Match made in Harbourside heaven

Clark and Greta, Longboat Key's newest mating pair, are settling into their new home on the Harbourside Golf Course after testing David Novak and other volunteers.

By Katie Johns
| 8:30 a.m. April 4, 2018

Greg Hebert of Wildlife Inc, and David Novak with Clark Courtesy photo

Longboat Key
Neighbors

From the time they were cygnets, two female swans, Claire and Greta, called the Links on Longboat of The Resort at Longboat Key Club home.

However, in November 2017, it was discovered that Claire was actually Clark — the swan formerly known as Claire was a male.

Now, they are Longboat Key’s new swan mating pair. Clark and Greta and their story will continue on the Harbourside Golf Course of the Longboat Key Club.

“The islandside course doesn’t have any areas where they could hide, for lack of a better term, and in other words, to do a nest,” Longboat Key swankeeper David Novak said. “It would be right in the middle of where golfers ride carts, and consequently, if golfers comes near a swan nest, they will protect the eggs.”

On March 14, Clark and Greta were moved to the Harbourside Golf Course but not without a challenge.

Clark and Greta settle into their new home on Harbourside. Courtesy photo

Originally, Novak and volunteers tried to move the swans in late February. There is no sure-fire way to capture swans, but through trial and error, some lessons have been learned. Novak called in some volunteers, including three from Wildlife Inc., the largest animal rescue and rehabilitation education center in Manatee County.

Once on land, the swans made a quick escape for an adjacent waterway and repeated this process until the sun set and the volunteers decided to call it a day. The group reconvened on March 14 with an adjusted plan. First, Novak gave the swans food at the same time each day before the planned rescue. On the day of the rescue, the swans came on land as expected.

The goal is to get the swans on grassy areas. The group had stationed volunteers in golf carts and canoes and some on foot around the area in case they had to chase the swans. They did.

Eventually, Greta got tired, but Clark made a beeline for another waterway. As soon as Clark saw a canoe in the water, he got back on the grass where he tired out.

The two were moved to Harbourside, and now they are becoming acquainted with the two other males swans also at Harbourside, Phil and Tut. Because Clark is the oldest and largest male, he will remain Greta’s partner.

However, Novak said the chances of them having cygnets this year is a long shot.