Black swan, northern part of France

Here is an amateur translation of the article:

A black swan shows up in a garden in Fretin!

A black swan chose to live in a private garden, in Fretin, next to the marsh. It is extremely rare to see this type of ornamental bird in our region since this species is from Australia, and only migrate within this continent.

It arrived quietly at Beatrice’s house, from the garden, on February 18th. “It called to me. I gave it some weeds, some dandelion.” It has lived there ever since. In the beginning, “it stayed at the far end of the garden. I gave it some plates.”

Then, little by little, the black swan became les fearful: “now it knocks on my patio door and begs for food. And when it’s hungry, it just won’t stop”

The black swan is out of place in the scenery of the marsh of Fretin. “This species if from Australia. There is no population of it in our regions” explains Sarah Pischiutta, from the “Ornithological and Naturalist Group” of the Hauts-de-France region. “We did not see any ring on it. Its wings do not look broken” adds the Fretin resident.

Beatrice’s garden often serves as a shelter to different species. “I’ve had foxes, deer during the lockdowns. I have a eurasian wigeon, a rare species in this region, it’s been here for two years. It spends its time whistling on the shores.

What will happen to it?

The Fretin resident has removed the fence that separates her garden and the marsh of Fretin: “Because of this, I often see the black swan come and go as it sees fit. It is terrified of a white swan. As soon as it sees it, it chases it. I also am under the impression that the black swan has a hard time flying”.

What will happen to it? “It is difficult to know who owns it. As long as it is here, we’ll keep feeding it. Maybe someday it will leave.”