Swans Through the Seasons
A day-to-day close-up of mute swans and life around them at Stanley Park's Lost Lagoon.
- Mama & Papa Swan's Adventures -- Swans 10 - Raccoon 0
- Summer Swans -- It Isn’t Easy Being Green
- Summer Swans -- Help! Extreme Makeover Needed
- Summer Swans -- Mama Swan Back to Her Routines & Some Fun
- Swan Senior in Fine Feather -- ......for now
- Swan Molting Season at Lost Lagoon -- Tristan and Isolde Busy Plucking Feathers
- No Cygnets for Mama and Papa Swan -- Mama Swan’s Ready for a Makeover
- WHY SWANS PREEN -- Tristan & Isolde's Master Class Demo
- Mama and Papa Swan Nesting -- Patiently waiting…….
- While a few steps away...... -- A heron also waits patiently
- Nesting (and not) Swans -- The Young and the Restless …and others!
- S'wan-derful! Tristan and Isolde’s Good News -- Lost Lagoon’s Lovebirds Together Again!
- Nesting Swans at Lost Lagoon -- Close Companions on the Nest
- Tristan’s Return to the Lagoon – Day 3 -- A Swan Affair – Just a Passing Fling?
- Tristan Returns to Lost Lagoon! -- Later That Day.....
- Tristan Returns to Lost Lagoon! -- A Big Day For Us All
- The Afternoon of a Swan -- Domestic Bliss on the Nest
- Swan Nesting Update -- Mama Swan's "Nest-Egg(s)"
- Swan Nesting News - the Royal Couple -- A New Love-Nest for the King and Queen
- Swan Nesting News - Mama and Papa -- Another Egg!
- News from the Nest -- Mama and Papa Swan
- Nesting Swans at Lost Lagoon -- Papa Swan Proudly Guards Two Eggs
- Nesting Swans at Lost Lagoon -- Mama Swan Has an Egg!
- Two Young Swans on a Spring Afternoon -- New Adventures
- First Nesting Swans at Lost Lagoon – Part 1 -- Building the Nest – a Team Project
- First Nesting Swans at Lost Lagoon – Part 2 -- Swan-Egg Rustlers Around the Lagoon
- Springtime Swan Adventures – Part I -- Precious Takes on the Fleet!
- Springtime Swan Adventures – Part 2 -- “Boy” Loses A Bit of Dignity to Precious!
- Nesting Swans -- A Well-Trained Mate
- Swans: Fair-Weather Friends? -- A Springtime Surprise
- The Swans of Lost Lagoon...... -- ......where size doesn't matter!
- Lost Lagoon Swan Injured - Part 2 -- Tristan Cared for and Treated
- Lost Lagoon Swan Injured – Part I -- Tristan Rescued &Taken to Night Owl Bird Hospital for Care
- Swans' Winter Workout -- or....Skid-marks on the Water
- "Iced" Swans on Lost Lagoon -- Passing the Time on a Winter Day
- King and Queen for an Hour -- Tristan and Isolde in Precious’ Kingdom
- Swan "Love Birds" -- Tristan and Isolde Shake It Up
- Mama and Papa Swan’s Favourite Pastime -- Life on the Edge!
- Seven Swans-a-Swimming -- Lost Lagoon's Young Swans
- Precious, the Royal Swan -- a.k.a. King of Lost Lagoon
- Scrambled Swans! -- Another Chapter in our Swan Soap Opera
- Not-Too-Close Encounters -- Papa Swan Carries On...
- Swans in Reverse -- Presenting a New Perspective
- A Young Swan's Growing! -- Bijan's Endless Neck
- Swans and Mallards -- Boy's Foster Family!
- Swans' Empty Nest Syndrome -- Precious Carries On......
- Swans' Molting Season -- Tristan’s Not Amused!
- Swans & Co. as Weather Forecasters -- Waterfowl Predict a Change
- Tristan Showing Off For Isolde -- Male Swan Showmanship
- Nesting Swans -- A Brave Mama Swan
- It's Bijan's Birthday! -- 2006 Cygnet's Year of Adventure
- Swan Courting Time -- The Half-Hearted Couple
- Swan Nesting Time -- Precious Carries On
- Swans Hang Around Heron Home -- Grandpa Heron Not Amused
- Springtime at Lost Lagoon -- Celebrating a Tree's Beauty
- Spring Wings! -- A young swan ready for adventure
- Swan Nest-Building 2007 – Part 2 -- Precious Stands (Sits) Guard
- Swan Nest-Building 2007 – Part 1 -- The Construction Site is Chosen
- Love is in the Air! -- Belated Swan Valentine from Tristan and Isolde
- Cygnet to Proud Young Swan -- Bijan's Growing Up
- Happy Valentine's Day from Lost Lagoon -- Swans' Wild Kingdom
- Sunny Day at the Lagoon - PART 1 -- A Little Swan’s Missed Adventure
- Sunny Day at the Lagoon - PART 2 -- A Little Swan’s Missed Adventure
- Swan-Dive! -- Food Wins Out Over Dignity
- A Growing Swan -- Update on Bijan (Cygnet of 2006)
- New Year's at Lost Lagoon -- Swans in Fine Feather
- Swan D�tente -- Keeping It Friendly (Nov 29)
- Bijan Marooned! (Nov 29) -- The Swan Who Came In From the Cold
- Mama and papa Swan's Magic Kingdom -- A snowy realm (Nov 27)
- The Stone Bridge at Lost Lagoon -- Winter Magic in Autumn (Nov 27)
- Swan Dad to the Rescue -- Little Brown Bully Meets His Match
- Swan-and-Heron-Club - Part II -- Heron Heights
- As the (Lagoon) World Turns -- Junior Makes His Move
- Like Father, Like Son -- Junior, “I-am-the-Greatest” Cygnet
- Ambleside Cygnets' Morning Roll Call -- Cool Facts About Growing Swans
- Ambleside Cygnets at Lost Lagoon -- All in the Family
- Another new buddy for Junior the Cygnet? -- Lost Lagoon’s Swan-and-Heron Club
- 5:00pm update (day of their arrival) -- The 4 new cygnets are doing well
- Update at 1:00pm, following their arrival -- 4 New Cygnets Settling In
- Four new cygnets at Lost Lagoon -- (brought from Ambleside, West Vancouver)
- Domestic Squabble For Swans? -- Isolde Lays Down the Law
- Junior's Inaugural Voyage -- Kids! You never know where they are!
- A Cygnet’s Growing Pains -- Not Exactly Swan Lake!
- Cygnet's Progress -- Growing by Leaps and Bounds
- A Swan's New Clothes -- Isolde Gets a Tail
- A Swan Summer Morning at the Lagoon -- Mute Swans can talk!
- Swans and Company (Jun 30 -Jul 3) -- Precious Lowers the Boom!
- Cygnet's World Widens -- New Adventures with Mom and Dad
- Walking Tall (June 23, 2006) -- Cygnet Growing by the Hour
- Green Swans? *Pictures* -- Cygnet Nutrition and Swan Speech!
- Swan Olympics? -- Is it a bird? A plane? No - it's Super-Swan!
- Family Picnic - June 10,2006 -- Swans and Cygnet Happily Grazing
- A Quiet Morning's Adventure - June 8 -- Cast of swans, heron and red-winged blackbird!
- Precious, on June 7 -- Did you know swans can purr?
- Early Pictures of "Junior" our new cygnet - June 1 -- Baby's first ' public appearance'
- Early summer night's dream at the Lagoon -- Another facet of Lost Lagoon
- May 31: Happy Birthday Tristan! -- The Observer
- Monday morning May 29 -- A Canada Goose Shower
- All the little feathered faces accounted for - May 28 -- A soft spring rainy day
- News of the day at the Lagoon (Sat May 27) -- with Boy in the setting sun
- Pictures of Precious -- The Observer
- May 23 news-in-a-capsule -- A Typical Spring Day
- Spinning Swans and Mutant Ninja Carp! -- .
- Getting Along -- Boy's New-found Energy
- Getting to Know You -- Tristan and Isolde's Blossoming Friendship
- Two Swans on a Nest -- Picture
- Pictures and Journal - Tristan and Isolde -- The Observer
- Pictures of Papa and Mama Nesting -- The Observer
- Morning of Feb 11 at the Lagoon -- Precious, Conquering Hero
- Swan Soap Opera -- Update on who is with whom at the Lagoon
- Tweety's new colors -- The Observer
- Precious and Lady "necking, big-time"! -- The Observer
- Between a Rock and a Hard Place -- Saga of Swan and Raccoons
- Summer Swans -- It Isn’t Easy Being Green
Mama and Papa Swan sailed proudly along the channel at their end of the lagoon. They have enough feathers to look regal, as long as Papa doesn’t try to raise his wings too high – they ARE still a bit ...
Today is cool and raining, and although that doesn’t put a smile on many visitors’ faces, it’s a happy fleet of swans we see scattered across the lagoon, bouncing on the windswept waves. During the ...
It’s early summer and most of the Lost Lagoon swans are slipping into their just-kick-back-and-relax look, but some take that fashion much farther than others. First, it’s the season when they root ...
With Mama Swan completely off the nest and back to her normal routine, her appetite’s slowly returning and she’s enjoying lots of leisure time on the water. That is, if you can count pedaling at top ...
With molting season getting under way, it’s a frayed fleet of swans that cross the waters of Lost Lagoon these days. Even the King and Queen – Precious and Marika – are slightly tattered. The only ...
Molting season is well under way at Lost Lagoon and our beautiful swans are beginning to look a bit tattered. This, combined with ring around the collar and browned heads from diving for food from ...
Alas! It seems Mama and Papa Swan aren’t to be proud parents this year, in spite of ideal nesting conditions and their faithful care of eggs and nest during the incubation. Of her 5 eggs that she ...
A happy sight often greets visitors to the lagoon these days, as Tristan and Isolde are back to their old routines once again. They don’t seem to regret missing the nesting season, and now, as ...
A quiet rainy morning at Lost Lagoon, with Mama and Papa Swan both enjoying time together. Papa continues to keep a close eye on her, doing nest-duty, and generally being a good mate. Mama was ...
One of the Great Blue Herons that frequent the lagoon seems to enjoy being right next to Mama and Papa Swans’ nest. He spends hours perched at the water’s edge, maybe hoping a suitable-sized fish ...
Mama and Papa Swan are still the proud guardians of 5 beautiful eggs, enjoying their sense of security in contented companionship behind the mesh. Talk about teamwork! Today I watched a raccoon sidle ...
Along the shore by Nature House, 5 swans floated contentedly, necks disappearing into the water to seek out tasty morsels from the lagoon. Heads periodically came up for air, revealing 3 lighter ...
How devoted Papa Swan is this year! His wild past, when he was known as Deadbeat Dad, is long gone, and he’s front and centre for nest-duty to relieve Mama when she needs a break, to spend time with ...
Oh, to know what they’re thinking….! This is Tristan’s 3rd day back at the lagoon following his 2½-month rehab, during which he was away from his mate, Isolde. Now that he’s returned and once again ...
It was too good to last. Foolishly returning home, happy over Tristan’s joyful re-introduction to the lagoon, I decided to go back a little later to see how things were going. Genghis Swan and Papa ...
Wildlife Technician Ziggy arrived just after 10:00 a.m. with Tristan tucked safely in the van. She opened the back door, and there he was – a very healthy, plump (yes - he even gained a little weight ...
The sun warmed the air, a red-winged blackbird chirped his song nearby and black-capped chickadees flitted in the bushes beside Mama and Papa Swan’s nest. Papa was seated firmly on the 5 eggs while ...
Mama Swan added yet another egg to her treasury, and you can hear Papa far and wide as he swims back and forth, calling his four signature SNORTS, rearing up on his tail and stretching his wings wide ...
The fuss! The attention! The crowds! The paparazzi! Oh, the burden of being royalty these days! Yes, the King and Queen of Lost Lagoon, Precious and his mate, were used to being the centre of ...
At the other end of the kingdom (lagoon), Mama and Papa Swan continue their domestic bliss, and today Mama boasted FOUR eggs. The two were busily adding more material to their beautiful nest this ...
Mama had her bill tucked under a wing, enjoying a siesta, while Papa hovered nearby, with an occasional reassuring snort to signify that all was under control. As she slept peacefully, I also hovered ...
Mama Swan has produced another egg and the couple appears to be on guard 24/7 this time, to prevent the raccoon robbery that happened with the first two. Mama’s still enjoying time to swim and nibble ...
Mama Swan is working hard to out-pace the rapacious raccoons who ate her first two eggs, and has produced a brand new one that we saw nestled in the little hollow she and Papa Swan fashioned so ...
On this fine April day, a pair of our 2-year-old swans joined Lost Lagoon’s Elder Swan, Boy, to graze the tender green grass that’s at its best. Yes, our Bijan has been keeping company with one of ...
A special THANK YOU to the Parks Department Foreman and Staff for having cleared the old 2003 swan nest-site at winter’s end, so Mama and Papa Swan could have a much better location than in past ...
Now that all is ready, and both Mama and Papa take turns sitting. But there’s something missing from the nest. Eggs! We have had reports that so far, poor Mama Swan has laid TWO eggs – both of which ...
A pleasant spring day saw the swans scattered peacefully across the lagoon, with the 4 “teddies” pairing off in friendly twosomes! Peacefully, did I say? The illusion ended after 2 or 3 minutes’ ...
Boy, who’s in fine feather these days and loves to sail around the lagoon - sedate and stately – detests having to hurry along ahead of feisty Precious whose sole objective is to latch onto a few ...
As I rounded the bend in the path by the wetlands, there was Marika, feet firmly planted in the new grass, grazing the fresh crop that flourishes in the early spring, perky tail bouncing as she ...
Our occasional sunshine is bringing out all the spring instincts in our swans, in spite of it still being cold. Precious and Marika can be found in the wetlands more often, looking at their old nest ...
Among the waterfowl at Lost Lagoon, the Mute Swan is by far the largest, and by contrast, the smallest is the pretty little American Coot. Coots aren’t afraid to hang around swans in the water ...
On Tristan’s arrival at the Night Owl Bird Hospital, Dr. McDonald found he had a laceration on his left foot, deep enough to go right into the bone. He had evidently stepped on something very sharp ...
I went down to do the authorized afternoon feeding of our swans and was surprised to see our young Tristan choosing to lie down as he ate. As soon as he got up I started to check him over. He clearly ...
With the recent ice now melted, Lost Lagoon’s 13 swans are getting a fine workout now that they have more room to travel; they might not be getting all this exercise if it weren’t for ...
The recent cold (for Vancouver) Winter days have seen thin ice form on much of Lost Lagoon, but happily, for the moment, there are open areas of clear water so our swans are managing. Precious and ...
Lost Lagoon is basking beneath the bright sun on this January day, and the swans have lost no time in making the most of it to venture to all their favourite corners, from one end of the lake to the ...
It was a cold December evening. Dusk had fallen, and Lost Lagoon’s swans were nearby, either floating serenely, having that last “brush-up” preen of the day on shore, or just beginning to get serious ...
On a quiet Fall afternoon, Mama and Papa Swan have their own private sail-past in their domain at the western end of Lost Lagoon. All is peaceful for the moment, but they are clearly hoping to find a ...
The seven youngsters form a calm and orderly flotilla. No mad dash for calmer waters here. There must be something wrong! Something missing? Why, it’s Genghis Swan! Yes, he’s too busy somewhere else ...
Precious the Swan has more than a few adventures to his credit through the years, having well and truly earned his place as King of Lost Lagoon, among his other titles. With his mate Marlika, he ...
Guaranteed sighting at Lost Lagoon, 7 days a week: Genghis Swan in full chase mode, working off all his excess energy speeding after any one of the other youngsters. Doesn’t matter which swan, as ...
Papa Swan never gives up! He’s busier than he’s ever been with the new families of young raccoons to chase and, hopefully, intimidate. Swans’ eyesight is very keen, and when he spots a raccoon from ...
After a few days’ absence, it was with happy anticipation that I came ‘round the bend in the path by the pond at Lost Lagoon, envisioning the sight of Precious and his pretty mate Marlika gliding ...
Bijan (Lost Lagoon’s 2006 cygnet, now 14 months old) continues to grow in size and we wonder if he just might make the Guinness Book of Records for swan-with-the-longest-neck! He’s still the same ...
Followers of our swans’ adventures may recall that Boy, our proud old swan of 16, lost his mate to the much more powerful Precious, in early 2006. (Yes, it's a Soap Opera at Lost Lagoon). Since that ...
For all their efforts as ace nest-builders and egg-sitters, Marlika and Precious did not become proud parents of a cygnet this year. Nature’s ways can be mysterious, but we still have to give both ...
Oh it’s hard being an adolescent! This is two-year-old Tristan’s first serious molt and he’s one cranky little swan. The normally sleek youngster works harder every day to preen himself back into ...
The weather forecast was for rain during the night and the next day, but we already knew before hearing it. To the nature observer who notices the dandelion flowers close up along the way, the ...
Tristan is a born showman, and never loses an opportunity to show off for his mate Isolde. Today was no exception! Isolde appears on the extreme left of the picture (upper third)
Swans “personalities” differ from one to the other, as night from day. Take our two nesting pairs - Precious and Marlika, and Mama and Papa Swan…. Precious and Marlika This morning saw Precious ...
It’s been exactly one year today since a tiny gray cygnet emerged from his egg in 2006, gently urged on by mom and dad, Marlika and Precious. He’s grown into a fine young swan with the same ...
Young Tristan and Isolde are still the “honeymoon couple” of Lost Lagoon, courting each day. Visitors look for them, nearly always together, hoping to see them making a heart as they often do. “How ...
Yes, it was another busy day for Precious, with his mate serenely settled on her nest of six eggs (yes, six! We counted them the other morning when she left them for a couple of minutes’ break). ...
Mama and Papa Swan, although in their midyears, are still adventure-seekers and happiest of all when they end up in a standoff with another bird! Swans are pretty big compared to most other species, ...
We always know that spring is official when Lost Lagoon’s magnificent white cherry tree is in full bloom. How grateful we are that this monument to beauty was spared by the ferocious storm that took ...
If you compare this picture to the October 9, 2006 posting “Morning Roll Call” you’ll see why we no longer refer to the LITTLE swans from Ambleside Park! At ten months old, they are already bigger ...
The nest is still in its early stages, and little Marlika had decided to take time out and enjoy some quiet moments on the far side of the wetlands - but no matter, Precious figured it’s time to ...
One couple of our two breeding pairs of swans has a nest under way! The high waters from those 23 days of rain in March have subsided, and at last, Lost Lagoon’s Precious and Marlika have started to ...
It might be late for Valentine’s Day, and a bit early for their first anniversary (April 28), but Tristan and Isolde are carrying on in honeymoon style! Almost daily, visitors to Lost Lagoon are ...
“Ah, I thought, “the hint of Spring in the air …… romance …… mates pairing up …..swan couples making “hearts" – a lovely day at the Lagoon.” Well, not exactly... Visitors to the lagoon these days ...
January 24th, our first dry day for ages, and all creatures great and small were out to enjoy the sunshine. One of the young Ambleside swans had climbed up a slope from the water where he could graze ...
Little did the two curious raccoons know they had attracted the attention of Tristan who cruised over to check things out. He sped toward the two whiskered bandits with wings up, and an almighty ...
(Mid-January) Winter clouds thickened above and darkness fell before I made my last stop around the lagoon to make sure all the swans were fine. Mama and Papa Swan in all their snowy whiteness stood ...
Our Bijan (Precious and Marlika’s cygnet) is maturing more every day, as his brown feathers whiten and he asserts his independence around the lagoon. He still spends time with Mom and Dad, but soon ...
Given the ferocity of the windstorm of December 15th, we spent many very anxious moments wondering about possible destruction, and how our swans and all the wildlife were faring. Animals and birds ...
Bijan is living up to his name! (Bijan means “hero” in Persian) Here was his first snow, and he took everything in his stride, enjoying exploration of the lagoon with Mom and Dad. His fine coat of ...
While the 11 other swans (once Bijan had joined them) spend their time in the ice-free part of the lagoon on the beach side, Mama and Papa Swan keep a snowy vigil over their own special Magic Kingdom ...
It’s hard to remember that all of this beauty is only a stone’s throw from the city, and the lucky few that had an opportunity to walk the paths found themselves in another world, where the quiet of ...
Boy moved regally across the water in a bee-line toward my morning call to come and get his arthritis medicine, and was taken aback on his arrival, to find our ubiquitous heron at the water’s edge, ...
Lost Lagoon’s “Junior” in a friendly moment with the little Ambleside cygnet, initially adopted by Precious and his family the day of their arrival. We’re guessing it’s the female of the group of ...
If you’re down at the Lagoon and wonder which of the five cygnets is Junior (son of Precious and Marlika), he’ll clarify matters for you in no time at all! Yes, he’s practicing his dad’s signature ...
The 4 Ambleside Kids usually start their day all together – three side-by-side, and one never far away. An occasional raised wing now shows white underneath. Their feathers will continue to whiten ...
The 4 cygnets have settled in well, and their days are filled with the new adventures that come with lots of new space to explore, and discoveries to make. They enjoy gliding across the water on a ...
In the Friday morning sunlight, a winged form dipped from the sky, the image morphing into a young Great Blue Heron – one with an appetite, judging from his determined gait as he waded though the ...
Our Isolde has become such a pretty swan – with spirit! She clearly enjoys greeting her friends and sharing a bit of conversation now and then, keeping up her part nicely with a variety of quiet ...
There they were – Precious and Marlika, floating in the holding pond, exchanging quiet little bleats of conversation. What’s wrong with this picture? OH NO! WHERE’S “JUNIOR???” He’s never been out of ...
Remember that cute little cygnet of recent fame? He’s still awfully cute, but BIG. He’s growing so fast that you might even see him sprout a centimeter or two if you sat nearby for a couple of hours! ...
When she first arrived at Lost Lagoon in April, little Isolde’s wardrobe left a lot to be desired. Her feathers were “at sixes and sevens,“ she had trouble settling her wings, and her tail was ...
Boy wasn't immediately visible this morning, so I went along past Nature House where he often waits. Saw a swan near the wetlands area and was surprised that he would have gone that close to ...
Precious and Marlika introduced “Junior” to the main lagoon for the first time yesterday, not counting the 15-minute preview they gave us earlier this month. It was fun to watch his delight in ...
Precious and Marlika’s little cygnet is growing by the hour, and making Mom and Dad almost run to keep up with all his adventures. His first forays with parents saw him shadowing Mom so closely that ...
Boy, our intrepid 15-year old, is becoming friskier by the day! This morning he decided to show off some of his renewed energy for a second time,to our delight. Following his usual morning visit by ...
It was a fine evening, just the sort for a leisurely walk to see what’s new with the little wetlands family. On rounding the bend there they were, Mom happily grazing the emerald grass, with baby’s ...
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