Visitor to the Pond

A friend had this unique visitor to their pond, and he's actually still hanging out there as we speak.  This swan is a Mute Swan which is actually not a native species to the United States.  These swans were introduced to North America for their beauty.  They are fairly aggressive, and their behavior can threaten native waterfowl.  You cannot dispute that they are quite beautiful and graceful to watch swim around the pond. 

We're not sure how long this one will stay, but it would be great if it was replaced by our native, Trumpeter Swans which have been spotted throughout Chester County, recently. The Mute Swan has a orange bill with a black "face" whereas the Trumpeter Swan has an all black bill and face.  The Tundra Swan also has a black bill, but has yellow spots behind the bill on their "face."   Sometimes these swans get caught up traveling with the Snow Geese, so keep your eyes to the skies, because you just might come across some swans.  If you would like to see large flocks of Tundra Swans, there were over 3,000 reported at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area over the weekend.  You can keep up to date on the species being seen at Middle Creek by checking out this website: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=621427&mode=2