Swan Lake revisited

I visited my swans today. The cygnets seem to have grown a little since I last photographed them! A car slowed down as if the occupants knew why I was at the edge of the marsh with my camera. We exchanged pleasantries about the swans.

The gentleman who was driving mentioned that there had originally been 3 more babies (he and his wife were counting theswans from their car window) but that snapping turtles had done a cull on the family.

The swans were, as usual, cleaning themselves. They spend most of their time with their necks wound into their bodies, their beaks buried in their feathers, cleaning away!

You have to have patience if you want good pictures. Fortunately, I am Zen-ishly adept at standing still. I waited and waited for the few seconds when the swans would raise their heads. I noticed that sometimes when a louder vehicle zoomed by behind me on the road, the daddy swan (at least the one I assumed was the dad) lifted his head to look and listen.

I thought if I made some sounds, they may lift their heads, too, so I began to chirp in a funny way, hoping they would stop cleaning for a moment to figure out what animal I was. And it worked!

I was far across the pond from them, but sound carries well over water.

I was happy with my snapshots, especially being so far away (thank you 10x zoom camera!) and I left the assiduous group to their grooming ritual.