The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-08-05
AN ENGLISH ,'WANNERY
TIE SWAN PARADISE IN THE
LAGOON AT ABBoTsBURY.
An Ancient Haunt for Thousands oi
tho Graceful Birdie - Fierceness
of Nesting Swans.

~
IA lagoon which runs for nj
miles from the Isle OF Portlar
to Abbotsbury, behind the barrier (
S Chesii Beach, "the swan paradise" an
The nine straight miles OF water b,
low is only the playground OF the bird'
but In spring this is forsaken, except b
a few pairs that nest on the inner sid
of Chesil Beach; aud the rich an
sheltered mead which fringes Abbots
bury Brook is white with the graceful
forms Of thousand nesting swans. Il
this their ancient haunt, SO ancient tha
although the hills behind are crowned
with the ruins OF votive chapels and an
cient monasteries, the swans may claiu
for their established home an equal II
not greater antiquity-all the favorite
sites were last week already occupied by
the Jealous and watchful birds, each
keenly resentful of intrusion on its ter
ritory, yet in such close proximity to its
neighbors that space of ten or twelve
feet at most divided il from ground in
"separate aud hostile occupation"
Near the mouth of small stream which
enters the Fleet below a close and ex.
tensive ped of reeds, now cut down and
stored for the use of the birds when
building, lies the ground most coveteo
by the swans. There, between two hun.
dred and three hundred nests, o,
sites for nests, were occupied or
space of two acres at most. 30 anxioW
are the birds to secure n place on this
favorite spot that they remain sitting
constantly on the place when occupied,
in order to maintain their rights against
intrudcrs, and there collect with their
long nccks every morsel of reed and
grass within reach to form platform
for the eggs. At this time the swanhcnd
visits them constantly, and scattcrs bun.
dies Of dried reed from the stacks, which
arc eagerly gathered in by the swans an6
piled round and beneath them as they
sit. These additions to tho nest 90 or
continually; and rs the cock swan takes
his share,o or even more than his share, o!
the duties of sitting upon the eggs, ont
of the pair is always Mt liberty to collect
fresh material. This is mainly piled il
kind of wall round tho nest, the h
terror being already finished, and ofesa
partly feltcd with lining OF swansdowr
from the birds breasts.
To the visitor who, under the guild.
ance of the swanherd, walks OH the par
row grassraths which wind amid th,
labyrinth of nests, the colony recall,
visions of visits t. the island homes of
the great petrels or giant alpatrosses in
distant oceans. Many of the swans have
built their nests so that they even en-
croach upon the paths; and each Of tbs
great birds as he passes throws back it
snake like head, and with ralsc | crcs
hisses iierccly and rattlcs tn" pinions o
its wings, or even leaves the nest, nm,
with every feather qu,vcring with excite
mcnt, makes ~ though it would driv
the intruder from the sanctuary. Bu
the presence Of the swanhcrd general
reassurcs the birds, though the hissin
rises and falls as il from the throats Of
thousand angry snakes. In view of tn
natural icalulsly and fcrceuass of swan
in the h,ccding season, the comparative
gcntlcnr.s ui the AbbOtsbury birds,
somewhat remarkable. On tho river
Urrl~-LrraIs of Norfolk each pair CLAIM
Their so'r~~-Llrgc stretch "i water 10
times fatal fights rnanstant and some
served territory is invaded If the re
pair. There, also, the swans will ocCl
slona''y attack not only stranger.
but the swauhcrds themselves, VIII,
owing TO the extent of Il
stream aud dykes along which II
swans nest, are, of course, less we
known to the birds than are the kecpc
at Abbotsbuy. MIR. Stevenson was to
by John Trctt, n marshman of Surlin.
ham, that he was "attacked by an o
male swan us he was examining the eg,
IN nest, to which, being boggy nlac
he had crawicd on his hands and knee
The swan, coming up behind him III
perceived, struck him SO violently
tho buck that he had difficulty in regai
ing his boat, where no laid for son
Tine in great pain, and though he mn
aged at length to pull home, he VI
confined 30 his bed for more than
week. Another marshman was strut
On the thigh in the same manner, an
descl lbed the force Of the blow and tt
pain occa,ionei 10y it rs something i,
credible. The Abbotsbury swan
though not pnioncd like the Norfol
buds, ani leading II life OF freedom Q
ihu verge 81 the sea, seen to know /
instinct that the protection and safe
which t4ey obtain at Abbotshury a,
more than enough to compensate the
for tho loss of the free lom and ind
pcndencc which an isolntcd nestir
place might give; and with the exec
ton OF about twenty pairs, they congr
gate as has been described, aLandonir
not only their natural instinct for ieoh
ton, but also mucn Of the combativcnc
with which this instinct is accompanic
Fights between the cock swans do occu
But the swmhcrd soon restores peace
Onc tine old bird which had auarrclle
with both OF It's ncighbors wa3 MAJ
happy by scmicircie Of tamnrisk boa,
stuck N the earth arouni its nest. an
SO clearly defining its territory.
\ Rats Queer Cnpcr.