Daddy's Home!

I was out in mind for a Derelict Challenge image but now it is so ably hosted by others on my behalf, this week by lynnfot  I feel the pressure is off for me to produce one myself.

 

Which is just as well. Also bearing in mind that today is probably the only sunny day for quite a while, I went along the river bank to catch the sun going down.

 

I then saw the nesting female swan on her eggs and thought how nice that was. But not necessarily a picture in its own right. Scouting for pattern compositions and reflections I walked up-river and then saw Daddy-to-be swan cruising quite quickly past me. I went back and saw him glide into the far bank and then greet Mrs Swan. This was so satisfying to see, so heart-warming, that despite whatever else is going on in our so self-destructive human world, nature is carrying on as usual, and beautifully. No-one and nothing seeming able to spoil this preparation for a new batch of cygnets. I am far enough away to know that I am not impeding on their private domesticity.

 

Swans are my favourite bird, they are so graceful and many of my best photos have been made by their elegant presence. You may wonder though why I didn’t put on a longer lens and zoom in as far as I could? Well, for one, I didn’t feel that I wanted to be a voyeur, prying in and spoiling the specialness. But mostly, because a pattern picture at sunset was what I was after and the shapes of the trees just about make a pleasing reflected pattern. I did tidy up a corner or two but didn’t want to edit the exposure or colour too much and make it look artificial.

 

You will understand that I am not geo-tagging this! Not that I want to keep it secret but I know especially how less respectful photographers and worse, dog walkers (or their dogs – even on a lead), can spoil the nest and at worst, the whole brood could be lost.

 

A special, profound moment, which I hope you can enjoy also.

 

Better in LARGE.

 

Superbly sharp with the tripod bound Sigma 24-70mm f2.8