A Clutch of Eight

Last year the Bug (and Joker, Pop-pop, my parents and myself) thoroughly enjoyed watching the five cygnets hatched by two swans on our boardwalk. They grew all summer long, changed from gray to white in the fall and their bills finally turned orange during the winter, which left them virtually indistinguishable from their parents.

Last Sunday, the Bug and I were walking on the boardwalk and looking at our swans when we learned the mating pair had built a new nest, and that there were eggs in it! We rushed to the other end of the boardwalk where we had a completely clear view of a huge nest with six giant eggs. We unfortunately didn't have a camera on hand, and when Pop-pop and the Bug visited the site on Tuesday, Mommy Swan was sitting on the nest. I'd hoped for another clear view of the nest, with no luck all weekend. But we did find out from a fellow Swan Fan that the size of the clutch is now eight.

We also heard that the eggs are now covered with Mommy Swan's fluff, but I'll keep trying for a picture to post. We have 34-45 days (according to Wikipedia), so I like my odds. And apparently an interesting swan stat is that even though it takes a few days for the eggs to be... um... born?, they all hatch on the same day.

Here's Mommy Swan sitting on a very bumpy seat. Though I posit she's actually more comfortable now than she was with eight eggs in her belly.

And for the curious, Daddy Swan is never far away.