The Pen is Mightier......Than the Pen !

In a remarkable bit of action today, our Pen showed what a great mate and Mother she is ! The stormy weather had driven another adult Pen into the river for shelter, it may even have been our previous resident pen and seemed familiar with the river and island. There was also 7 of our cygnets and the recent incomer too. The pen that was seeking a rest was challenged by ours, but was reluctant to leave the shelter of the river and chased around the island several times. At one point a cygnet joined in the chase but our Pen was the most aggressive and kept pouncing on the reluctant visitor. The visitor scrambled on top of the nest site, but this was the final straw for our pen who pounced on the visitors back knocking it to the ground ! It proceeded to bite the visitor several times on the neck until the visitor dropped it's head turned looked at our pen, showing complete submission. With that, our Pen let it get up and scramble down into the water away from the family of cygnets. Surprisingly our cob was a bystander during all this action, and he watched as our pen marched the visitor away from the island some 20 yards or so. She came back to the cob who paid homage to her strength by reinforcing the bonding stance and giving the deep grunting sound. Our pen was satisfied that the visitor was no longer a threat and left it in peace just upriver from the island. Seems that female Swans are not that different from female humans..."hell hath no fury..."