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Cygnus olor
Sleeping beauty… This mute swan was spotted having a nap with a mate at a small city harbor. Swans can sleep standing on one leg or two legs or whilst floating, usually with their heads tucked back under a wing. Many mammals and birds can sleep with their eyes open.
Native to much of Europe and Asia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. Also an introduced species in North America, Australasia and southern Africa The swans pictured here are all year-round residents on Lake Geneva. Their habitat can be seen on the second shot at http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/845...
The mute swan is recognisable by its pronounced knob atop the bill. All mute swans are white at maturity. The head and neck feathers are often stained orange-brown as seen here, due to iron and tannins in the water.
26 Comments (1–25)
Thanks Berndt!
Thank you Isabella!
awesome pics Daniele !!! Congrats
Thank you again July! Your own collection is great!
Beautiful. You take amazing photos!
Thanks for your comment KiKi Robin!
The last one looks like hes posing for the camera xD
Oh....well see I didn't notice the date photo was taken.... Oopsy! ;)
Haha thank you Sarah! But believe me today was really very dark and grey, much worse than the day this swan was photographed... it wouldn't have done justice to the ducks' beautiful colours.
Dark....grey.....terrible for photography....????
That didn't seem to stop you from capturing this AWESOME photo!!!
You are toooooo funny!! :)
Thanks Sarah! Went to do my usual duck survey this morning but today was dark and grey and terrible for photography :-(
PERFECT photos, Daniele! I love them!! Almost as much as the duck ones...
;)
Thank you Ismael!
Fantastic series Daniele
arlanda, Leuba, Satyen, thank you all for your kind comments!
Lovely series.
absolutely beautiful !!- I love the little touches of colour.
very nice pictures, Daniele
Thanks Atul!
beautiful!!
Thank you very much Gerardo and KatCuff!
Great series!
Wonderful photos Daniele
Thank you Stian and Laura! The great thing with swans is their size and that you can get close (if you forget the urban myth that they can break your arm with a wing stroke...). They'll certainly try to bite if you disturb them!
Fantastic photos of a common animal! I love those close ups on their faces, they look so elegant when they rest like that :) I will have to try and get better pictures of the swans I see everyday! Beautiful