Suffolk couple wants ‘Swanny’ to be gone-y
Published 9:15 pm Friday, May 25, 2012
A Suffolk couple is hoping for a way to get rid of a nuisance swan that has been bothering them the last two months.
When Al and Ann Felton first noticed “Swanny” on Lake Kilby in their backyard, the bird appeared to have a broken foot and wing, so they fed it.
But now that Swanny has recovered, it has continued to beg for food, going so far as to knock on doors and windows at the couple’s home to request sustenance.
“It’s our fault for feeding him,” Al Felton said. “They tell you not to feed wildlife.”
The couple has tried putting up barriers in their backyard with chicken wire and other materials, but the swan keeps finding a way around them.
“We can’t keep him off the patio, and he poops all over the patio,” he said. “He’ll come tap on the screen door and push on it, trying to get in. I’m afraid he’s going to tear the screen door.”
The bird also tries to intimidate the couple into giving food, Ann Felton said.
“He’ll stick his neck way up and stretch his wings way out and honk at me,” she said.
The couple called Wildlife Response Inc., which made an appointment for Saturday morning to come get the bird.