A Mute Swan.

This swan is a good friend of mine. Or at least I like to pretend he is. He has been coming by the house of my boyfriend (who's name is Jesse by the way) for many years now. I have been coming here four winters now, and enjoy being able to follow them troughout the year.
Now, in Spring, the male swims around on his own. We have recently found their nest very nearby the house where the female is now breeding on probably several eggs. Every year after having seen only the male for some time they appear suddenly as one big happy family, mom, dad and some 7 chicks. During this time they come by sometimes twice a day for bread - an easy way to feed the chicks obviously - and the chicks always grow very big very fast. Sadly during the earliest stages half of the chicks disappear and only 3 or 4 grow to the size where no other animal around here will harm them anymore. This time is also the most rewarding time for photography for me. As the chicks mature during the summer we are usually away for a few weeks on summer vacation and as we return we meet the parents with fully grown grey and white swans still without a knob on the bill. At the end of the summer they will start to separate and show up in different groups - mom with one chick, 3 chicks together - until we don't see the chicks anymore. All throughout the winter the pair will show up occasionally, when there is no ice, probably actually needing the extra nutrition of the bread we feed them. Until one day dad shows up alone and it begins all over again.

I like to think I have actually rather come to know them over the years. I'll recignize them if I meet them in the waters around the neighbourhood. The male's head has a typical heart-like shape and the female has a rather small head, so her eyes seem bigger. The male in particular is quite a character - the reason for this is probably the fact that the nest is so close to the house. He is infamous in the neighbourhood for fly-chasing after boats that enter or exit the water running behind the block of houses here to go to the lake . Many girls are afraid of him - he is about their size with his wings out. He has never chased after Jesse and me though (unfortunately, because that would be an awesome picture). He can also be quite demanding when it comes to food. I have several shots of the inside of his mouth to prove it - he snapped at the camera, somehow thinking it is edible.

I was very happy to see them again and see they are both all right after more than 6 months. When we left they had just parted with another set of 4 successfully grown up offspring. Now she is on the nest again, ready to do it all over again.