On Valentine's Day I had a date with the birds at Esquimalt Lagoon.
The swans didn't stand me up. Nor did the northern pintails or American widgeons (always sung to the tune of American Woman, it's this kind of stuff that makes bird watching cool).
I'll admit it, I'm finding it a little harder to access my feathered friends here in Victoria than I did up Island in Port Alberni.
It's easier to catch container ships passing through the Juan de Fuca Strait than it is to capture birds.
Still, I'm loving feeling closer to the ocean and appreciating encounters with urban wild life, like these mute swans. I don't know about mute, but they are quiet.
They are escapees from parks. Introduced for decoration from Asia, they haven't yet taken hold outside of park-like settings. That's good news for the native, and rarer, trumpeter swans.
More to come on this species. Like what is up with that big bulb on the beak?
3 comments:
Yes, that nose thingy is interesting. Good picture of it.
I just happen to find your blog ...i find it very interesting ...im from south africa and love the outdoors and nature aslo....i wish i had a professional camera like you ...the pics of animals and flora i could capture here in southa africa ...everyone here focuses on the BIG animals ...BUT LIKE YOU ...its the little creatures that fascinate me the most ...the sparrows , swans etc...and my word we have quite a few in this country ! anyway i guess you have one more follower ...lol
Welcome Ibrahim,
You'd be surprised what you can do with an inexpensive digital camera. I say, wait for nice light, get out there and capture those little forgotten critters.
CE what I've learned so far is that the males have the nose thingy and it gets larger in the breeding season.
Thanks for stopping by.
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