Mute Swan on the Fox River at Frame Park in Waukesha on January 15, 2023

One of my birding stops today gave nice views of a Mute Swan at Frame Park on the Fox River in Waukesha. The Mute Swan fed the whole time I was present except for a minute when it did a little preening. The river was fully open with no ice when I was there around 9:00 am. Also present were a handful of Common Goldeneye and of course Mallards along with roughly 200 Canada Geese. A little sun in the morning but started to haze over with mild temps around 32 degrees, low winds. Images were taken on January 15, 2023.

The Mute Swan, just hanging out on the river getting things to eat…

Going down for something to eat…

Just out of the water…

Preening…

 

Mute Swan on the Fox River at Frame Park in Waukesha on February 27, 2021

One of my birding stops today gave nice views of a Mute Swan at Frame Park on the Fox River  in Waukesha. The river was almost wide open around noon when I was there. There were some ducks present but off a ways, species I saw were Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser and of course Mallards. A location that should be watched closely as ducks were coming and going and it is that time of the year. A beautiful February day with temps around 50 degrees and sunny skies.

The Mute Swan…

A little preening…

Mute Swans on the Fox River in Waukesha Wisconsin on March 11, 2019

A pair of Mute Swans appeared on the Fox River in Waukesha County this afternoon. They fed for awhile and then gave some nice views too. It was a pleasant late afternoon with plenty of sunshine, lows winds, actually was starting to feel like spring could be coming yet. Images were taken on March 11, 2019.

Mute Swan

The pair…

The close up…

“Being shy”

Incoming…

Feeding…

The pair together…

Mute Swans at Bay View in Milwaukee County Wisconsin on November 10, 2016

3 Mute Swans have been hanging around along the lake shore on Lake Michigan in Bay View the last few days. I actually stumbled across them feeding while birding today. Took a few shots to share as not much else was going on today along the lake. This exotic species was brought over from Europe in the 1800’s for ornamental additions to parks and estates. The species is now heavily managed in Wisconsin and other states in USA. Beautiful day out there along with full sun, mild temps for November with a stiff wind. Images were taken on November 10, 2016.

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Mute Swan

Binomial name: Cygnus olor

Category: Ducks, Geese, and Swans

Size: 60” long, 75” wing span

Weight: 22 lb

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They eat underwater vegetation

They eat underwater vegetation in shallow water

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They eat underwater vegetation in shallow water

They eat underwater vegetation in shallow water

Preening

Preening

More preening

More preening

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Preening

Preening

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Mute Swan

Mute Swans on the Fox River in downtown Waukesha Wisconsin. A pair of Mute Swans have stopped in for a visit here on the river with some open water as temperatures have eased in recent days. Most places in the area are still froze over. Their stay so far has been about 5 days. The Mute Swans have put on great shows for bikers, pedestrians and photographers along the river walk with their beauty. Photographs were taken on March 17, 2014.

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Mute Swan

Binomial name: Cygnus olor

Category: Duck, Geese, and Swans

Size: 50”-60” long, 84”-94” wing span

Weight: 12.0 -31.0 lbs.

Habitat:  Prefer shallow lakes and ponds, estuaries, sometimes bogs and wetlands.

Diet: Aquatic plants and animals.

Nesting:  The nest is an open bowl found in a large mound of aquatic rushes, vegetation and grasses, usually lined with down or soft vegetation. This nest is normally found in a secluded area on an island, lake or river bank, or reed bed. Swans will lay 6-11 white to pale green eggs at a rate of 1 egg per day.  They will hatch about 35 days from when the last egg is laid.

Facts: A native to central and northern Eurasia the species was introduced into North American in the late 1800’s. It was brought into ponds of parks and estates for ornamental purposes. Their aggressive behavior threatens native waterfowl. They can consume 4-8 lbs. of plants a day and uproot native plants that are usually a food source and habitat for native birds and other native species. Management practices are continually being put in place for the control of this Swan species.

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