stopped at Farnborough lake on my way home from dropping the kids off this morning. In the last year I have posted a few shots on here of the family of four swans, two adult, two juvenile who hang out there. The adults now seem to have given their two juvenile offspring the cold shoulder so they can get on with this year's breeding. One of the youngsters has disappeared altogether, but there is one sulky looking adolescent hanging around in a 'God, life is so unfair, you two should be feeling really guilty about this' kind of way. In case you were wondering, living with an adolescent myself has given me an insight into the workings of their (and I would like to think their anserine - think I just made that word up cousins') minds.
I hung around in the warmth of the sun for a couple of hours (tut tut) watching their antics which were mostly comprised of the young swan nonchalantly swimming vaguely in the direction of the adults, I am sure that if he could have whistled he would have, and the adult male patrolling after him wings arched in full sail to chase him off. This happened countless times - it must get pretty tiresome, and he still doesn't really seem to have got the message. I took this shot at the end of one of these patrols and it shows the male emerging triumphantly, well for a couple of minutes at least, into the sunlight from the dark recesses of the lake to which he had just banished his persistent son/daughter. He then climbed out of the water and waddled over to his lady who was reclining on the dewy grass with a 'peel me a grape' kind of air about her. Peace at last...... well for a couple of minutes anyway.
I was just about to shut down for the night when I caught sight of this picture and just had to see it better! I love your story, Jan and this photo with its dark and reflective beauty deserves a big fav!
Brilliant shot! as Rachel is back home again this weekend (after one week in Birmingham) and will be eating my food, filling my washer and blagging lifts to karate at the same time as I am paying for food, lodge and tutoring in Brum I shall be fluffing my wings up as well. I'm assured that once the 3rd Dan blackbelt has been completed in 2 weeks she will be a lot less keen on being home.....
Those beautiful white feathers floating in the black. Breathtaking. And the story... I don't know much about swans, but it made me a little sad. And a little green with envy that you had such a stunning place to spend a couple of hours!
Gorgeous! Sometimes we have to chase the kids out! When my parents were trying to sell their house, and the market was slow, they said they wouldn't take it off the market as it was the only way to get my two brothers who were still living there, to move out! (this was about 25 yrs ago)
Poor rejected yoot! I've been enjoying the nesting swan soap opera round our way too. They kicked the kids out a while back, but its all beef with other birds now.
Stunning.
I loved your description of the 'dance' between the father and son/daughter. Papa swan must get VERY tired of the rinse-and-repeat cycle of it all.