Tristan
Meet the Swans: Precious/Marlika | Papa/Mama | Boy | Lady | Boulika | Tristan | Brothers
On this page: Few days old | 6 weeks | Few months old | 10 bathtub days | On his own
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The latest about Tristan and Isolde:
There is a new female swan at the Lagoon since April 2006. Ziggy, who brought her to Lost Lagoon, called her Isolde, hoping that she would become friends with Tristan. And yes, it happened: They are inseparable. When she arrived at the Lagoon, Isolde was approximately one year old. She had previously spent all her life in captivity on Vancouver Island. Isolde adapted quite well. At first, Tristan (that we see in the background - upper right of the picture at the bottom of this page) was not allowing her in the water, but he rapidly became more tolerant and she rapidly became more assertive.
She had never been in a lake before, so she was quite nervous during the first hours following her release but she finally settled down on the grassy hill on the East side of the Lagoon and started enjoying the grass, the willow trees and more and more, her freedom in the water, splashing, "ducking", shaking her feathers and preening for hours at a time. Boy and the Big Brother (the two most aggressive swans at the Lagoon in those days) were taken to a shelter for a few days, in order to give Isolde a chance to adapt to her new environment. She still had some brown feathers (but less than Tristan) and she was quite assertive with the ducks and the geese. She has a strong personality. We feel that she will do well at the Lagoon.
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Try the 20-Question Quiz about Tristan
Tristan was born on May 31, 2005; he is the son of first-time mother Marlika. His cygnet name was "Tweety".
This is Marlika - First there were three cygnets...
Then two...
And finally one. Tweety had survived the most dangerous phase.
Tweety at 6 weeks (on July 14, 2005).
A few weeks later.
So cute in brown and beige!
Ten days in a bathtub: When Tweety was brought to his vet to be pinioned (see Swan Facts), it was discovered that he had an upper-respiratory infection that would require him to take antibiotics for 10 days. Normally, cygnets are returned to the Lagoon the day after they are pinioned, but in Tweety’s case, he needed the extra 10 days to be cured. Ziggy, the Technician in charge of wildlife at the Lagoon, took him home and kept him in her bathtub all this time.
On his own since: When Ziggy returned him to the Lagoon, almost two weeks after he had left (10 days at Ziggy’s plus his time at the bird hospital), his mother no longer bonded with him and he found himself on his own at a very young age. He tried going from swan to swan to find a new family but in the end remained by himself; however, Tweety is a strong bird (in spite of the respiratory setback) and has done very well on his own.
Definitely starting to look like a swan.
A future Precious? On Sept. 30 (2005), Tweety was seen on the shore of the Lagoon, very annoyed with a pigeon that was picking at something on the ground by him. Tweety promptly picked the pigeon up in his bill, shook it back and forth like a rag until its feathers came out and it flew away (minus a bunch of feathers!). He takes after his father, the late Marlow, and after his grand father, Precious, and we guess he's going to be another "big boss" when his turn comes.
Tweety on the East side of the Lagoon, Oct 7, 2005
Tweety on Nov 5, 2005 - More and more white feathers
Although his cygnet feathers are beige and brown in this picture, by Christmas time he will be “half-and-half” and by Spring 2006 his feathers will have turned completely white.
Tweety (above and below) on Nov 5, 2005
Tweety on Dec 17, 2005 - See the ice on the Lagoon (upper right corner of the picture where a seagull is standing on the ice)
Here is Tweety, upside down, doing is "duck thing" on Dec 17, 2005 (this is what happens when a swan grows up surrounded by ducks!).
Tweety - now called by his adult name Tristan - on January 1, 2006. See how his wings now have more white feathers than brown ones.
Isolde, a few days after her arrival at Lost Lagoon in April 2006
20-Question Quiz about Tristan
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Teachers: You may wish to keep score of the 'Tries' and 'Correct' answers.
Photos courtesy of Fiona Sinclair
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