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&nbsp;Also I think there is another feral population in south-central Canada, but again I don't know its distribution -- just southern Ontario?, e.g. Wye Marsh?<BR><BR>Remember the breeding Mute Swams of the mouth of the Sackville River a few years ago? &nbsp;That never should have been allowed to happen at all -- we were all asleep at the wheel, as were the federal authorities in that case.<BR><BR>Cheers from Jim in Wolfville<BR>----------<BR><B>From: </B>"d.bridgehouse" &lt;d.bridgehouse@ns.sympatico.ca&gt;<BR><B>Reply-To: </B>naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR><B>Date: </B>Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:15:41 -0300<BR><B>To: </B>naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR><B>Subject: </B>RE: [NatureNS] Fw: Swan in Sullivan's Pond<BR><BR><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial>The swan was haning out b --Apple-Mail-222-799250412 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; delsp=yes; format=flowed Hi folks, On 4-Jun-07, at 11:56 AM, <adslaun@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: > After reading through this thread again, I did a quick google =20 > search on mute swans.. > > National Geographic had some info regarding the mute swans. > > http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/=20 > 2004/06/0621_040621_muteswansinvasivespecies.html > > I wasn't aware of any of the controversy. A very interesting article which says (in part): Speaking last year, the (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) director, =20 Steve Williams, said: "Wildlife biologists and refuge managers have =20 significant concerns about the impacts of growing populations of non-=20 native mute swans on native birds and their habitats. Mute swans can =20 cause extensive habitat degradation in wetland habitats." In the Chesapeake Bay some 3,600 birds consume 10.5 million pounds =20 (4.8 million kilograms) of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) each =20 year, said Jonathan McKnight. McKnight is the Maryland Department of =20 Natural Resources (DNR) biologist responsible for the state's =20 response to invasive species. He said water plants targeted by the swans=97including eelgrass, =20 wigeongrass, and sago pondweed=97act as important nursery areas for =20 fish and invertebrates. "SAV beds are the basis of a complex web of life in Chesapeake Bay," =20 McKnight added. "They are the homes of seahorses and pipefish, of =20 crabs and juvenile fish, of ducks and herons." These beds have already been affected by declining water quality, and =20= now mute swans threaten those that remain, McKnight said. Their aggressive behavior has also led to the displacement of native =20 birds from nesting and feeding areas, he said. "Mute swans are =20 responsible for driving the last remaining colony of black skimmers =20 from Chesapeake Bay." The Great Lakes may face similar pressures, with Canada-based =20 scientists suggesting mute swan populations are growing by up to 30 =20 percent each year on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. And in Wisconsin =20 conservationists fear efforts to reintroduce the trumpeter swan could =20= be undermined by the presence of its larger, more aggressive cousin. Clearly there are significant concerns. Cheers, Chris >> From: Rob Woods <rrtwoods@yahoo.com> >> Date: 2007/06/04 Mon AM 09:02:52 EDT >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] re possible multiple Mute Swans in our area? >> >> Please explain why the Mute Swan is such a dangerous alien species =20= >> compared to any other alien species. Does it carry some disease =20 >> that threatend the north american swans, is it food competition, why? >> >> Swans are a bird that attract the non birding publics attention. =20= >> One could use breeding swans as a way to educate the public the =20 >> about wildlife watershed habitat to help protect our area lakes =20 >> from chemical spills and overdevelopment so that all waterfowl has =20= >> the opportunity to breed successfully. >> >> While I agree these swans are more likely imports who is to say =20 >> that a population of European Swans or other species like Rooks or =20= >> Jackdaws etc could not get blown via an atlantic storm to =20 >> Newfoundland in significant numbers attempt to establish a local =20 >> population. The population could then expand from there. Should =20 >> they be destroyed as well. Humans may have provided nature a way =20 >> to keep a species around by assisting it accross the atlantic from =20= >> Europe where loss of habitat for many species is a bigger concern =20 >> that it is here. Should one not look for the positives of the =20 >> successful breeding of Swans in Nova Scotia than the cry for their =20= >> destruction. >> >> Rob Woods >> Georgefield >> >> >> Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> wrote: >> As I understand it, Mute Swans are dangerous alien species =20 >> (impacting other waterfowl among other problems), and need to be =20 >> monitored for possible breeding activity. Please everyone let us =20 >> know if there is evidence of more than one of these possible =20 >> escapees around and freely moving around. There is a feral/wild/=20 >> established population along the eastern seaboard that has been =20 >> spreading from New York, but I don't know its current =20 >> distribution. Also I think there is another feral population in =20 >> south-central Canada, but again I don't know its distribution -- =20 >> just southern Ontario?, e.g. Wye Marsh? >> >> Remember the breeding Mute Swams of the mouth of the Sackville =20 >> River a few years ago? That never should have been allowed to =20 >> happen at all -- we were all asleep at the wheel, as were the =20 >> federal authorities in that case. >> >> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville >> ---------- >> From: "d.bridgehouse" <d.bridgehouse@ns.sympatico.ca> >> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:15:41 -0300 >> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca >> Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Fw: Swan in Sullivan's Pond >> >> The swan was haning out by the sluce gate (inflow) gate from =20 >> L.Banook when I was by this AM . I believe it is a Mute Swan =20 >> but I'm no expert >> >> What a beauty ! ! ! >> >> Cheers , DerekB. >> -----Original Message----- >> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-=20 >> owner@chebucto.ns.ca]On Behal