Last week Mute Swans were preening and foraging for food at the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Again, I was able to come close to take the following photos. By the way, when you see white feathers floating on the water, they were a by-product of the swans’ preening.
Swans
20 Friday Oct 2017
Posted Photography
in
Sartenada said:
Lovely swan photos. Adult swans are white and children are not.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you for visiting and commenting!
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Sartenada said:
Swans have nearly left Finland – winter is near.
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DG MARYOGA said:
Wonderful swan photos,Hien.Loved seeing them grooming their feathers and swimming in the beautiful blue waters.I double-clicked your second photo and perfectly saw his black Ieg tucked in his lovely white feathers.Thanks for telling us,I ‘d have missed this gorgeous posture 🙂
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neihtn2012 said:
Doda, that black foot was a surprise for me too. It seems swans do that quite often, to help in regulating their body temperature.
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DG MARYOGA said:
Sounds interesting,Hien.I do appreciate your extra info 🙂
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Sue (Mac's Girl) said:
Wonderful captures! I especially like the second with the reflection of the red bill.
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Sue (Mac's Girl) said:
Sorry, make that the third.
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neihtn2012 said:
Thank you Sue!
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quietsolopursuits said:
Beautiful images of the swans! You’re right, they shed a lot of feathers when they preen.
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neihtn2012 said:
They sure do! I was aghast when I first saw an entire portion of a pond covered with white feathers.
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katelon said:
Beautiful Swans. Is there any reason they are called “mute”?
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neihtn2012 said:
Katelon, they are not really mute. They are usually silent and not as chatty as some other birds, but they will make sounds when necessary.
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Sue Slaght said:
Gorgeous photos Hein. When we were in Ireland we saw swans preening as well. Do you know what they do it?
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neihtn2012 said:
Thanks Sue. The swans preen to keep themselves clean, get rid of parasites, and to maintain smooth feathers.
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Sue Slaght said:
Oh thanks for letting me know!
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Helen C said:
Nice photos, Hien. I thought all swans are either black or white 😉
Have a great evening.
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neihtn2012 said:
The juvenile swans may be bicolor, but then will be all white when mature.
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Helen C said:
Thanks, Hien.
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