Mute Swans

These Mute Swans spend the summer here at the lake, there return a few days ago was a welcome sight becuase spring is not far behind them. This pair seemed curious about me taking there photo and acted like they knew what i was doing, from a posing sense.

Additional Information     
 
Courtesy of  www.wildanimalsonline.com
Swans are undoubtedly one of the most graceful and elegant animals in the world. They are spread world wide and their number has been increased especially in domestic areas, where they play an important role in decoration and peacefulness. The mute swan is distributed in Ireland, The Great Britain, north-east of Europe, north-west of The Black sea and in certain parts of Asia. They are often found in lakes and slow flowing rivers. They live in large nests made of reeds and water vegetation.

Almost every person knows what the swan looks like. The mute swan is approximately 160 cm (63 inches) long. It is mainly white with black legs and feet. There is a black area going down from the eye area to the base of the bill. The bill is orange with a small knob. The hens are brownish with a smaller knob on the bill.

Swans generally feed on aquatic vegetation. However many times we can see them eating some bread or grain provided by people. They are even able to dive in order to get some food, but this happens rarely. Though when diving, they dive in a certain place and the place we see them later on can be quite distant. The swans tend to live in smaller groups and are supposed to be very territorial especially when breeding. The male swan, also known as a cob, can get very angry and tries to frighten enemies with its typical angry sound and wing movements. The female swans usually lay from five to seven eggs, which are pale green.

Here’s A Few From The Series (all the swan images can be found in the waterfowl gallery)