Sometimes you go outside to shoot some shots of butterflies and you end up with a huge surprise meeting with a family of swans.
I wanted to leave!
I could not find any butterflies today mainly because Autumn has started and most of the flowers they feed from are already dying. Instead of going home I took a walk to the water because I saw a couple of cute ducks. I took a few nice shots and started to feel the cold wind more and more. I was ready to walk back home when I spotted the Swan family.
They were curious just like me.
I think that swans are the most amazing animals among those who live in and around the water. The way they are build and their amazing while color. I feel so blessed that instead of following their path they took some time to get really close to me. I think they really know that we humans fear them in some ways. this family was made of four, mom, dad and two younger swans. You can see the difference when you look at their heads.
Hissing moment!
Even though they came to me one of the started to hiss at me while I knelt down to take a nice shot. I am not that scared but when a swan starts to hiss at me I kinda feel the need to take a step back. I quickly took a shot and this is the result! A hissing moment between a swan and snake.
Beauty on the water.
How much beauty can nature put in just one animal? If you ask me, a whole lot. The swan is really majestic and for me it felt like meeting a royal family on the water.
You are only young once!
A last close up shot from one of the younger swans. You can already see the changes coming on its head and I am sure that next year all the young feathers will be replaced.
Ducks are taking a break.
Of course I could not leave without taking a nice shot of the ducks! As you can maybe see on the wood, they sit there a lot and kinda like putting some graffiti on it! In the Summer this is a wonderful place for them to gather because a lot of people around here feed the ducks!
Thank you for reading my post!
poeticsnake
Beautiful pictures. Swans are so majestic.
Thank you and yes I have to agree with you!
I believe that if you upset swans they can give you some pretty nasty injuries too, with those snake like necks whipping at you. I used to see swans pretty often in the canals of Amsterdam... probably the only bird I like that isn't mostly black :) They do come in black, but they are so uncommon that the term is used to describe rare and catastrophic events.
Are you from the Netherlands? And yes they sure as hell can hurt you like really bad. I have heard stories about broken arms and real nasty biting if that is what you call it. I have learned from my childhood always to stay away when they have nests because then they are really aggressive.
No, my father is dutch-indonesian and never naturalised to Australian citizen, so I was able to get my option for citizenship, and I'm glad I did because I love it in Europe. Much more suited to my temperament. I'd even say, despite all the problems I've had, that I have grown much more as a person since coming here.
AAhhh nice. I am a dutchy :D
I think I remember you telling me you were in South Africa... not so many in Australia but they are around.
No, I never told you that lol.
@poeticsnake
That thought - made me laugh - ha ha .
That must be the dad, the adult swans have orange beaks and the babies got pale ones. He was warning you not to get close. Maybe he thought you want one of his young for dinner? (Okay just kidding)
I love swans and that hissing pic is actually looking like he was smiling.
Great shots and descriptions specially - that part about ducks looking like graffiti. I sure miss them and the geese family . These days only seagulls and coots seem to hang out in the mere.
They must have started heading South.
The two sitting on the wood must have been born this year or made this spot their new home because i never saw them here before. I love ducks, I really do but one of them thinks its funny to make a lot of noise every night. I have no clue why he or she does it but around my 2 am it starts.
@poeticsnake - noisy duck -
live next to a mere but never had anything like that maybe he or she was calling the partner?