Comments on: The Bonny Swans: Compleat with Images, Music, Literary Analysis, and Funny Stories

By: Funny Diva

Funny Diva — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 21:47:32 +0000

Dana:
there are also BBC radio-play versions of several of the Bertie/Jeeves novels–often available as free downloads from your friendly public library. The late Michael Hordern was an amazing Jeeves.

Oh, and the PG Wodehouse Society is having their convention in Seattle next year…

Anyway, that scene of Bertie Wooster vs Mad Swan was also my first thought when I read this post!

By: Crimson Clupeidae

Crimson Clupeidae — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 18:06:43 +0000

Swans were positively everywhere there was water, when I lived in Germany.

I had the fortune of being with a few feet of 5 of them when they decided to take off from the water. It was a spectacular rush of noise, wings, feathers, and wind (yes, I was close enough I felt the wind from their wings!). My mom stood there agape for a good 15-20 seconds just watching. :)

They came back for a landing about 3 minutes later, and that was almost as cool. They water ski along the surface for quite a bit as they bleed speed, before settling on the water.

It was a great way to top off our day at the Lustheim castle/museum. :D

By: Trebuchet

Trebuchet — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 17:19:15 +0000

I’m very fond of McKennitt, and of swans, and hence of that song!

You didn’t ask for an ID of the UFD, but these will be trumpeter swans. They were seriously endangered in the continental USA in my youth, but have made a pretty good comeback. rq’s swans, on the other hand, we’ll be mute swans, not native here but commonly introduced. If you see a curved neck, it’s a mute swan. And if you see yellow on the bill, it’s a tundra swan.

By: katybe

katybe — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 13:22:27 +0000

Oh, swans – if you want a fun novel about them, I got kind of enthralled by this one recently – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5886011-jasmyn –

By: rq

rq — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:46:19 +0000

Oh gods, swans are dangerous and vicious, especially if they feel themselves threatened!
A couple of years ago, a pregnant woman and a man went swimming near some swans in the river, and the woman got too close, so a swan attacked – the man went to save her, she got out, but he lost the battle with the swan and drowned. Made some headlines here.
So definitely, definitely, do not get too close, especially in the water. Perhaps on land (though my experience with various kinds of geese, including the ‘tame’ kind, would speak otherwise), but they are still water birds and they float better than humans do.
Plus there’s that beak. See here (though I think the first attack-bird is a goose).

But if you ever, ever, ever get a chance to hear them on a quiet, still stretch of water on a grey misty morning, hear them as they take off into the air – the beating sound the wings make against the surface of the water – it’s ghostly. You can almost hear it here, that whistle-like beat from the wings – but louder. It’s beautiful.

Also, I love black swans.

By: Giliell, professional cynic -Ilk-

Giliell, professional cynic -Ilk- — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:04:18 +0000

Swans are like dolphins: Wonderful and elegant in a distance, but fierce bastards when they think you got something they want, like fingers.