We live very close to the River Gipping. There is a pair of swans resident along the bank. They are large, majestic and quite intimidating. I decided to research the lives of swans, because although beautiful to watch swimming, to me, their necks seem very long and awkward and I wondered how they supported their heads!
Although able to breed from two years old, once paired off (usually for life – the saying goes ‘if you want monogamy, marry a swan!’) they tend to have a ‘honeymoon year’ during which they make a nest but don’t produce eggs. Which other species ‘waste’ time and resources going through the motions with no resultant replacement generation to pass on their genes? It’s not as though they use the nest the next year as swans tend to build a new nest each year.
When the pen lays her eggs, she sits on them continuously, turning them from time to time, relying on the fats she has laid down in her body to see her through. Meanwhile, the cob patrols, keeping rivals and predators at bay. He can be very aggressive even attacking people who venture too close.
Once hatched, chicks are covered in down to protect them from the cold and can swim, vocalise and feed themselves immediately. The mother leads them onto the water, but doesn’t offer them food – they have to learn to fend for themselves. When danger threatens, the mother allows the babies to climb onto her back and shelter under her wings. 35% die within three months of hatching due to predation, exposure and being swept over weirs and waterfalls.
Newly hatched cygnets are grey but soon turn brown, then white. The cob takes exception to white birds apart from his pen and begins to harass his own cygnets, forcing them to leave the nest. They tend to find their way to traditional locations where young swans congregate and it is in these herds that they find their mates.
Whenever I read about God’s creation, I am struck by the awesomeness of the balance of life. Cruelty and kindness, dependence and independence, provision and abandonment, gracious gliding and furious paddling under the surface. Every species is different; each is reliant on others. Each has its own specific timings.
Creator God,
Thank You for the amazing diversity of creatures in this world. We thank You for the innate programming You have given to each species so that it survives in the environment You have chosen for it. We pray Lord that we will respect and conserve all so that none will be lost and generations to come will be able to enjoy everything You made. Amen