Swans

concussion · 24-12-2010 2:59pm #1

Hey guys, I was just down on Bishops Quay feeding the swans and I wanted to let you know they're in pretty poor condition. The seagulls and ducks seem grand but the swan are covered in ice and mud, they haven't been preening well and they're constantly fighting, biting each others necks and pulling out feathers. They're also very sluggish and really hungry as they were desperately climbing up, and falling down, the icy steps when I was throwing out food - they were even pecking me to get my attention when I went down there.

If you can save your vegetable cuttings, or even pick up an extra bag of spinach or lettuce in the shops to give to them I'm sure it would be a big help for them in this weather.

seachto7 · 24-12-2010 5:19pm

jaysus, wouldn't have thought they'd be that bad...

you should also post this on bocktherobber. seem to be a lot of good willed Limerick folk over there too, they might post it up on their facebook too...

CCSL · 24-12-2010 7:57pm

They were very sluggish alright but perked up after a good feed!

brought plenty of greens for them.

Jumpy · 25-12-2010 11:44am

Are the two aussie swans still around? I hope this weather didnt kill them. Black swans are not used to minus temperatures.

wylo · 25-12-2010 12:39pm

some desperate ducks and swans along the small canal that goes from town to Corbally, they seem to be hanging around under the grove island bridge.

Insect Overlord · 25-12-2010 6:03pm

Sent a bag of bread in with my sister when she went for a walk earlier. She was petrified by the gulls, but the swans were happy with the food!

RonMexico · 25-12-2010 6:12pm

Don't forget the small birds either. Best to use brown bread or cut an apple in half. Don't put out turkey fat though, it is bad for them. Also unsalted peanuts go down a treat or even grated cheese.

zachler · 26-12-2010 6:28pm

I was down on Callaghan's Strand at the slip on Christmas Day and the swans nearly took the hand off me. Some of them seemed to have trouble standing up and be pretty sluggish though. I was down there again today and, while they're still pretty hungry, they looked in far better shape. I counted 43 swans on the slip, along with ducks, seagulls and pigeons - some crowd!

LB6 · 27-12-2010 2:55pm

We went down Sunday afternoon too to St. Mick's slipway. The tide was fully out and they were using their wings to speed up their walk up the slip to meet us.

They were ravenous. Went through 3 loaves of bread so quickly and the other groups were even coming across the river too. It was more that they were starving than the usual greediness.

Bock the Robber · 27-12-2010 8:39pm

Give the swans cabbage and they'll get the proper nutrition. There's nothing in bread for them.

angeldaisy · 27-12-2010 8:55pm

Bock the Robber wrote: »

Give the swans cabbage and they'll get the proper nutrition. There's nothing in bread for them.

We were down there today and I took in some cabbage and lettuce and hubby took some bread. I got ignored totally whilst he was surrounded.. typical. Left down the green stuff anyway, hopefully they will have eaten it! They seem much happier now anyway.

Bock the Robber · 27-12-2010 8:57pm

angeldaisy wrote: »

We were down there today and I took in some cabbage and lettuce and hubby took some bread. I got ignored totally whilst he was surrounded.. typical. Left down the green stuff anyway, hopefully they will have eaten it! They seem much happier now anyway.

We've trained them to prefer junk-food. Wait till you see what happens next. Obese swans in tracksuits with ADHD.

Swans

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