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preening
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The mute swan is a very large white waterbird. It has a long S-shaped neck, and an orange bill with black at the base of it. Flies with its neck extended and regular slow wingbeats. The population in the UK has increased recently, perhaps due to better protection of this species. The problem of lead poisoning on lowland rivers has also largely been solved by a ban on the sale of lead fishing weights. Some birds stay in their territories all year, while others move short distances and form winter flocks. In cold weather, some birds arrive from Europe into eastern England.
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 necks.Once the adults are mated they seek out their own territories and often live close to ducks and gulls, who take advantage of the swans ability to reach weeds, which tend to spread out on the water surface.
this one was preening i took at 300mm to fill the frame and cropped to a square format.
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. Large waterfowl, such as Canada Geese may be driven off, and there have been many reports of Mute Swans attacking people who enter their territory. The male (Cob) is also responsible for defending the cygnets while on the water, and will sometimes attack small watercraft, such as jet skis or canoes, that it feels are a threat to its young.
The Mute Swan is less vocal than the noisy Whooper and Bewick's Swans; 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 swan song refers to this swan and to the legend that it is utterly silent until the last moment of its life, and then sings one achingly beautiful song just before dying; in reality, the Mute Swan is not completely silent, but has a kind of guttural warning call it will give when approached. |
nglen, Royaldevon, deblink, Proframe, coasties has marked this note useful
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Hello Sue,
Wonderful close-up! The detail of the feathers and the beak is very sharp! I like the unusual pov you have chosen. It gives a feeling of real intimacy with the bird!
Kind regards,
Bev :-)
The lighting and perfect color are wonderful, as is the detail in this closely cropped composition. The preening action fills the frame. Well done.
- carmia
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 222 W: 2 N: 124]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(1909) - [2007-07-22 14:10]
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Beautiful shot ...Outstanding color and POV...TFS. Carme
Hi Sue,
This is a lovely image of this Swan preening itself. The quality is superb with wonderful detail. Great POV.
Cheers,
Debbie
Hello Sue,
What a beautiful image with lovely pose of the swan and wonderfuly framed.
Composition and exposure are perfect and the color ciontrast and details in the feathers are beautiful.
Excellent piece of work.
Thanks for sharing.
Kindest regards,
Harry
Hi Sue
Super shot. Love the water droplets. Very good exposure. Well done! TFS.
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- nglen
(20880)
- [2007-07-23 10:29]
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Hi Sue. A good close up of the Mute Swan ajustng its feathers. good detail in the head and bill. with nice colours POV/DOF. well done TFS. great notes too.
Nick..
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