I was travelling through the Lake District, North West England, with my bipeds and we decided to take a break and stretch our legs. We stopped by a lake and the male biped said he’d join us soon, but he wanted to rearrange some of the luggage in the car as something was making a noise. I was keen to investigate, so I set off with the female biped.
We made our way down to the shore and strolled along. I found some interesting smells to sniff, but my biped said I should leave it as it was only duck poop – as though I didn’t know what I was sniffing! After about fifteen minutes we began to wonder why the male biped hadn’t caught up with us and we turned back to find out. A strange sight met our eyes!
Crisps aren’t good for you!
The male biped was standing on a rock, keeping his crisps out of reach of a swan! The female biped laughed and took a photograph.
The male biped said, “It isn’t funny! He’s quite aggressive and it hurts when he pecks me!”
When I saw the swan move and peck the biped’s legs, I decided I should go and help. So the female biped decided she needed both hands free to make sure that I didn’t, which meant she couldn’t take any more photographs.
The male biped said, “The swan suddenly appeared and tried to snatch the crisps. I turned and started walking away and then he came at me making a hissing noise, with his wings flapping, so I hopped up here thinking he’d get bored and go away. But that doesn’t seem to be working!”
As he was speaking, another swan came waddling up and joined the first one. Things were getting serious! So I made another attempt to go to his aid, but the female biped told me to wait.
The male biped said, “I think it would be better if you took Clowie back up to the car.”
She said, “Okay, we don’t want a bad situation getting any worse, but what are you going to do?”
The male replied, “I’m thinking about a small distraction and then legging it as fast as I can!”
The female biped asked, “Distraction?”
The male biped waved the packet of crisps and said, “I didn’t want to give him any as he’ll think he can go around mugging people for food, but I can’t think of anything else to do.”
The female said, “He already knows he can mug people for food!”
I wanted to stay to help the male biped, but I walked back up to the road as requested. We saw the male biped make a show of dropping a few crisps on one side of the rock to get the attention of the swans. As soon as they bent over to get the crisps, he hopped down on the other side and started running towards us.
When he reached the steps he paused to look back. He should know that you never look back! Sure enough, the swans had eaten the crisps and were following him. I gave a warning woof and the male biped realised his mistake and ran up the steps, leaving the hissing and flapping swans behind.
Swans look much nicer in the water!
Attribution: By Mihael Grmek (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The usual reason for a swan to be aggressive is in defence of a nest, but the bipeds said that they weren’t planning to stay and explain to these swans that they shouldn’t be mugging people for food!
See you next Wednesday!
Clowie's Corner 
So sorry about the loss of the crisps. I never realized that swans were aggressive! Love the pictures. 🙂
Thank you. They can be quite intimidating, but normally only when they have a good reason.
Ruffians! Mind you, it’s probably the fault of previous bipeds who have fed the beauties and given them ideas 😦
They were! It was an easy place to stop, so they probably have been given a lot of food. I’m sure lots of people lose their picnics!
I enjoyed this story, although it probably was not so enjoyable from the ‘bipeds” perspective 😉
I also didn’t know that swans could be so aggressive for things other than to protect their young and their territory. It shows why bipeds should not be feeding wild animals… 😉
Thank you. Yes, it’s one of those situations that’s funny afterwards, but not so much at the time! I think that geese and swans can become intimidating in places where they see a lot of bipeds and have come to expect food from them.
Funny 🙂
Yes, I think most bipeds would have handed the crisps over to begin with!
😀
OMGoodness! You could’ve put that swan situation away in a flash, C. Too bad you weren’t allowed to help. I hope you got some treats for being so well-behaved.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Bipeds are strange creatures, Cupcake. They hardly ever let me help in a tricky situation! But I did get some treats!
It’s a good job you were there and wanting to help as all your female biped did was take photos!
True, I don’t think she had any intention of going anywhere near that swan! All she did was stop me from being useful!
Tell me that she at least fed you treats for being good?!
Oh yes! But not enough!
They never give us what we deserve
Those mean swans. Whee know Mummy isn’t keen on swans or geese since some attacked her and her pawrents on a day out when she was little. Even though it was later discovered they were nesting nearby and probably just protecting their babies, she still can’t stop feeling nervous when she sees them
xxxx
They can be quite worrying! They are very beautiful, but my bipeds prefer to see them at a safe distance swimming around.
Well I think those swans are just fans of crisps and could smell them a mile away! On top of that I’m sure they had a nest somewhere close by and were just doing their defensive thing but figured why not ask for a crisp while they were at it! HAHAHA
Hugs, Sammy
I think they probably do well at getting food from bipeds, they were very insistent!
Oh Goodness m Clowie much like Geese they can get a little..well…full on! your dad looks like a statue on that rock …I did laugh at the poop comment..duh! of course YOU knew it was poop..that’s the allure..and funny when you said Distraction…well my last piece for my school work in photography I finished yesterday and I titled it Distraction…it strangely features no swans 🙂 much loves Fozziemum xxx
Yes, I don’t need telling I’m sniffing poop! Bipeds!
Geese and swans can be quite threatening – and they know it! I’ve heard that kangaroos sometimes mug people for food at visitor spots – I should think that looks funny, if it’s true!
Are you going to post your photography on your blog?
Hahaha yes in sanctuaries sometimes they do..peeps feed them then wonder why they grab food..i will put the pics on my bloggie as I love to share my roos pics…I think it is lovely to share 🙂 hugs Fozziemum xx
I look forward to seeing them. Could you put a link on here when you do it, please? Then everyone reading the comments can pop over to see them.
I sure will sweet Clowie 🙂 I always have a great supply of roo pics on my http://dinz1234.wordpress.com bloggie 🙂 much loves Fozziemum xx
Thank you.
So welcome Clowie 🙂
Your bipeds do have a hard time between you and the birdlife! lol It certainly didn’t look like those swans were taking no for an answer!! 😉
The swans were quite determined to have the crisps! I’m not sure why the bipeds wouldn’t let me help!
I so agree with your male biped. They look white and innocent but their soul is as black as the black painted door of the Rolling Stones. My momma got a shiner once as a swan hit her with his wings. And it’s true it really hurts when they peck you. She only stands at a pond while her dad would take a photo with the swans and suddenly one of them tried to eat my poor momma. They are probably related with the monster of Loch Ness :o(
Your poor mom! That must have been scary! I’ve heard that the reason Nessie is seen so rarely is that she hides from the swans!
that’s the reason. I’m sure. No wonder that the ballet Swan Lake has no happy end, huh?
True, it’s no wonder when you’ve seen the ugly side of swans!
Probably Mr. Tchaikovsky lost his Crisps too :o)
That’s enough to make anyone sad!
They can be real mean when they want something. We have Canadian Geese that are even more nasty and can really hurt someone if you bother them.
They are very determined when they’ve made up their minds! It’s surprising how quickly geese and swans can move on land.
swans and white geese can be great protectors of property
Yes, that’s true – maybe they think that lake belongs to them.
I so lovely that your female biped took photos rather than rushing to his aid – it’s just what I would have done!!
She says she had to keep me safe!
She is a woman after my own heart – I two would always sacrifice a man over a dog to a swan!!
Yes, it’s a case of priorities!
The female said, “He already knows he can mug people for food!” That sounds about right. What an adventure. We have an Emu (two of them next door) but one of them, Sweetpea, was the nicest baby and then something changed. Now she pecks at everyone in fence range. She pecked the diamond earring of a woman passing by a while ago. No luck in finding it when the movement moved it. Your post reminded me of this. Big cyber hug to you and your bipeds from all of us. ❤
Emus are much bigger – it can’t be much fun to be pecked by one! I think they can run really fast as well, so not much chance of escaping easily! Have a great day tomorrow!
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! OMD! This was hilarious!!! Attack of the swans! I can just see it being the next big movie or something BOL!!! Sorry for laughing, I am very glad everyone is ok, but I mean, come on! Too funny!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
We all think it’s hilarious – now!! Things often are much funnier afterwards than at the time!
I’m just curious why your bi-ped didn’t let you bark at the geese. I don’t think they would come after you. You are a big dog and noisy when you bark. Maybe it’s the escalation she was trying to prevent. It does make a funny story.
My bipeds didn’t think the birds were going to be easily scared and didn’t want the situation to escalate. It isn’t every day you see a male biped running away from birds!
This is why people really shouldn’t feed wildlife—especially food that isn’t healthy for them! I bet those swans would have “ducked” for cover, though, if you’d been allowed to help your biped. 🙂
Yes, they come to expect it and some of the things they’re fed are really not good for them. Ha, I think I could have easily scared them. You’ve just reminded me of the sign in an old pub near one place we lived. It was on a very low beam – duck or grouse! Lots of people ended up grousing!
Swans and Canada geese.. they mean business. I am trying not to laugh at your male biped but I am losing the battle.
It was funny – even he thinks so now!
I have heard that swans can be very mean, and it sounds like that is definitely true! Glad your male biped came up with a plan and was able to get out of there. Good thing you gave him that warning about looking back too!
Yes, they can be quite intimidating! They’d have caught him again if I hadn’t warned him!