Since the beginning of its rehabilitation in 2002, the Bugga-Bugga Creek lagoon, on the meandering path of the encapsulated Bugga-Bugga Creek which rises in the hills behind American River when the winter rains begin, and passes its salty way through active farmland, becomes a haven for breeding water birds.
Of all the beauties to behold in these environs, none surpasses the sight of a pair of black swans with 3 pale-coloured cygnets, already the size of ducks.
Last Tuesday, this season's cygnets appeared with their proud and doting parents.We counted 3 fluffy, greyish duck-sized cygnets making their evening debut.It's their pale colouring that distinguishes them from the varieties of wild ducks that also use the lagoon. We hadn't been aware of swans nesting, having only seen one black swan fly over in June, and nothing since, so the sight of this family of 5 was a most joyous celebration of Spring.
On Wednesday 14th morning, only 1 cygnet was seen. I had heard an avian-like scream at 9pm the previous evening and wondered if it were a cat, a snake or a goanna.
On Saturday 17th arvo, the trio was still intact. We set 5 cat traps along 400 metres of the lagoon and creek, the middle one, the most exposed to human contact, at the gate and fence of a creek crossing.
On Sunday 18th morning - Bingo! One black female cat, with the distinctive white dot on its neck. An identical male was caught 300m south, 2 weeks ago. The other 4 traps were re-baited, and the wild catch was covered and removed for destruction. On Sunday arvo, there is a still a trio of swans, but the feral cat menace remains, so the work of the KI Feral Cat Abatement Team continues.
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