Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ..a great timeless romantic classic ballet..
a dashing young prince falls in love with
a beautiful Queen of the Swans..perhaps their love story continues in Lake Ontario near
my home which I call
"Swan Lake" for obvious reasons.
*Read the true Queen of Swans love story HEREyou won't be disappointed!
to my delight I experience
their magnificent display of beauty and grace!
Two species of swans...Trumpeter distinguished by
a black bill with a loud
trumpet like call
and
Mute by the
bright orange bill generally silent
but not "mute" theirs are sounds of
grunts snorts & quiet whistles
*Enlarge photos for a closer look
Juvenile Trumpetersdistinguished by
their grayish/brown feathersThe majority of
Trumpeter Swans in Ontario are leg-banded
and identified with large yellow wing-tags. Tracking the
health and movements of the Trumpeters is very important
to a reintroduction program.
*I plan on becoming a "Swan Spotter" tracking sightings
and recording the tagged swans
Gliding past this chunk of ice the swans are not
bothered by
the harsh temperatures of their environment.
They have thousands of feathers and a dense layer of down
up to 2 inches thick allowing them to stay warm in temps.
as low as -30C
*enlarge the photo and see the sharp teeth on the ice
Choreography in motion.. all together now!
I had nothing to feed them so off they went.
They feed on aquatic vegetation and wild grass
which is now limited along the winter shoreline.
*Bread is NOT recommended as a treat.
Mute Swanthe feathers of the head and the upper part
of neck
stained orange as a result of feeding in areas
rich in
iron deposits in the water.*A Canadian Steel Mill located not far from this area~
"Trumpeters once flourished over much of the continent but
by the early 1900's they had been brought to the brink of
extinction by market and subsistence hunting.
In recent decades Trumpeters have begun a wonderful comeback and
now have the potential to reoccupy much of their former range.
However in many areas these swans face new problems such
as lead poisoning, habitat loss, power line collisions, and the
loss of their traditional migration patterns to southern wintering
areas. They remain absent from large portions of their
historic range."
The Trumpet Swan Society~
In researching the swans I have a greater appreciation for them.
I'll return to my
"Swan Lake"and perhaps I may sight a
Tundra swan.. black bill with a
bit of yellow by its eye...
or perhaps
an offspring of The QueenThese large beautiful graceful swans have left an imprint on me
~CUDDLES~
~ PURR-Zzz~
