Trumpeter Swan stretch
by Inge Riis McDonald
Title
Trumpeter Swan stretch
Artist
Inge Riis McDonald
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the largest waterfowl in North America. stretching to 6 feet in length and weighing more than 25 pounds. Getting airborne requires a lumbering takeoff along a 100-yard runway. Despite their size, this once-endangered, now recovering species is as elegant as any swan, with a graceful neck and snowy-white plumage. They breed on wetlands in remote Alaska, Canada, and the northwestern U.S., and winter on ice-free coastal and inland waters.
A fun fact: Trumpeter Swans take an unusual approach to incubation: they warm the eggs by covering them with their webbed feet.
Source: All about Birds.
This bird is stretching after preening at Hemer Park, Nanaimo. The swans winter on Vancouver Island.
Uploaded
January 8th, 2013
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Comments (9)
Hanne Lore Koehler
Fantastic capture of this magnificent swan, Inge!!! Spectacular sunlight through the feathers! Beautiful artistic composition! L/F/T/G+
Walter Holland
What a wonderful image. The camera angle looks to be very low. Were you in a boat, or laying on a dock, or the ground by the waters edge? I am confident this was not easy to capture. Very well done, Inge! LF.
Marilyn Smith
Inge, what a magnificent shot! The backlighting and the reflections are just wonderful. v/f
Margaret Saheed
Inge, a dramatic action shot of this beautiful swan. In Australia, our native swans are black!
Inge Riis McDonald replied:
Thank you Margaret. I saw the black swans in Australia and they are beautiful!