The Swans of Lakeland

Just about any time Judy or I have reason to travel north through our home city of Lakeland, Florida, we take the "scenic" route. Three lakes line up nicely for the trip. Lake Hollingsworth is the first we meet. Part way around Hollingsworth we swing onto Bel Mar and then turn right onto South Street. This brings us to Lake Morton. From there we can wend our way northward to Lake Mirror.

Each lake has its own character.Lake Hollingsworth is the largest, affording a three-mile walk-around. Florida Southern College overlooks the north shore and hosts frequent Sunday water shows when school is in session. Lake Mirror is the more artistic lake. Not quite a mile around, it features majestic columns, an art center, and the well-known Hollis Gardens. Tucked between Hollingsworth and Mirror is Lake Morton with its elegant homes and its birds...LOTS of birds.

The most attractive and the most historically interesting of Lake Morton's feathered community are the swans. There are at least four varieties: Mute Swans (the original stock), Black Swans, Black-Necked Swans and what I call Mottled Swans.

In February of 1957, several years after an earlier flock died out, the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II of England, donated a pair of mute swans to the city of Lakeland. Damion Boyce provides an informative account of the royal pedigree of that pair. Since their arrival, their descendants have been carefully nurtured. Twice each year they are rounded up, checked for physical well being, and then released and at this time of year, they are midwifed through the mating season.

This week (March 4, 2014), Judy and I took a walk around the lake to observe the beginning of this year's midwifery project. Below are some photographs which can give you an idea of what awaits you if you decide to visit our fair city in the spring.

At the moment the swans are in the early stages of either building their nests or preparing to lay their eggs. For those of us who are casual observers, the sign that things are happening is the appearance of the yellow caution tapes which cordon off their nesting areas. It is pretty generally assumed that the City of Lakeland and not the swans themselves are responsible for this.


Of course, there are some people who are thoughtless enough to harass the birds or even raid their nests. Camera surveillance has been installed, and violating the rules of avian courtesy can result in some unpleasant moments.  Rule of thumb: Keep a respectable distance and mind your manners.




The nests are not difficult to find, snuggled among tall grasses near the edge of the water. We saw no signs of eggs yet, but the time is getting near. The Swan Sanctuary describes the laying timeline:

The mute swan, which is the white swan ... will normally mate at anytime from spring through to summer, with the cygnets being born anytime from May through to July.

After the nest has been built, which typically takes 2-3 weeks, the egg laying process begins with an egg being laid every 12-24 hours. Once all the eggs have been laid, which can take 2-3 weeks, they will all be incubated (ie. sat on to stgart the growth process) at the same time with hatching usually 42 days (6 weeks) later.

If she is still sitting on the eggs (longer than six weeks) she must be able to hear movement within the eggs. It may be that she lost her first clutch of eggs to a predator and has laid a new set - this would explain the extended "sitting" period. 


You should be advised that swans are not the only birds on Lake Morton. There is a wide array of Floridian water fowl to walk among and enjoy. While feeding the birds is not officially sanctioned, it is allowed. If you choose to do so you can create quite a following. Some of these other birds also nest around the lake at this time. Can you find the goose in this thicket of grass to the right?


Some seem to take great pride in parenting. This goose thought her success significant enough for a general announcement to all concerned. I think she could be heard on the other side of the lake. 

Other birds choose simply to gather at lakeside and enjoy each other's company. It is likely some of them are among the ones who flock regularly to the rookery in the remote section of a lake near which we live. People are not allowed to go there, but one can get close enough to see long islands of tall trees weighted down by hundreds of pelicans, herons, and a host of other varieties including an occasional spoonbill.

The event is free. There are no ticket lines. Come and visit...and bring your camera.