It had been a couple of weeks and the salt marsh had a lot more water in it then when I first spotted Edwina. I hadn’t seen any cygnets yet so Saturday morning was boots and old clothing. I went out there, without wanting to risk getting my Pentax wet, so there would be no pictures. Half way around the marsh and I ran into Edwina’s mate. All I saw was a very large swan, in a pose similar to tonight’s posting except he was coming at me like a battleship. I ended up with bite marks on my arms and wet up to my waist. It was muddy and my boots were sticking in the mud. More bites on the back of my legs and butt. He was relentless and chased me all the way to my car. Dana meet Fred. The eggs did not hatch that summer. I think that the height of the water kept them from hatching. But, the challenge was on. I can’t tell you how many loaves of whole wheat bread were invested in the project to “train” Fred or maybe he was training me. I got pretty good throwing slices of bread, like a Frisbee. I could keep Fred about ten feet away, for he wasn’t all that willing, to let any of the ducks, get any of his bread. Still got my share of bite marks during that summer. Edwina eventually abandoned the nest and joined the daily bread parties and was a much gentler swan. She was only half of Fred’s size and he always placed himself between me and Edwina. Then the leaves turned golden colors, winter was on the way and they were gone. I spent the winter researching swans. There was no way that this feathered bully was going to get the best of me. The good news was that swans mated for life and returned north to nest in the same place each year. The bad news was that there was a small 'divorce' rate following nesting failure. Interesting note: Northern Hemisphere swans have pure white plumage but the Southern Hemisphere species are Black Neck Swan or the Austrailian Black Swan. Also, to try and keep this story to five or six postings, I will be using photos taken over 12 years. Thanks for stopping by, taking a look and for all your previous comments & favs. Dana