Canoe with a View : : Canadian Open Canoe forum

Hi all

I actually had a free evening today so I threw the Apache on the car and headed for Hoe mill lock, again, I like it there because it is a nice stretch of river and I can get the car close to the water.

Anyway...

I tootled up to rushes lock and had a brew stop, quite a long brew stop as I had the place and the river to myself, on the return trip I paddled kneeling for the first time, which causes a problem, I liked it but my feet hated it. Then I just drifted with what little current there is. An huge fish jumped out of the water right in front of me at one point making me jump.

On the first leg of the trip I had noticed a swan family nesting on the bank the youngsters were tiny. So on the way back I was watching out
for them and sure enough I spotted them coming towards me on the water. I know these swans and they have never been a problem. So I reversed into some reeds to let them pass.

The male decided to check me out and swam towards me hissing, I said some rude words under my breath, then pulled my hat down so he could not see my eyes (something I read somewhere). He got right up to may canoe and I had my paddle blade up by my face again to hide my eyes.
He swam up and down the length of the canoe pecking at things and hissing every now and then. Then he swam back up to me and pecked at my paddle blade. Big things swans!!! .

The rest of the family had passed by and the swan must have guessed that I had got the message and with a last peck at the paddle he swam away. That's when I realized I was not breathing and decided to start again.

So for the rest of you the swans nest is about 100 yards upstream of Ulting church.

I finished my paddle on a beautiful sunny evening and I had not seen a another person on the water :-)

It can be bit worrying when faced with an aggressive swan. Very territorial when they have young with them. Its not unusual for the cob (male) to attack small craft. I remember fishing on the Broads from a dinghy tied to the reeds, I must've been close to where they were nesting. Sat there for a couple of hours when family of swans paddle past with daddy showing signs of interest in me. Hunched down in the water with wings arched above his back he came ploughing towards me. All of a sudden, still a yew yards off he spread his wings, flapping and running across the water. Oh f ing ell!!
He cleared the remaining distance to stop within a few feet of me, then started hissing like a swan possessed and pecking at my tackle (fishing tackle) and boat, fortunately I did have the enough cokem to retrieve all lines before he got to me. After a couple of minutes he just swam off leaving me to head for home and a change of trousers.

I too have heard about not making eye contact. Not sure about holding a paddle up though, swan probably thought "well com'on if you think you're ard enough".

Nige

Excellent!

Had I come, I would have brought the dog - she and that swan are not pals and she's too much of a terrier to realise she's outgunned. Just as well we were in guildford then!

I had the mother of all attacks on the Kennet & Avon, maybe 8 or 9 miles west of devizes. that Cob just wouldn't give up and was still having a crack at the canoe half an hour after we got out to make camp. He had flown right at us a couple of times and knocked my paddle out of my hands!

Please note, swans are all noise and aggression
They cannot hurt you with their wings (an old wives tale) as they have very thin brittle bones otherwise they would be too heavy to fly. If they tried to use them in a 'fight' they would break very easily

Teeth, these are weed eaters, good old vegetarians, and therefore their teeth are similar in bite to that of a young kitten.

There is no issue if you are worried about a 'slap' with you paddle. Do not attack them otherwise you could break bones.

When confident enough, grabbing their beak shut is often enough to put them off.

But do remember they are all agression and noise

Whether their bones are brittle or not, they are not as brittle as you think, children have had bones broken by swans, and people have lost sight in an eye or both from a well placed stab with a bill during frenzied swan attacks.

Best defence is to get yourself as calmly as you can away from his area and his brood.

Do not under any circumstances try to handle these and indeed any other bird. Grabbing them by the bill will not stop them flapping or any of their aggressive behaviour, you're liable to make matters worse. There are certain ways to handle swans and the people who do this are trained and licensed to do so. Besides, if I'm about and see someone grab hold of one of these birds in an effort to calm it down, the swan will be the least of their worries!!

Hi Guys

I should say that my first thought was "don't hurt the swan"
My next small concern was the being tipped over,
had there been an audience my third concern would be looking like a pratt.

The way I used my paddle was vertical with the flat of the blade alongside my head and towards the swan. The theory being that for many animals and birds no eyes or physical movement means no threat, a theory put to me by a wildlife photographer. The same photographer approaches dear with an open tripod above his head pointing up and has found that he gets much closer doing that :-)

Went for a paddle with a mate on the Basingstoke canal and was approached by swans (a pair, and they had little swans with them)

Did the same as baggy, parked by the share and gave them a wide berth.
They did come and check us out but luckily did not linger too long.

My missus laughed her head off when she heard that two blokes in a canoe were wary (her word - scared) of a couple of swans. Had to endure loads of jokes about ducks and pigeons etc.

Hiya

(06-06-10 08:55 PM)kmac Wrote: [ -> ]g.

My missus laughed her head off when she heard that two blokes in a canoe were wary (her word - scared) of a couple of swans. Had to endure loads of jokes about ducks and pigeons etc.

I had a similar reaction from the females in my house!

See you soon :-)