The Mute Swan

This photo was a random one I found online--mine aren't nearly as clear! Aren't they beautiful?

There is a short-cut drive we take to the new Target shopping plaza by our house, and sometimes when we drive by I look in this one area of the woods where there is water, and sometimes see these huge bright white birds. I am usually with John and so he never wants to pull over so I can see them, but I went with my mom and Norman today and we parked and I got fairly close enough to take some pictures, although they are a bit blurry...the settings on my camera weren't the best for these, and I was zoomed in all the way, which takes away some of the quality. But they are huge beautiful BRIGHT swans. I looked up some information on them too.


I will get better pictures soon- if they don't migrate further south. It's pretty cold today, I don't see how they would want to stay here and wade in that freezing water. It was in the upper 30's/lower 40's today.


Some interesting info on The Mute Swan:

~*are quieter than other swans, but not mute.

~*Mute swan subfossils, 6,000 yrs old, are found in post-glacial peat beds of East Anglia, Great Britain.

~*males are larger than females and can stand over 4 ft tall-males also have bigger knobs on their bills.

~*they are the heaviest waterfowl recorded, and one of the heaviest flying birds, with males averaging 27 lbs.

~*the total number of Mute Swans in North America has never exceeded 16,000, but they are sometimes classified as pests in certain areas, due to potential competition with other species.

~*the pair off and remain monogomous for the most part, although "divorce" does sometimes occur, usually following nesting failure.

~*they reuse the same nest every year, and male/female share in the responsibilities of caring for the nest. When young cygnets are born, they sometimes search for food as a family.

~*they can be tame to those who feed them, but are territorial and protective of their family.

~*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.

Here's a beautiful picture from some photographer online:


Hopefully I can go back and get some better ones- maybe with susan's camera.