Sometimes I am just in time to get the camera out of the case to catch a shot.
Yesterday was one of those times when I realised the cygnets were about to take off and head towards me at feeding time. It only takes a few seconds for them to fly a hundred metres or so and the camera sometimes takes too long to focus.
Blurred images are the result, but occasionally it gets it right if you are following the speed of the bird.
With a two metre wingspan they are magnificent in flight !
10 comments:
So sad to see once wild birds tamed to the extent that they will fly towards a human for food. It's truly a zoo that you've created on the river Joe, well done. Is this what your 'trust' members really want?
The only thing that's sad is you, why don't you get a life and actually learn something ?
i was very interested to find this on the rspb's website . maybe some lessons to be learned here or are they wrong Joe ?.....Feeding
Swans eat aquatic vegetation, which their long necks equip them to take from the riverbed. They take the molluscs that cling to the vegetation, and also eat small fish, frogs and worms.
They will graze big grassy fields, and can survive quite successfully in a field of short-cropped grass. Flocks of Bewick's and whooper swans can be seen in potato fields during the winter, feeding on the potatoes left after harvesting.
Swans normally find enough food in the wild without supplementary feeding. It is only in freezing weather that extra food can be helpful. Many people like feeding bread to swans and while this is unlikely to do them any real harm in the long term, it is no substitute for the proper diet that the birds themselves will seek out.
Grain, such as wheat, and vegetable matter, especially lettuce and potatoes, can be fed to swans. Food should be thrown into the water to avoid encouraging the birds onto the bank.
After 10 years of observing and caring for our mute Swans, I can fully agree with the RSPB comment about Swans diet and feeding habits. Anyone who has been following my blog over the years will have been aware that I feed them wheat, wild bird seeds, Carrots, Grass, spinach, Dandelion leaves, and wholemeal bread. They also have the natural feeding of river weed and seaweed. White bread should be avoided because there is no nutritional value in it. Most of the river weed here gets washed away in the autumn, supplementing their diet with the proper food above, ensures they get the best possible start in life. I think a quick look at the excellent condition of our resident swans is proof of a good diet.
I get some comments sent to my blog all of which I keep but do not publish all. I do not take kindly to sarcastic and ignorant comments, especially if they are anonymous. Some of these I know the identity of and do not suffer fools gladly. Comments like me creating a zoo etc, are totally uncalled for and borne out of petty resentment and ignorance. A zoo is a contained area , and the river certainly is not, neither are the birds and wildlife tame on it. I have spent years building trust with the waterbirds, and they tolerate me because I have proved my worth to them by provision of food and respect. I make a point of not actually hand feeding the cygnets because they will be leaving the river for good and will survive in the wild, the parents stay here permanently so hand feeding them is no problem. Even so, having fed them since they came here in 2007, does not prevent them from attacking me each time I have to free their cygnets caught up in fishing line. Neither did it stop the cob from breaking one of my ribs this summer for exactly the same reason. So the argument that they are TAME is nonsense,along with the zoo comments.
Those individuals who think they can denigrate and vilify me anonymously, can expect sarcasm and scorn in return. I make no apology for my proven successful care of the river wildlife.
@ Gordon Veitch, I cant please everybody, I'm sure the rspb will be happy for you to join their one million members.
@ Anon 15.45 Swans are not greedy creatures and only eat what they need. I feed them accordingly, whatever the time of year.
Too many people on this site havent got the bottle to leave there names , just gutless wonders i wouldnt bother with.u
Aye Greenleaf, how right you are.
I do my best, but like one elderly Nairnite said to me, "they're just jealous."
@15.45 I can assure you that Greenleaf is not an imaginary friend. Your question has been answered in full, I feed the Swans according to their need and river conditions, regardless of the time of year. You may be aware that the RSPB recommend and suggest many things, often including feeding garden birds all the year round, again this depends on what the conditions have been for that particular species or year.
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