This gallery contains 2 photos. Far easier to distinguish than Tundra Swans and Trumpeter Swans by virtue of their knobs and bright orange bills, a beautiful pair of Mute Swans gazes into my lens as they leisurely ply the waters of Lost Lagoon at Stanley Park. Swans may be a symbol of elegance, beauty, and love for many, but in the case of Mute Swans, it’s an ironic and somewhat bittersweet symbol. Photographed on July 14.
2015 is the first year I’ve seen any species of swan in the wild.
f/8, 1/400mm, 150-500mm telephoto lens, 500mm, ISO 125
Brought over to Canada to give character to estates, gardens, and golf courses, the reputations of these Eurasian expats soon soured because of their (aggressive) behaviour, which threatened native habitats and wildlife; long lifespans (20+ years in the wild); and ability to increase their numbers quickly. In BC, the population is in decline and numbers fewer than 100 individuals; but in Ontario, the Mute Swan population is on the rise (over 3,000 individuals). Their pinion tendons are cut, so they cannot fly away. In Stanley Park, their eggs are also addled (and have been, for the past 5 years). Statistics and facts have been sourced from Environment Canada’s Mute Swan: A Non-native, Invasive Species in Canada Study and The Vancouver Sun article “Stanley Park ‘swan whisperer’ cares for birds (updated with video)”.
Handfed twice a day, Lost Lagoon’s Mute Swans are well accustomed to the sight of humans.
f/9, 1/500mm, 150-500mm telephoto lens, 313mm, ISO 100
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All very interesting as well as delightful pictures.
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thank you, Susan!
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amazing!
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thank you, DailyMusings!
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Quelle beauté – et comme les parents cygnes sont touchants ! Merci pour ces photos hors du commun.
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thank you!
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They cannont fy away !!!
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I didn’t realize they couldn’t fly either, until I saw one rather irate Mute Swan chasing a Canada Goose in the water earlier this year (before this encounter) … and then read up on the history and introduction of Mute Swans in Canada.
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My older son, the one studying to be an ecologist, will be happy to hear that the numbers in BC are declining. It’s not so much the introduction of a non-native species (though that has rarely ended well) but that the non-native often out-compete the native and take over, and can lead to the extirpation of the native species whose niches the invasive now occupies. As well, he makes a point that there is almost always a native equivalent that is just as good.
Yeah, he’s a fun one to hang around. LOL!
Actually, he is. I learn so much from him. And that should be a dream of all parents–that their offspring will be far smarter than they are! 😀
Be that as it may, your photos are, as always, absolutely stunning!
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thank you, Teresa! I am reminded of the ring-tailed parakeets who are wreaking similar havoc in Europe. just because we regard a species as being a (potentially) charming addition to our part of the world doesn’t mean that it should be introduced.
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Exactly! An ecosystem takes a long time to achieve balance and equilibrium and we blithely upset that balance for aesthetics or sometimes with good intent (like with Asian lady beetles). :}
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yup! and that really ‘bugs’ me, too. 😉
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LOL!
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Very beautiful ! 🙂
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thank you! 🙂
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Great shots, thank you for sharing .-)
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thank you, Ulli!
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Swans are wonderful birds, I love them.
Thank you so much for sharing.
I wish you a nice Friday.
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thank you, Hervé. have a great weekend!
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Beautiful .. Sad that their tendons are cut
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yes, indeed. another case of meddling humans, I’m afraid. 😦
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I never thought of swans as an invasive species. I’d apply that term to the Canada goose – golly they are numerous! And they can take down planes. 😉
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Given their numbers, it’s hard to believe that Canada Geese were almost hunted to extinction in the 1950s. One thing I’ve learned, particularly from creatures like the Passenger Pigeon, is that wildlife can swing from extant to extinct in a fraction of our lifetimes.
Bald Eagles (another example of birds who were almost wiped out this century) are actually trained and used at the Vancouver International Airport to scare off geese that might cause difficulties for planes. 🙂
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bald-eagle-joins-vancouver-airport-s-battle-of-the-birds-1.2490845
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Thanks for the clip. That is so smart to use raptors to clear the airport of flocking migrants.
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Lovely photos. It’s sad they have to prevent them from flying, though. If anyone wants to see Canadian Geese, come to NC. The geese migrated here about a decade ago and for the most part, have stayed! Too lazy to fly home, I guess, especially when the winters here are mild and the summers warm.
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thank you, Noelle! our Canada Geese are year round residents, too … easy pickings. 🙂 in terms of weather, NC sounds very much like Metro Vancouver. 🙂
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Beautiful photos. Love the eye contact!
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thank you, Mary! they certainly aren’t shy around humans, being handfed twice a day. 🙂
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Love how they look at you! Great shots! We don’t have swan here, but I photographed a few last summer on a lake in Orlando.
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thank you, Tiny! Mute Swans are definitely not in shortage in Ontario! 🙂
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