I was very worried that this story might not have a happy ending and I am very relieved that so far all is well, thanks to you!
This reminds me of three years ago when I was deeply invested in the swan family drama at the reservoir across the road. I had been taking walks there in a bid to stave off a particularly horrible depressive episode. Go and look at the leaves appearing on the trees in the lovely Spring time said my therapist.
I don't think the brutality of this particular family ritual had ever affected me so badly. I had watched the swan babies grow up from eggs the year before from the day they first emerged to two days later when their stupid parents decided to take them for a walk along the busy path at the side of the reservoir, advertising their presence to every predator in the neighbourhood.
But now it was time for swan parents to have more babies and in the swan world, that means that they basically chase the original ones away. I watched, with horror as they were banished to the furthest end of the reservoir as Mum and Dad built the new nest for their siblings.
I ended up dong all sorts of research about this and discovered, that, unsurprisingly, the time after banishment is the most dangerous in a swan's life. I was very scared for them.
This all seemed to take forever but was in reality only a few days. One by one, the chicks left fo enjoy their new lives (I hope.) But one remained. He was not in any hurry to go and kept trying to go back to his parents. All those plaintive efforts won him was a very aggressive display from Dad who made it very clear he was no longer welcome in the only home he had ever known.
This cruelty and abandonment upset me much more than it should, no doubt due to my own fragile health at the time.
Eventually the new babies arrived, but I watched their progress knowing what they would have to endure all too soon.
I was very worried that this story might not have a happy ending and I am very relieved that so far all is well, thanks to you!
This reminds me of three years ago when I was deeply invested in the swan family drama at the reservoir across the road. I had been taking walks there in a bid to stave off a particularly horrible depressive episode. Go and look at the leaves appearing on the trees in the lovely Spring time said my therapist.
I don't think the brutality of this particular family ritual had ever affected me so badly. I had watched the swan babies grow up from eggs the year before from the day they first emerged to two days later when their stupid parents decided to take them for a walk along the busy path at the side of the reservoir, advertising their presence to every predator in the neighbourhood.
But now it was time for swan parents to have more babies and in the swan world, that means that they basically chase the original ones away. I watched, with horror as they were banished to the furthest end of the reservoir as Mum and Dad built the new nest for their siblings.
I ended up dong all sorts of research about this and discovered, that, unsurprisingly, the time after banishment is the most dangerous in a swan's life. I was very scared for them.
This all seemed to take forever but was in reality only a few days. One by one, the chicks left fo enjoy their new lives (I hope.) But one remained. He was not in any hurry to go and kept trying to go back to his parents. All those plaintive efforts won him was a very aggressive display from Dad who made it very clear he was no longer welcome in the only home he had ever known.
This cruelty and abandonment upset me much more than it should, no doubt due to my own fragile health at the time.
Eventually the new babies arrived, but I watched their progress knowing what they would have to endure all too soon.