- September 11, 2024
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Turtles are always on the minds of Longboaters. The Longboat Key Turtle Watch has dozens of volunteers. Residents post photos of turtle nests on Longboat Key's social media pages. The town of Longboat Key considers them when making decisions.
As important as turtles are, swan keeper David Novak noticed that it isn't the same when it comes to the swans on the island.
"There really isn't any attachment to the swans unless we get new cygnets," said Novak. "People always think they are aggressive, but I have changed many minds after caring for them."
When Novak moved to Longboat Key, he didn't know anything about taking care of animals. But when he noticed abnormalities in his neighbor’s swans, his interest piqued.
Now 17 years later, he is the resident swan keeper of the island having raised 35 swans and counting. But as more years go by, he realizes it is time to grow the community’s love for the swans and find a successor to take over.
Novak's swan story began out of coincidence.
In 1995, Novak’s neighbor, Alan Stone, purchased two swans — George and Gracie — from a swan supplier in Lakeland and brought them to Longboat Key.
As the swan pair grew and started to breed, Novak noticed half of their baby swans or cygnets couldn’t fly because of an abnormal ligament growing from their side. Novak started to tend to these swans to help out Stone because he couldn’t care for all of them by himself.
Through his research, Novak discovered that the bird feed that Stone had given the swans had caused this abnormality because it contained too much protein.
After experimenting and connecting with other swan enthusiasts, Novak learned the correct food pellets to feed them. He also transported the swans with the abnormality to Lakeland so they had a better chance of life than on the Key.
Novak also noticed the hostility the swans had toward the golfers near their territory. When building his relationship with Gracie and George's progeny, he knew that this hostility wasn't the whole representation of what swans were like. From there, he made it his goal to tend to the swans and show their true nature to the residents.
Novak officially took over for Stone in 2007. Through much trial and error, Novak learned about swan nature, routine, diet and how to care for the animals. He made friends with swan keepers from Orlando and Lakeland and gauged them for advice from their years of experience.
Also, his gentle caretaking eased the swans' hostility toward golfers. Novak said they were able to take down the "Beware of the Swans" on the golf course.
It is just one of Novak's many deeds on behalf of the swans of Longboat Key.
Novak has purchased three swans to add to the population of the island from Knox Swan and Dog in Wisconsin, which has the largest flock of swans in the country. The most recent pair of swans Novak purchased cost $5,500, including shipping.
In 2014, Novak developed the Gracie Swan Foundation so Longboat residents can donate for the well-being of swans. He also petitioned the Longboat Key Club to add a patch of grass near the swans' territory. The grass now serves as a ramp for the swans to easily enter the water.
Novak said the price to care for the swans ranges from year to year. The lowest he has spent a year was $2,500, with the highest being $8,000. Originally, he absorbed all the costs, but eventually he created the Gracie Swan Foundation to accept donations to help. Now, generous swan enthusiasts donate every year to cover expenses for the birds.
This all contributed to Novak's vision of cultivating a healthy swan community on Longboat Key.
In May, six cygnets hatched, being the first swans to be born on Longboat Key in four years. They are the offspring of swans Chuck and Lydia, which is one of the most unusual pairings Novak has seen.
Chuck was originally paired with another swan, Margie, who died after laying her eggs. Since Chuck lost his mate, he sought out another partner to breed with. Donald was paired with Lydia until the day Chuck came and chased Donald off his territory. Donald became a loner swan after that while Chuck and Lydia mated for life.
Only four of Chuck's and Lydia's cygnets survived. Novak has made checking the swans a part of his daily routine, waking up early to search for them before work.
When new cygnets hatch, Novak will start to build their routine immediately. He will have the father lead them to water to eat. Around breeding season in December and January, he will change their diet to include more protein. Once the baby swans are in the water with their father, he will destroy their nest because the smell of eggs hatching makes their territory prone to predators.
As they grow, the cygnets learn the routine from their parents on where their territory is, what to eat and how to survive. Novak said the cygnets grow fast, and he can see a noticeable difference in their size every week. Once the cygnets have shown independence, Novak will lessen his visits to about once a week.
As it gets closer to breeding season, the father will start to kick the grown cygnets out because any adult male swans are threatening to his territory, even if it's his own children. Novak will separate the cygnets from their parents before this happens when he sees the father start to snap at his children.
He said that Chuck has been more attentive than other fathers he has seen. Once it hits December and January, the cycle will start again with breeding season. By then, Novak will have transported these new four cygnets to their new territories in the hopes of new baby swans.
The swans on Longboat are famous for their names and the unique backstories on which Novak bases them.
Swans don't get named until Novak places them in their own territory. Currently, there are seven swan territories on the island, four being on the Harbourside golf course and three at the Islandside golf course at the Longboat Key Club. Novak said that he will place swans together in a territory depending on their gender for the best possible breeding opportunities.
Novak will take into account famous Longboat residents, happenings in his life, pop culture or local and national current events. He also takes into consideration those who donate to the Gracie Swan Foundation.
“I never know what’s going on in my brain when I name them,” said Novak. “I don’t really plan these out. I will usually wait until the time comes and see what I can think of.”
Chuck and Margie were named after Longboat residents and philanthropists Charles and Margery Barancik, who died in a car crash in 2019. Lydia was named after the song by John Prine, “Donald and Lydia.” Other examples include Pippa named after Kate Middleton’s sister, Tut after Novak's uncle’s nickname and Chesty after a famous U.S. Marines reference.
After 17 years, Novak is looking to build a team of volunteers to take over for him as the swan keepers of Longboat. After building a caring environment for the swans, he is ready to pass it down to the next generation and leave the swans in good hands.
Over the next three years, Novak plans to use social media to build more exposure for the swans and inspire people to volunteer.
“My favorite part of all of this has to be that I am recognized by the swans,” said Novak. “They know me. It is very different when someone else is with me because they know it is someone new. But they come when I call them and know that I am taking good care of them. That part has been so rewarding.”
