Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 08:05:50 -0500 Reply-To: wlsngang@intercom.net Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Kathleen Wilson Subject: Re: another escapee with potential for trouble MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi everyone, I found the article on the Black Swans at the Public library. It is on the front page of the Star Democrat, titled "Exotic visitor finds a home". There is a picture of Humane Society Officer holding the swan. It was in Easton, when the Talbot County Humane Society (TCHS) got a call about there being a loose waterfowl around the Easton Club. The TCHS came and got the bird, which was a Black Swan. The officials realized that what they had was not just an ordinary swan. They then would have to contact DNR about realizing the swan. They agreed that they could not release it into the wild. Eventually the swan got to a Dr. William Sladen, who works with trumpeter swans. He released the swan, but the article did not say where. I hope we don't have another mute swan epidemic, after all, all the mute swans we have in the Bay are descendants of 5 escapee swan. Good Birding, Jim Wilson, Queen Anne's County CMS Birding Team marty cribb wrote: > > Hello everyone, I took a few minutes this afternoon to have a quick look at the waterfowl in and around the west jetty and the creek coming into the Island from the bayside. I had the usual large #'s of CANADA GOOSE, 1,000+, BLACK DUCK , 79, GADWAL , 9, SURF SCOTER, 26, MUTE SWAN, 6, TUNDRA SWAN, 175, BUFFLEHEAD, 200+ BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE, 300+, AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER, 2 (this is a first for the year here on Smith Island), no other shorebirds, NORTHERN HARRIER, 3. Now for the bad news, besides the 6 MUSW I also had 2 BLACK SWAN. This is a 1st time sighting for me and one that Im not really happy to see nor am I surprised to see here on Smith Island. This species I understand has the potential of becoming more of a problem then MUSW. It is a highly aggressive species (even more so then the MUSW) and has similar feeding habits. Both birds were feeding the entire time I observed and were by them selves with no other bird getting within 50 yards. The occasional gull that ventu! red near > was quickly chased away by both birds. Can anyone give me information that maybe helpful in learning more about this I believe an Australian or New Zealand native. Thank you and good birding, Marty Cribb, Smith Island, Md > > ===================================================================== > To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com > with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey > ===================================================================== ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================