Unusual Beasties

Neighbors down the street have a pond on the edge of their property.  They've been trying to convince the Canada geese that frequent their yard to hang out elsewhere.  There's been pie plates tied to stakes and shiny ribbons.  It worked for a while, but the last week or two the place has been goose central.

A few days ago I noticed a pair of swans joined their group.  And then a cormorant, which I found more surprising.  I've seen swans visit the pond before, but never a cormorant.

While walking by Sunday evening, I had my biggest surprise:  an alligator.

Say what?!?

Yup.  Rob wondered why I had suddenly stopped and was laughing and pointing at the pond.  OMG, it's an alligator!

We returned the next day with a camera.  I needed pictures.  As Rob walked down to the edge of the pond to get good closeups, I noticed the swans were not reacting to his approach.  At all.  That's when I realized that none of the three animals were real.  Evidently the swans were there to scare off the geese as well. 

Heh.  Those swans fooled me for a couple of days!  We've had the real thing drop by the pond before and they do tend to be sedate.  But I guess these two were comatose.  (Although, now I wonder if the single swan I saw this Spring was a dummy, too?)

Very entertaining.  I'm waiting to see what my neighbor comes up with next!