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~Silent Beauty~


~Silent Beauty~
Photo Information
Copyright: Julia Hollis (Runnerduck) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 386 W: 61 N: 615] (1849)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-06-27
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 350D, Sigma 70-300mm APO DG MACRO
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-06-27 6:19
Viewed: 1464
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Cygnus Olor

Mute Swans nest on large mounds that they build in shallow water in the middle or at the edge of a lake. These monogamous birds reuse the same nest each year, restoring or rebuilding it as needed. Male and female swans share the care of the nest, and once the cygnets are fledged it is not uncommon to see whole families looking for food. They feed on submerged aquatic vegetation, reached with their long bills.

Although this bird can be tame, especially to those who feed it daily, it is aggressive in defence of its nest, and its size and impressive hissing make it a formidable adversary for animals as large as a fox; a grunt, on the other hand, may be a positive signal. There have been many reports of Mute Swans attacking people who enter their territory. Their wings are believed to be so strong that they can break a person's arm with one hit, although the evidence for this is weak.

The most familiar sound associated with Mute Swan is the whooshing of the wings in flight once this bird has laboriously taken off from the water. The phrase Swam song refers to this swan and to the completely false, famous, ancient legend that it is utterly silent until the last moment of its life, and then sings one achingly beautiful song just before dying.

Unlike Black Swans, Mute Swans are strongly territorial. The familiar pose with neck curved back and wings half raised, known as busking, is a threat display.

The Mute Swan is protected in most of its range, but this has not prevented illegal hunting and poaching in some countries.

The Mute Swan is the national bird of the Kingdom of Denmark.

All Mute Swans in the UK (with the possible exception of those in Orkney and Shetland) are considered the property of the British Monarch, except for flocks owned by the Vintners’ and Dyers’ Companies.

The Mute Swans in the moat at The Bishops Palace at Wells Cathedral in Wells, England have for centuries been trained to ring bells via strings attached to them to beg for food. Two Swans are still able to ring for lunch.

There is rich iconographic and literary evidence for Celtic bird-goddesses who took the form of swans. Similarly, swans are highly revered in Hinduism. The Roman Julius Caesar noted that the British tribes thought wild geese and swans "unlawful" to eat or kill. By medieval times, though, swans were considered an edible form of poultry. Nowadays they are a protected species in many countries.

The noise a swan makes was uniquely known as a beable, but this word has fallen into disuse in all but a few parts of Britain. Both the Ancient Britons and the Anglo-Saxons believed that a swan's wings throbbed and sang with a human voice when they flew.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/)

Thanks for taking the time to look. All feedback is much appreciated.
dew77, scottevers7, Silke, soccer, aido, liquidsunshine, coasties, marhowie, Alex99, PDP, sAner, cecilia has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Aramok: GrassRunnerduck 1 08-09 10:04
To sAner: ThanksRunnerduck 1 08-08 05:36
To PDP: ...Runnerduck 1 07-24 18:05
To marhowie: FlowersRunnerduck 1 07-03 06:08
To aido: CropRunnerduck 1 06-28 14:02
To scottevers7: Not a chance!Runnerduck 1 06-27 13:50
To pvs: CropRunnerduck 1 06-27 13:47
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-06-27 6:22]

Hello Julia,
Wonderful capture of this cute chick.POV,use of light,details,BG,3D effect,framing and composition are perfect.Nice to see a new post from you again:)
TFS...:-)

Hello Julia, excllent details, POV, DOF perefct detais, Great colors, TFs Kyle

Great post, very gentle post, good use of dof. Well done

Hi Julia,
Excellent shot. Beautiful colors, and the detail looks great. The little guy looks so soft and fluffy. You just want to pick him up and hig him. High points for the cutness factor!
Scott

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 727 W: 98 N: 1694] (5406)
  • [2006-06-27 10:24]

Hello Julia
This is a superb capture of a beuatiful chick. You have made it more attractive with your tight crop and simple frame.
Well done
TSF
Best regards
Silke

  • Great 
  • soccer Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 550 W: 0 N: 538] (1965)
  • [2006-06-27 10:55]

Julia,

Well composed pic with a good POV, detail and sharpness. TFS,
Sheriff

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1168 W: 261 N: 3035] (13835)
  • [2006-06-27 11:39]
  • [+]

Hi Julia,

A very nice shot of this cutie,maybe I would have cropped a bit from the underside of the picture,but thats me,well done and TFS,

Paul

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2006-06-27 14:38]

Hi Julia,

A cute capture and well done on the composition.

Mike

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1044 W: 156 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-06-27 17:36]
  • [+]

Hi Julia,
How anybody ever came to the conclusion that these are ugly is beyond me, what a beautiful little creature. Excellent shot, great detail and you've retained the textures in the down too, great natural colours. For a different view perhaps a tighter crop? Great work.
Cheers,
Adrian

Hi Julia,
This is a very sweet capture of this cygnet
Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV and composition.

Thanks for posting, have a great week.

Hi Julia

Well done on a great shot. Beautiful model. Nice POV, well composed. Crisp, clear and sharp. :-)

Hello Julia,
Excellent exposure, color, sharpness, and DOF.
Well composed in this vertical frame, and I like the OOF purple flowers FG, adding a touch of extra color..
Very well done..& Thank You my U.K. friend :)

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3581 W: 143 N: 5669] (18529)
  • [2006-07-06 13:18]

Hi Julia
Thank you for your sharing. It is a very lovely bird and perfect done shot. Delicate colours, excellent DOF and composition are very amazing. My best regards,
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2006-07-24 5:53]
  • [+]

Hello Julia,

very cute, nice composition although I would like hte head to be turned a little more toward the front. Good details and colours. Well done.

Hi Julia,
This is a very soft composition with a beautiful baby bird. I love the POV with the little flowers. Great DOF too, TFS,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2006-08-05 10:43]
  • [+]

This is a great shot Julia. The light is very warm and the exposure is spot on. Well composed, good POV and DOF. Very well done & TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

green grass, down here? how did you manage that. Mine has been dead for so long now in all but the shadiest areas of the garden..

Nice image of the cygnet, great detail.

TFS
Emma

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2009 W: 122 N: 2581] (8424)
  • [2006-08-09 13:36]

it is very nice quite shot Julia,
very nice captured in a very well taken composition, great point of view, very good details, good quality, well done.
gr. jaap

Very cute indeed, lovely detail and colours. Very well taken. Particularly like the angle.
Nice shot!

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2006-08-17 15:39]

Lovely portrait of this fluffy cygnet. Beautiful details and colours

Kato dobavime che i Zevs se e pravil na lebed i se dobiat i note chovekne mu triabva nishto poveche da chete za da znae vsichko za lebedite, osobeno niamite

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