Early last May I became somewhat obsessed with the babies born around Lost Lagoon and also Beaver Lake here in the lovely Stanley Park. With the mallard and the goose babies there is really no way to keep track of them, you just gotta hold out hope that some make it. This year we’ve seen two new babies we didn’t see last year, a pretty young heron and we’ve also seen one wood duck baby.
I had seen from my buddy Mikul’s Flickr stream that a cygnet had been born to one of the mama swans down there sitting on their eggs. It was already in need of rescue, poor little buddy fell out of the nest on the first day of life and got stuck.
Adam and I took what is becoming our preferred route to the Lagoon because there is a family of raccoons that hang out on it and the raccoons here although I would NEVER try to pet one, are very friendly. I don’t know how many of them hang out in the park but it’s A LOT, last year I caught some video of them wrestling at the Pitch and Putt golf course located within steps of the Lagoon.
There were three raccoons yesterday, one wee baby was up in a tree, I hadn’t seen that before, the raccoon hung out for a bit before venturing down across the water to join us on the path.
The mallard babies move around so fast they are hard to get decent photos of.
The mom wasn’t bothered by me.
After we’ve checked out the raccoons and the mallards we sit on a bench and bird watch, have coffee from our thermos, eat snacks, smoke a joint and chat. It is one of my favourite places to go, it is very peaceful and relaxing. Being amongst so much wildlife, it’s hard to believe that you are in fact sitting in the middle of one of the worlds’ most beautiful metropolitan cities.
Adam took these fantastic shots of a crow. His Pro Flickr account has lapsed so his photos are credited on my Flickr page for the time being.
From there we head around the biggest part of the Lagoon. This is where I start to get excited but try to also not get my hopes up. Last year, I was only able to see the Mute Swan eggs and the cygnets on the water before all three perished. One of them was HIT BY A BIKE, I must take this moment to remind anyone reading from Vancouver to PLEASE GET OFF YOUR BIKES around the Lagoon. These cygnets have enough predators to worry about they don’t need to worry about morons who can’t read signs that clearly say NO CYCLING around the Lagoon. OH, and keep your dogs on their leashes too, nowhere in that area is it okay to have your furry friend off the leash. How would you feel if the swans tried to eat your dog?
This year the nest closest to the trail is much better protected but that in no way guarantees the cygnets will hatch, let alone live. I got some shots of one of the fathers watching the eggs while the mom was off somewhere.
Saw a snobby turtle on the way and I really liked how these geese were sitting.
And now without further ado, the first cygnet born on the Lagoon this year. Not only was the wee little buddy right out on the path with the mother, we also ran into our buddy Mikul who is one of the best nature photographers in the city if you ask me, not to mention the rest of his stunning portfolio.
This year we gave the cygnet a name! Narco!! While we were watching them and chatting we noticed that Narco would groom and get up look around a bit and then BAM beak straight into the gravel and out cold only to pop back up less than a minute later and press repeat over and over; it was beyond adorable. Mikul knows the mother and so I was able to pet Narco and not even that would wake the fluff ball.
When none made it last year, I was quite frankly devastated, I went out to try and see them almost every day. Having named this little buddy, if he doesn’t make it, I will again be devastated. All I can hope is that the word got out last year and is still spreading about how fragile they are and we’re all able to work together to help keep them alive.
More baby and wildlife photos from this year can be found in my Summer 2010 set on Flickr.
