Snapshot Saturday - Swans

Swan at the Lake District, England - This guy chased me, trying to steal a chip.

I love birds, partly because I'd love to be able to fly, but mostly because my grandmother taught me to watch them. She always had a pair of field glasses in the kitchen window sill, ready for any visitors. We grew sunflowers and put up bird feeders and baths. Grandma had a beautiful, full-color bird guide that we would look through whenever we found a new bird in the garden.

Swans - Lake District, UK

 On my first visit to the Lake District, we had our lunch lakeside. The swans are very used to people and very greedy when it comes to the fish and chip stand.  This gave me the opportunity to get some close up shots - and be chased by a swan.

The little ones were so cute, and much less intimidating than their parents.

I took this picture of the smallest swanling, and the picture is one of my favorites. It looked like he was staring down at his reflection.

Swans are beautiful, but I've always loved them because of the story of the Ugly Duckling. My mother gave me an illustrated Ugly Duckling book as a child, and I loved its pictures. This picture reminds me of a scene from the story.

Swans are also really large and aggressive. Don't plan your picknick near a bunch of swans, they will invade your space and steal your chips (and pretty much whatever they want as you run away, trying to avoid being bitten).  


To participate in Snapshot Saturday, just follow the rules from Alyce's blog:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken... Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online. 

Posted by Jennifer B. at The Writing Cocoon.