Around here, because of the large populations of geese and how they leave droppings in parking lots and in grass, and basically interfere with your walking down the sidewalk, some places that have fountains and water have elected to rent nesting swans.

Swans are natural enemies of geese, and that is why when you see swans with their little ones, you won’t see geese around; the swans chase the geese off. Plus, I don’t think the geese want to be around swans because they’re bigger and nastier.

During the nesting season, when they’re raising their young, they are extremely defensive and territorial.

Just like geese, that will go after small children and animals, swans will do the same thing if you venture too close to them when the little families are doing their thing.

There is a man in the area, and I will have to find out if he has a website, who has a border collie. They work all day long chasing geese from businesses. I have even seen this dog jump in the water to get the geese out of the water.

My dog likes to ‘herd them’, and seems very satisfied when he rushes flocks of geese when they’re grazing, and they fly away. We haven’t let him loose on the gawky adolescents or the parents while they’re raising their young; because it would probably turn into a fight, being that the young ones are too young to fly yet.

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Swans and their young. Beautiful from a distance.