Quote Originally Posted by smilingcat View Post
I thought swans were protected. And such you are not allowed to disturb them.

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Next time call a game warden.

They are - under the Migratory Bird Act. The law makes it unlawful to "pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported, carry, or cause to be carried by any means whatever, receive for shipment, transportation or carriage, or export, at any time, or in any manner, any migratory bird, included in the terms of this Convention . . . for the protection of migratory birds . . . or any part, nest, or egg of any such bird.". Not sure of any precedents, but this family's action could be viewed as "pursue" or "take" or "attempt to take". Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act - I believe "take" also includes "harass" - but I could be mistaken. If that were the case...then it may stand to reason that the family's actions were unlawful in addition to just plain stupid.