Two Mute Swans In Flight (Wings Down)
I was standing on top of a tall sand dune overlooking a nature preserve. I saw these two Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) off in the distance heading straight for me and the open ocean. Nothing like being in the right place at the right time.
I was standing on top of a sand dune overlooking the ocean and spotted these two swans in the distance flying along the sand dune. I could hear their wings making a throbbing sound which grew louder and louder as they approached my position on the dune.
Watching a swan take off is like watching an old 737 take off. You think it'll never get airborne before it runs out of runway. This swan took off at the beginning of this very long water channel and didn't run out of runway. Although the swan looks airborne in this photo, it's really not. The swan hit the water with its feet 10 or 12 more times, each time thrashing the water with its feet and flapping its wings to gain altitude and become airborne. Always fun to watch.
