the Open Water..

In a Short Time the Sun Melted the Ice at the Upper End of the Pond. YEAH !

We Decided to “Baiting” the Swans with Greens.. They are Hungry.

Rob used a Large Branch shaped like a Hockey Stick to Break a Channel along the Opposite Bank.

Little “Hannah” wanted the Lettuce and the Swans Swam over to me.

I Sprinkled Lettuce in the Broken Channel.. They Started to Munch.

“Hannah” was very Nervous with all the ICE Creeping over their Pond.

A BIG Relief..

BIG Learning Curve that Winter.. ONLY Happened that One Night.

The Days of December were Mixed with Icy and Open Water Zones.

Each Time we have Moved our Swans to a New Pond,
they Needed to Learn about the Icing on their New Home Pond.
The First Year is the Trickiest for Both the Swans and their CareTakers..

Each Day the Changing Icy Patterns were Beautiful.. We Enjoy this Time.

One Night they Braved Walking over the Thin Ice.. Successfully.

December Days became Routine. Our Swans did Well.

We were able to Worry Less.. We had ALL Learned.

********************************************************************

This Little Story of a “Freeze Out” was a Learning Experience for Us.
The Swans Quickly Learned.. After this Day they Stayed in the Open Water
and Spent Time on the Entire Pond on the Days the Ice would Thaw.
Compiled March 2021 ..(c) Linda M.Sweger

********************************************************************

In Late December the Swans Started to Court.. A Sweet Display of Affection.